1

Introduction

There are three sovereigns in the government-to-government relationship: tribes, states, and the U.S. Government. Those three sovereigns

need to work together to solve problems with three principles—honesty,

open-mindedness and willingness.

—Chief William Burke

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation

Washington, D.C.—Opening Ceremony

USDA National American Indian Heritage Month—1994

The Forest Service’s success in establishing and maintaining the governmentto-government relationship will be based on an appreciation of and about

Indian Country and those attributes unique to respective national forests and

grasslands and local tribes. This concept is fundamental and critical to

relationships and interactions. Effective relations with tribal governments

are not a single event—they are a continuous process.

The laws that affect the management of National Forest System lands and

the rights and programs affecting American Indians are evolving on many

fronts—in court decisions, in statutes passed by Congress, and in executive

orders and other actions of the President and the executive branch. Forest

Service leaders and managers need to be aware of these evolving legal

requirements.

Court decisions may be referenced in this resource book. Remember that a

court decision is a determination of the law as it is applied to a given set of

facts and circumstances. References to court decisions may include the general

direction of the law, but those decisions may not apply to a different set of

facts. This guide is not meant to be the sole guide in dealing with legal issues

or interpreting court decisions. Consult the Office of General Counsel (OGC) on

legal issues or interpretation of court decisions or treaty rights or claims related

to Indian tribes.

The challenge facing the Forest Service today is to reconcile many requirements of law so that National Forest System lands can be administered in a

way that meets public needs while recognizing the rights of Indian tribes.

The focus of this book is to help Forest Service employees gain a clearer

understanding of how to implement the U.S. Government’s and the Forest

Service’s American Indian and Alaska Native policy. It should foster an

appreciation of tribal governments and help the Forest Service further

develop effective relationships with American Indian and Alaska Native

Tribes.
2

The sections of this book correspond to the tenets of the Forest Service’s

four-point American Indian/Alaska Native policy (FSM 1563). A complete

statement of this policy is in Appendix A.

1. Maintain a governmental relationship with Federally Recognized tribal

governments. Section One of this book is “The Governmental

Relationship.”

2. Implement Forest Service programs and activities honoring Indian treaty

rights, and fulfill legally mandated trust responsibilities to the extent that

they are determined applicable to National Forest System lands. Section

Two of this book is “Treaty Rights and Forest Service Responsibilities.”

3. Administer programs and activities to address and be sensitive to

traditional Native religious beliefs and practices. Section Three of this

book is “Addressing Traditional Beliefs and Practices.”

4. Provide research, transfer of technology, and technical assistance to

Indian governments. Section Four of this book is “Opportunities for

Research, Transfer of Technology, and Technical Assistance.”

Through use of this resource book, leaders, managers, and staff who interact with American Indian and Alaska Native governments should be able to

carry out their duties in a knowledgeable, responsive, and respectful

manner.
3

1

 See Joint Tribal Council of Passamaquoddy Tribe v. Morton, 528 F.2d 370 (1st Cir.

1975).

2 25 CFR 83.

3

 Pascua Yaqui Recognition Act, September 18, 1978, Pub. L. No. 95–375, 95 Stat. 712

(codified at 25 U.S.C.A. §1300f to 1300f-2).

4 Delaware Indians v. Cherokee Nation, 193 U.S. 127 (1904).

5

 See Zarr v. Barlow, 800 F.2d 1484, 1485, n.1 (9th Cir. 1986).

6

 Zarr v. Barlow, 800 F.2d 1484 (9th Cir. 1986); see also 25 CFR §20.1 (n) (1986).

7

 See Zarr v. Barlow, 800 F.2d at 1489–93.

Definitions of Indian Indian Tribe. Although the term “Indian tribe” can be used in both an

Tribe, Indian, Indian ethnological and legal-political sense, this book focuses on the definition of

Country, and Indian an Indian tribe as a political entity. Historically, the Federal Government

Homeland has determined that it will recognize particular groups or Indian tribes

under the Indian Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Thus, tribes

which are “Federally Recognized or acknowledged” are considered Indian

tribes or tribal governments for legal purposes. Indian groups not

recognized under Federal law may seek recognition through litigation,1

Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) administrative procedures, 2 or congressional

statute.3 A list of the Federally Recognized Tribes is in Appendix C.

