SMITH, Circuit Judge:
The Nisqually Indian Tribe ("Nisqually") challenges an agreement between the Frank's Landing Indian Community (the "Community"), the Squaxin Island Indian Tribe
Washington law applies state sales and use taxes to the sale of tobacco by Indian retailers to non-Indians, even when the sale takes place in Indian country.
Nisqually is a federally-recognized Indian tribe with reservation lands in Washington State. Nisqually has entered into a tobacco tax contract with the State government (the "Nisqually contract").
Squaxin is also a federally-recognized Indian tribe with reservation lands in the State of Washington. Squaxin entered into a tax contract with the State (the "Squaxin contract") that allowed Squaxin to tax tobacco sales by tribal retailers in "Indian country." The contract defined
Frank's Landing is a geographic location consisting of three parcels of land, none of which is located on the Nisqually or Squaxin Reservations. The parcels are instead held in trust by the United States for the benefit of individually named Indians.
Two federal statutes define the powers of the Community. First, in 1987, Congress passed Public Law Number 100-153 (the "1987 Act"), which states that the Community is "eligible to contract, and to receive grants, under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act." Indian Law Technical Amendments of 1987, Pub.L. No. 100-153, § 10, 101 Stat. 886 (1987). Later, in 1994, Congress passed Public Law Number 103-435 (the "1994 Act"), which amended the 1987 Act, and states, in relevant part:
Indians: Technical Corrections, Pub.L. No. 103-435, § 8, 108 Stat. 4566, 4569-70 (1994).
Cigarette sales at Frank's Landing have strained the Community's relationship
This appeal centers on a solution to the problem of cigarette sales and taxes at Frank's Landing negotiated by Washington, the Community, and Squaxin (the "Agreement"). The parties entered into an agreement wherein Bridges leased part of her property, held in trust, to the Community. The Community, in turn, sub-leased the property to Squaxin for a retail store operated by Island Enterprises, a business wholly-owned by Squaxin. The Community, Squaxin, and Washington agreed that Island Enterprises could sell cigarettes under the Squaxin contract at Frank's Landing. The Agreement further provided that the Community would share in the revenue, and its share would be used (consistent with Washington law) for community purposes, including funding the Wa-He-Lut Indian School, which the Community established in 1974.
Squaxin and Washington subsequently executed the Addendum to further clarify that the Squaxin contract covered sales at Frank's Landing. The Addendum defined "Indian country" as:
On February 6, 2008, Nisqually filed a lawsuit challenging the Agreement on three grounds
We review de novo a district court's order granting summary judgment. Olsen v. Idaho State Bd. of Med., 363 F.3d 916, 922 (9th Cir.2004). We must determine whether there are any genuine questions of material fact and whether the district court correctly applied the law. Id. All inferences must be drawn in favor of the nonmoving party. Id.
On appeal, Nisqually argues that the Agreement violates either the 1987 Act or
A plaintiff may only bring a cause of action to enforce a federal law if the law provides a private right of action. See First Pac. Bancorp, Inc. v. Helfer, 224 F.3d 1117, 1121 (9th Cir.2000). The ability to bring a private right of action may be authorized by the explicit statutory text or, in some instances, may be implied from the statutory text. See Touche Ross & Co. v. Redington, 442 U.S. 560, 568-77, 99 S.Ct. 2479, 61 L.Ed.2d 82 (1979). However, an implied right of action is only authorized when there is clear evidence Congress intended such a right to be part of the statute. Transamerica Mort. Advisors, Inc. (TAMA) v. Lewis, 444 U.S. 11, 23-24, 100 S.Ct. 242, 62 L.Ed.2d 146 (1979).
Nisqually does not dispute that neither the 1987 Act nor the 1994 Act provides an explicit right of enforcement in the statutory text. Thus, our only inquiry is whether either act provides an implied right of action.
In Cort v. Ash, 422 U.S. 66, 78, 95 S.Ct. 2080, 45 L.Ed.2d 26 (1975), the Supreme Court outlined a four-factor inquiry for determining whether a statute provides an implied right of action. These factors are: (1) whether the plaintiff is "one of the class for whose especial benefit the statute was enacted"; (2) whether there is "any indication of legislative intent, explicit or implicit, either to create or to deny [a private right of action]"; (3) whether it is "consistent with the underlying purposes of the legislative scheme to imply" a private right of action; and (4) whether "the cause of action [is] one traditionally relegated to state law." Id. (citation and quotation marks omitted). In the context of Indian tribes, we have previously interpreted the fourth factor to turn on determining "whether federal remedies would interfere with matters traditionally relegated to the control of semisovereign Indian tribes." Solomon v. Interior Reg'l Hous. Auth., 313 F.3d 1194, 1197 (9th Cir. 2002) (citation and quotation marks omitted).
