Land; exploitation of land; and changing Indian needs, attitudes, and religious demands define environmental issues facing modern Native Americans. Such issues are related to agriculture and ranching, forests and watersheds, hunting and fishing, water, natural resource mining and pollution, hazardous and radioactive waste storage, urbanization of…

Of major concern to American Indians are: government to government communications; development of Indian owned energy resources; federal budget changes as they affect the American Indian; preservation, protection, and quantification of inherent and reserved Indian water rights; preservation of treaty obligations; respect for tribal sovereignty;…

This book aims to fill part of the gap that exists between commonly held misconceptions and the realities of American Indian history and modern life. Part I discusses the "doctrine of discovery," a European legal theory invented to justify the acquisition of Indian lands, and explains why the issue of discovery has had so great an impact…

Historical and recent examples indicate that, in the areas of property ownership/use and tribal self-government, federal policy has frequently ignored complexities and abandoned Indians to learn from their experiences. Indian college students can substitute professional education for practical experience to ensure tribal survival and sensible land…

This report includes state-by-state summaries of 1994 legislation pertaining to Native American issues. Of 344 bills introduced in the state legislatures in 1994, 92 were enacted and 20 are still pending. Major issues addressed in 1994 legislation included Native American education; history, language, and culture preservation; sovereignty; law…