Indian. An Indian is a person recognized as an Indian by that person’s tribe

or community. Tribal membership requirements can be established by

usage, written law, treaty, or intertribal agreement.4 Today, membership is

typically defined by a tribal constitution, tribal law, or a tribal roll—varying

degrees of blood quantum are required by different tribes. While membership in a Federally Recognized Tribe is the general criteria used by the BIA

for participation in most Federal programs,5 a blood standard is also used

alternatively for eligibility for some programs.6 In recent years, Congress

has not allowed the BIA to rely solely on a blood standard for a few of its

Federal programs.7

It is important to understand the difference between the ethnological term

“Indian” and the political/legal term “Indian.” The protections and services

the United States provides tribal members do not flow from an individual’s

status as an American Indian in an ethnological sense, but because that

person is a member of a Federally Recognized Tribe with which the United

States has a special trust relationship. This trust relationship entails

certain legally enforceable obligations, duties, and responsibilities.

Indian Country. Indian Country is described as the territorial boundaries

of Indian tribal governments. While the term “Indian Reservation” is popularly used to identify geographical limits of tribal power or jurisdiction, the

relevant legal term is “Indian Country.” Indian Country is defined specifically

by Federal statute (18 U.S.C. §1151) and includes all land, regardless of

ownership, within the exterior boundaries of Federally Recognized Indian

reservations (USDI, Office of American Indian Trust).

Indian Homelands. Land ownership patterns within the exterior boundaries of Indian reservations vary. In some cases, such as the North Carolina Cherokee and the White Mountain Apache in Arizona, all lands within

the reservation boundaries are held in trust by the United States.
4

On other reservations, all land within the boundaries is Indian-owned, but

some is tribal trust land, and some is held in trust for individuals, with the

United States acting as trustee for the individual allottee (or his or her

heirs).

Some lands are owned through purchase by non-Indians.

In the lower 48 states, there are 46.2 million acres of Indian trust land and

8.9 million acres of individual trust allotments.

The majority of reservations include within their boundaries not only tribal

trust land and individual trust allotments but a third category—land owned

in unrestricted title, usually by non-Indians. This third category was the

result of the government acquiring and then opening tribal land for homesteading to non-Indians in the late 19th century with the General Allotment,

or Dawes, Act or the expiration of trust periods on some allotments—allowing non-Indians the right to purchase land directly from the allottees or

heirs. In very few cases, non-Indian land predominates a reservation. For

example, 46 percent of the land within the boundaries of the Swinomish

Reservation in Skagit County, Washington, is owned by non-Indians, and

20 percent of the Indian trust land is leased to non-Indians.

Tribes usually have jurisdiction over “Indian Country” (see Appendix B).

Tribal regulatory jurisdiction may, therefore, extend to an area significantly

larger than the lands actually in Indian ownership. Many reservations are

a tiny fraction of the tribe’s aboriginal territory.

Tribes own 6.3 million acres of commercial timber land or about 1 percent of

the Nation’s total commercial forest land. More than 43 million acres, or

77 percent of all Indian land (excluding Alaska), are classified as grassland.

The original source for this text is Federal Indian Law: Cases and Materials, 3rd Edition,

by David H. Getches, Charles F. Wilkinson, and Robert A. Williams, Jr. Some of the

material has been directly quoted with the permission of the publisher; some has been

paraphrased.
5

Indian Nation Demographics

Most reservations are west of the 100th meridian, a north-south line running through the

center of Nebraska. There are—

• 557 Federally Recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes (as of 1996)

• 314 reservations, 278 of which are administered as Federal Indian reservations

American Indians and Alaska Natives have a land base of approximately 615,210 square miles.