(1) Nisqually is not "one of the class for whose especial benefit the statute was enacted." Cort, 422 U.S. at 78, 95 S.Ct. 2080 (citation and quotation marks omitted). "In applying the first Cort factor, courts look to whether the plaintiffs that claim a cause of action exists are specifically mentioned as beneficiaries in the statute." Opera Plaza Residential Parcel Homeowners Ass'n v. Hoang, 376 F.3d 831, 835 (9th Cir.2004). Nisqually is not mentioned in the statute; the only reference to any Indian tribe is found in the 1994 Act's declaration that the Community "is not subject to the jurisdiction of any federally recognized tribe." Indians: Technical Corrections, Pub.L. No. 103-435, § 8, 108 Stat. 4566, 4569-70 (1994). The 1987 Act and the 1994 Act recognize the status of the Community, defining and setting limitations on the Community's ability to self govern. If there is a class, for whose benefit the statute was enacted, that class is the Community alone.
(2) Although Cort outlines a four-factor analysis, the Supreme Court has subsequently explained that the second of the four factors raises the dispositive question: "whether Congress intended to create" a private right of action. Transamerica Mortgage, 444 U.S. at 24, 100 S.Ct. 242 (emphasis added). "The starting point in discerning congressional intent is
Finding no evidence of such intent in the Acts, we review the legislative history. Such review does not indicate that a private right of action was even considered when drafting and enacting the Acts. The district court noted that one of the "uncontroverted" facts of this case was that "Congress amended [the 1987 Act] in 1994 at the behest of [the Community], whose members feared unilateral annexation into the Nisqually Tribal Reservation." Nisqually Indian Tribe v. Gregoire, 649 F.Supp.2d 1203, 1205 (W.D.Wash.2009). At the time, Nisqually was considering an amendment to its constitution which would have annexed the Community. Id. If anything, this background militates against finding a private right of action allowing Nisqually to sue under the Acts.
(3) A private right of action is also not "consistent with the underlying purposes of the legislative scheme." Cort, 422 U.S. at 78, 95 S.Ct. 2080. The Acts create and define the Community, grant it certain rights as a "self-governing dependent Indian community," and impose certain limitations (for example, no class III gaming) on its ability to self-govern. This scheme explicitly seeks to establish the Community as "self-governing," not to subject it to outside control through private rights of action to enforce the provisions recognizing and empowering the Community.
(4) Finally, the collection of state tobacco taxes in Indian country is a matter relegated to the states and tribes. See Washington v. Confederated Tribes of Colville Indian Reservation, 447 U.S. 134, 159-60, 161-63, 100 S.Ct. 2069, 65 L.Ed.2d 10 (1980); Wash. Rev.Code § 43.06.450 (granting the governor power to enter into contracts with Indian tribes in Washington to govern tobacco tax collection).
Confederated Tribes reaffirmed that states have the authority to impose taxes on tobacco sales to non-Indians by Indian retailers. 447 U.S. at 150-51, 100 S.Ct. 2069. The Supreme Court noted that the state may attempt to collect such taxes directly or to enter into agreements with tribes—a decision at the discretion of the state. Id. at 155-56, 100 S.Ct. 2069. Thus, in matters relating to state taxes, the state's means of enforcement—whether through direct collection, special contracts with tribes, or simply allowing non-Indian purchasers to "flout [their] legal obligation to pay the tax," id.—is an issue of state law. We find nothing in the 1987 Act or the 1994 Act which suggests a federal right of action.
After examining the four Cort factors, we hold that Nisqually has no private right of action to enforce either the 1987 Act or the 1994 Act.
Nisqually does not specifically argue that the 1987 Act or the 1994 Act imply a private right of action. Rather, Nisqually argues that, under Moe v. Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes, 425 U.S. 463, 96 S.Ct. 1634, 48 L.Ed.2d 96 (1976), it has a private right of action stemming from 28 U.S.C. § 1362. We disagree.
Title 28 U.S.C. § 1362 confers jurisdiction to federal courts over actions "brought by any Indian tribe ... wherein the matter in controversy arises under the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States." Moe explained that, pursuant to
The district court exercised supplemental jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1367 to reach Nisqually's state law claims. We review this issue because it was appealed to us on the final order of the district court. See 28 U.S.C. § 1291. We conclude that Nisqually has no right of action to bring state law claims under the Washington tobacco contracting laws, Washington Revised Code § 43.06.450 et seq. Though we analyze whether a private right of action exists under state law, we note that Nisqually makes no direct argument that such a right exists.
Nisqually does not dispute that the relevant Washington laws do not explicitly provide a private right of action. Thus, our inquiry again turns on whether Nisqually has an implied right of action under state law.
