Final answer:
The Boldt case was initiated by disputes over fishing rights between Native American tribes and the state of Washington, due to treaty violations by state regulations that encroached on tribal rights established in the mid-19th century. The situation escalated to a legal battle, resulting in the significant 1970s ruling by Judge George H. Boldt.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Boldt case, officially known as United States v. Washington, was triggered by a long-standing conflict over fishing rights between Native American tribes and the state of Washington. The controversy stemmed from treaties signed in the mid-19th century in which tribes ceded large areas of land to the United States in exchange for the guarantee of fishing rights. As the state of Washington grew, it began to impose fishing regulations that the Native American tribes felt violated their treaty rights, leading to legal conflicts that eventually resulted in the Boldt case. The case rose to prominence in the 1970s when Judge George H. Boldt ruled that the tribes were entitled to half of the fish harvest from their traditional fishing grounds.