American Indian treaties and treaty law may seem to fall solely within the purview of legal methodology and critical analysis, yet the 367 American Indian treaties signed with the US federal government beg for the type of dissection and analysis generally associated with cultural and literary critical theory. The tools by which texts are dissected…

Overview of some of the most important Indian court cases of the last decade, including ones regarding treaty rights, tribal jurisdiction and sovereignty, tax jurisdiction, land claims, and hunting and fishing rights. (DS)

Examines development of federal-Indian trust relationship and separate "government-government" relationship between U.S. government and federally recognized tribes. Analyzes inconsistencies produced by government's administration of two relationships. Sees trust relationship (guardianship doctrine) as one aspect of government-government…

First tracing the historical background of Canadian-Indian policy, article then presents an in-depth analysis of the Indian Act, the mainstay of that policy. Apparently little has changed over the years: the Indian Act continues to thwart Indian sovereignty and self-determination. (Author/DS)

Between 1779 and 1864 the United States signed over 400 legal and binding agreements with Indian governments. Treaties signed between 1779 and 1810 sought Indian alliances against England, France, and Spain (all of whom also signed treaties with the Indians at one time or another). Treaties signed from 1817 to 1846 were treaties of removal, and…

First of a two-article series describes methodology and conclusions of a study of the effects of the 1978 Supreme Court "Oliphant" decision regarding jurisdiction over reservation non-Indians. Describes three project phases: (a) literature search and legal analysis; (b) field studies and surveys; (c) determining problem-solving models…

This book describes the struggle of American Indian tribes and their governments to achieve the goals of freedom and tribal sovereignty. Part 1 provides a case study of the Mississippi Choctaws and their efforts to reestablish their tribal government, and introduces the structure, function, and values of the traditional governments of the…

This curriculum unit introduces students to the relationship between the federal government and American Indians through five narrative descriptions of the related legislation, laws, and court interpretations. The narratives cover: (1) the historical basis of federal Indian law and the government-to-government relationship; (2) legal definitions…

Explains history of federal-Indian relationship and changing tribal sovereignty rights. Describes treaty disputes and Indian-non-Indian conflicts in Washington, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma. Describes general nature of Indian alliances and support networks. Discusses possible roles for social scientists and social-science studies to mitigate Indian…

Published in cooperation with the American Civil Liberties Union, the guide sets forth the rights of American Indians under the present law and offers suggestions on how these rights can be protected. Using a question and answer format, the book covers the changes in Indian policies from the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 to the present day,…

This paper traces the development of the government-to-government relationship between the United States and Native peoples and examines the implications of that relationship for Native American education. In 1532, Francisco de Vitoria refuted the Doctrine of Discovery and laid out four principles to guide Spanish governmental relations with…

The historical involvement of the federal government in the education of the American Indian has always carried with it one clear and consistent underlying theme: the federal government has both explicitly and implicitly acknowledged that there is a federal responsibility to Indian education. Treaties between the United States Government and…

Law firm analysis which reviews developments in Indian law, discusses holdings and implications of some important Supreme Court decisions (Boldt Case, Yakima Public Law 280 Case, Blackbird Bend Case), analyzes litigation trends which appear to be developing, and comments on the future conduct of Indian litigation. (DS)

As tribes and individuals, Indians claim dual rights in American society. Granted full citizenship in 1924, Indians are entitled to all protections and benefits enjoyed by other citizens, including free public education for their children. As the original inhabitants of the United States, Indians also claim rights accruing to no other population…

The cornerstones of the Indian perspective on their relationship to American government and society lie in the fact that the Indians are the aboriginal owners of the New World and that their formal association with the U.S. is based on formal treaties. Indian tribes consider themselves as separate and sovereign nations. In early American history,…