A collection of 13 scholarly articles and essays, this book makes available hard-to-find information and theories about American Indian economic development. Part I, "The Land and the People", emphasizes cultural traditions and beliefs of Indian people and traces the development of the concept of sovereignty and its applicability to Indian self determination. Part II, "Historical Background for Underdevelopment", contains a discussion of the significance of United States economic development in relation to Indian land policy, a summary of the history of Indian water rights, and an analysis of the colonial context as a framework for studying the historical underdevelopment of American Indian economies. Part III, a case study of the Navajo Nation, discusses (1) the Navajo postoral economy and the traditional-modern division, (2) underdevelopment and dependency in the Navajo economy, (3) strategies for increasing Indian governmental income and building a stable economic base, (4) Navajo government taxation of corporations operating in the reservation as a means to augment income and assert sovereignty, and (5) fundamental changes in the Navajo government resulting from 20 years of dependency on mineral leases and royalties. Part IV contains three studies of the politics of Indian underdevelopment and development. (Author/JH)