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KIOWA TRIBE OF OKLA. v. MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Supreme Court of United States (1998) | 523 U.S. 751; 118 S.Ct. 1700; 140 L.Ed.2d 981
TL;DR: A tribe defaulted on a promissory note for an off-reservation commercial deal. The Supreme Court held that tribal sovereign immunity bars lawsuits against tribes for their commercial activities, regardless of whether they occur on or off a reservation.
Legal Significance: Affirmed that tribal sovereign immunity is a matter of federal law that extends to off-reservation commercial activities. The Court explicitly deferred to Congress to make any changes, cementing immunity as a default rule absent congressional abrogation or tribal waiver.