Answer
What is Public Law 280 and where does it apply?
In 1953, Congress enacted Public Law 83-280 (67 Stat.
In 1953, Congress enacted Public Law 83-280 (67 Stat.
Because the Constitution vested the Legislative Branch with plenary power over Indian Affairs, states have no authority over tribal governments unless expressly authorized by Congress. While federally recognized tribes generally are not subordinate to states, they can have a government-to-government relationship with these other sovereigns, as well.
The relationship between federally recognized tribes and the United States is one between sovereigns, i.e., between a government and a government. This “government-to-government” principle, which is grounded in the United States Constitution, has helped to shape the long history of relations between the federal government and these tribal nations.
indianaffairs.gov
An official website of the U.S. Department of the Interior