The landholdings of the tribes vary widely. The Navajo reservation consists of more than

15 million acres of land in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah—an area larger than West Virginia

and eight other states. In North and South Dakota, Sioux reservations account for about

5 million acres. There are Federally Recognized Tribes that have no land. A table of the thirty

largest landholding tribes is located in Appendix D. The latest list of Federally Recognized

Tribes can be found in Appendix C along with a map of where they are located.

Many Indian reservations are adjacent to National Forest System lands. At present, there are

56.6 million acres of Indian lands in the United States. After the Alaska Native land selections

are completed, almost 5 percent of all land in the United States will be in American Indian/

Alaska Native ownership.

Indian Population

The size of the tribe does not necessarily correlate with the size of tribal landholdings. During

the 1990 census, more American Indians identified themselves as Cherokee than any other

tribal affiliation. The Cherokee Tribe lost most of its ancestral land in the Southeast when the

tribe was “removed” to Oklahoma in the 1830’s. The Navajo Nation, the second largest in

population, has the largest reservation.

One-hundred and sixteen (116) tribes have more than 1,000 members. At least 1,000 Indians,

in 35 different states, reported themselves as Cherokee; Sioux in 15 states; Chippewa in

9 states; and Iroquois in 8 states. The four largest groups of American Indians as classified by

the census (including both on- and off-Indian-land residents) are the Cherokee, the Navajo, the

Chippewa, and the Sioux. The states with the highest American Indian and Alaska Native

populations are Oklahoma, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Alaska.

The American Indian population increased from 357,499 in 1950 to 523,591 in 1960, to

792,730 in 1970, and to 1,418,195 in 1980. At the 1990 census, 1,959,000 persons, or eighttenths of one percent of the Nation’s population, reported themselves as American Indians

(Figure 1.). This enormous increase is based, in part, on improved census methods and increasing birth rates. More than 1,878,000 people are ethnically American Indians, and approximately 54,453 are Yupiks, Inuits, and Aleuts.

Today, approximately half of the Indian population lives on or adjacent to reservations or Indian

communities. Due in part to the Federal termination and relocation programs of the 1950’s and

1960’s, the other half lives in urban areas. Almost three-fourths of that urban Indian population live in metropolitan areas with populations of more than one million.
6

Indian Land and Resources

Indian tribes and Indian individuals own approximately 56.6 million acres of land (in the lower

48 states)—an increase of more than 4 million acres since 1980. American Indian and Alaska

Native landholdings are growing as tribes are reacquiring territories lost. Tribes are buying

acreage, and several court settlements, such as the eastern land claims, have resulted in land

transfers and purchases. As the result of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA),

Alaska Natives hold another 44 million acres not included in the above figures. In all, American

Indian and Alaska Native groups hold about 4.2 percent of the land area of the United States.

The states containing the most Indian land are Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico, Montana,

Oklahoma, and South Dakota (see Appendix D for a complete listing).

Figure 1.—American Indian Population, 1990 Census (Shaded states have the largest American

Indian populations.)
7

American Indian/Alaska Native Policy

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release April 29, 1994

MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

SUBJECT: Government-to-Government Relations with Native American Tribal Governments

The United States Government has a unique legal relationship with Native American Tribal governments

as set forth in the Constitution of the United States, treaties, statutes and court decisions. As executive

departments and agencies undertake activities affecting Native American Tribal rights or trust resources,

such activities should be implemented in a knowledgeable, sensitive manner respecting of Tribal sovereignty. Today, as part of an historic meeting, I am outlining principles that executive departments and

agencies, including every component bureau and office, are to follow in their interactions with Native

American Tribal governments. The purpose of these principles is to clarify our responsibility to ensure that

the Federal Government operates within a government-to-government relationship with Federally Recognized Native American Tribes. I am strongly committed to building a more effective day-to-day working

relationship reflecting respect for the rights of self-government due the sovereign Tribal governments.

In order to ensure that the rights of sovereign Tribal governments are fully respected, executive branch

activities shall be guided by the following:

(a) The head of each executive department and agency shall be responsible for ensuring that the

department or agency operates within a government-to-government relationship with Federally Recognized

Tribal governments.