Washington courts analyze implied private rights of action using a two-step analysis. The first threshold question is whether the statute "creates a right or obligation without a corresponding remedy." Ducote v. Dep't of Soc. & Health Servs., 167 Wn.2d 697, 222 P.3d 785, 787 (2009) (en banc). If such a right exists, Washington courts use a three-part inquiry to determine whether an implied right of action exists, asking: "[1] whether the plaintiff is within the class for whose `especial' benefit the statute was enacted; [2] whether legislative intent, explicitly or implicitly, supports creating or denying a remedy; and [3] whether implying a remedy is consistent with the underlying purpose of the legislation." Id. (citation and quotation marks omitted).
Addressing the threshold question, we find that the Washington tobacco contracting laws do not establish a right without a corresponding remedy. While the statutes grant the governor authority to enter into contracts, nothing requires the governor to take such action. See Wash. Rev.Code § 43.06.455(1) ("[t]he governor may enter into cigarette tax contracts"). Thus, rather than provide some enforceable right, the Washington statutes merely establish a
Even if we were to undertake the second step of the analysis, our conclusion would not change. None of the three factors suggests a private right of action on these facts. First, Nisqually is not "within the class for whose `especial' benefit the statute was enacted." Ducote, 222 P.3d at 787 (citation and quotation marks omitted). The law does not mention Nisqually—except when recognizing it as a tribe that may contract with the state, Wash. Rev. Code § 43.06.460—nor does it create a protection by right for any group. Rather, the law grants the governor discretionary authority to enter into contracts and defines the procedure for so doing. Second, nothing in the statute suggests legislative intent to create a private right of action. Indeed, the statute outlines the procedure for entering into tobacco contracts, then explicitly contemplates that any disputes regarding the contract would be governed by the contract and general contract law. See Wash. Rev.Code § 43.06.455(13). Third, a private right of action is inconsistent with the underlying purpose of the legislation: to grant the state discretionary authority to enter into tobacco contracts with tribes. See Wash. Rev.Code § 43.06.455(1). Allowing a third party, like Nisqually, to challenge a contract arrangement between Washington and another tribe (like Squaxin) runs contrary to this scheme. Thus, we find no private right of action under the relevant Washington laws.
Nisqually argues that, by entering into the Addendum, Washington breached the Nisqually contract. Because Nisqually is a contracting party to the contract, Nisqually may bring a breach of contract claim under the contract.
Nisqually argues that the Nisqually contract grants it the exclusive right to sell cigarettes at Frank's Landing and, therefore, Washington breached the Nisqually contract in signing the Addendum. We disagree and affirm the district court's grant of summary judgment against Nisqually on this claim.
Washington courts interpret contracts according to the objective manifestation of the agreement. Hearst Commc'ns, Inc. v. Seattle Times Co., 154 Wn.2d 493, 115 P.3d 262, 267 (2005) (en banc). This means the court focuses on the "objective manifestations of the agreement, rather than on the unexpressed subjective intent of the parties." Id. Words should generally be given their "ordinary, usual, and popular" meaning. Id.
Nisqually bases its argument on the following language of the Nisqually contract. First, the agreement states that "[o]nly tribal retailers are permitted to make retail cigarette sales within Indian country." A "tribal retailer" is defined as a retailer wholly owned by the Nisqually tribe, and "Indian country" includes "all lands placed in trust ... for individual Indians ... located
Nisqually reads these parts of the contract out of context in order to argue it has territorial exclusivity. The first statement, relied on by Nisqually ("only tribal members are permitted ..."), is the only sentence of the contract under the heading "Other Retail Sales within Indian Country by tribal Members." (emphasis added). The contract defines a "Tribal member" as "an enrolled member of the Nisqually Tribe." This heading, read together with the clause Nisqually relies on, demonstrates that the contract was only intended to apply to Nisqually retailers operating within the basin. Thus, while the Nisqually contract gives Nisqually exclusive jurisdiction over its own tribal retailers operating in Indian country within the basin, it does not apply to members of Squaxin.
Additionally, Nisqually's argument is not supported by the record. During negotiations, Nisqually sought an agreement that cigarette sales would not be permitted at Frank's Landing and sought a 20 mile buffer around the Nisqually reservation for exclusive selling rights. Washington rejected this 20-mile radius and said, as to Frank's Landing, "we will only negotiate with federally recognized tribes [when negotiating contracts].... The Frank's Landing Community is not a federally recognized Indian tribe." This is not an assurance that no sales would be allowed at Frank's Landing.
We conclude there is no private right of action under either the 1987 Act or the 1994 Act which would enable Nisqually to bring an action to enforce the Acts' provisions. Further, the Washington tobacco contract legislation, Wash. Rev.Code § 43.06.450 et seq., contains no private right of action which would allow Nisqually to bring suit to enforce those laws. Finally, the Addendum does not constitute a breach of the Nisqually contract. Accordingly, the judgment of the district court is