Consisting of four scholarly papers which have been edited for easier reading, this book considers the issue of tribal sovereignty from before the white man's arrival on this continent to the present day. The focus of the first paper is primarily cultural; the next three papers deal with the sequence of events. Dr. Fay G. Cohen's paper describes Indian tribes and cultures before the coming of the European to North America and traces the difficulties experienced by Indians in maintaining their tribal identity. Each of the next three papers, written by three historians, studies a different period of policy development and emphasizes the effect the white man and his government have had on tribal ways of life. Dr. Mary E. Young's paper covers policy development to 1871; W. Roger Buffalohead details policy development from 1871-1920; Dr. D'Arcy McNickle discusses policy development for the years 1920-1977. (CM)