Over a decade ago, in early 2011, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Montana initiated a series of conversations with Northern Cheyenne traditional elders and officials at Chief Dull Knife College (CDKC) regarding ways to enhance resource management cooperation between the federal agency and the tribe. The BLM wanted to adjust--and in some…

In the year 1999, OPI [Montana Office of Public Instruction] brought together representatives from all the tribes in Montana and created 7 Essential Understandings. These are some of the major issues all tribes have in common. They form the basis for all of our curriculum efforts and initiatives. There is great diversity among the 12 tribal…

This booklet answers briefly the most common questions about American Indians asked by students, teachers, researchers, librarians, government agencies, and the news media. Sections outline the history, responsibilities, educational programs, and housing programs of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA); President Bush's American Indian policy;…

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) seeks to play a lead role in the development of relations between various state governmental entities and tribal governments; this assortment of documents treats aspects of those relations. A platform statement and resolution on Indian affairs adopted by the National Association of Counties supports…

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…

Another in the Contemporary Legal Education Series, this book questions how the law and the legal system have contributed to the support or destruction of separatist tendencies "in a context where there has been a rather formal debate on the precise issues of assimilation and preservation of cultural identity". The book is designed (1)…

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…

The paper outlines the history of the long-standing dispute over land in Arizona co-owned by the Navajo and Hopi. It details the confusing history and predicted effects of related governmental action and legislation and describes the position of important personalities on all sides of the issue. (SB)

This collection of research papers focuses on conditions that affect self-determined economic development on American Indian reservations. Topics include obstacles that Indian nations face as they pursue their development goals; development of economic development corporations; effective tribal judicial systems; a model for processing land-use…