(b) Each executive department and agency shall consult, to the greatest extent practicable and to the

extent permitted by law with Tribal governments prior to taking actions that affect Federally Recognized

Tribal governments. All such consultations are to be open and candid so that all interested parties may

evaluate for themselves the potential impact of relevant proposals.

(c) Each executive department and agency shall assess the impact of Federal Government plans,

projects, programs, and activities on Tribal trust resources and assure that Tribal government rights and

concerns are considered during the development of such plans, projects, programs and activities.

(d) Each executive department and agency shall take appropriate steps to remove any procedural

impediments to working directly and effectively with Tribal governments on activities that affect the trust

property and/or governmental rights of the Tribes.

(e) Each executive department and agency shall work cooperatively with other Federal departments and

agencies to enlist their interest and support on cooperative efforts, where appropriate, to accomplish the

goals of this memorandum.

(f) Each executive department and agency shall apply the requirements of the Executive Orders Nos.

12875 (“Enhancing the Intergovernmental Partnership”) and 866 (“Regulatory Planning and Review”) to

design solutions and tailor Federal programs, in appropriate circumstances, to address specific or unique

needs of Tribal communities.

The head of each executive department and agency shall ensure that the department or agency’s bureaus

and components are fully aware of this memorandum, through publication or other means, and that they

are in compliance with its requirements.

This memorandum is intended only to improve the internal management of the executive branch and is not

intended to, and does not, create any right to administrative or judicial review, or any other right or benefit

or trust responsibility, substantive or procedural, enforceable by a party against the United States, its

agencies or instrumentalities, its officers or employees, or any other person.

The Director of the Office of Management and Budget is authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

William J. Clinton

# # #
8

American Indian/Alaska Native Policy Statement

USDA Forest Service, Washington Office

It is the Forest Service’s responsibility to implement Federal and Forest Service

policy (FSM 1563) regarding relationships with Federally Recognized American Indian

Tribes.

The Policy

For a complete statement of the policy, see Forest Service Manual 1563; a copy is

also provided in Appendix A.

1. Maintain a governmental relationship with Federally Recognized Tribal

governments.

• Take the time to meet with tribal governments on a regular basis.

• Build and enhance a mutual partnership.

• Gain an understanding of each other to develop an effective governmental

relationship.

• Pursue initiatives and efforts similar to those conducted with State governments.

2. Implement Forest Service programs and activities honoring Indian treaty

rights and fulfill legally mandated trust responsibilities to the extent that they

are determined applicable to National Forest System lands.

• Visit our tribal neighbors.

• Learn about their treaties and rights.

• Talk with them about areas of mutual interest.

• [Seek to] reconcile Indian needs and claims with the principles of good management, multiple use, and national forest laws and policies.

• Attempt reasonable accommodation without compromising the legal positions of

either the Indians or the Federal Government.

• Work together to develop ways to accomplish the goals of this policy.

3. Administer programs and activities to address and be sensitive to traditional

native religious beliefs and practices.

• Walk the land with American Indians to gain an understanding and appreciation of

their culture, religion, beliefs, and practices.

• Identify and acknowledge these cultural needs in Forest Service activities. We

consider these values an important part of management of the national forests.

4. Provide research, transfer of technology, and technical assistance to Indian

governments.

• Together, develop research and environmental programs to meet American

Indians’ objectives.

• Extend National Forest System, State and Private Forestry, and Forest Service

Research programs to tribal governments.

• Exchange and share technical staffs and skills.
9

Development of U.S. In order to understand the present Indian policy, it is helpful to understand

American Indian its history. The Forest Service’s understanding and implementation of these

Policy policies starts on page 33 of this document.

History provides an understanding of American Indian law and policy.

Many statutes—enacted in 1790, 1817, 1885 and 1887—still control major

Indian issues today. Numerous Indian treaties more than 100 years old,

and even one enacted in the 1780’s, provide an understanding of the

history of Federal Indian policy.

[O]ur Indian law originated, and can still be most closely grasped, as a

branch of international law, and...in the field of international law the

basic concepts of modern doctrine were all hammered out by the

Spanish theological jurists of the 16th and 17th centuries...

—Felix S. Cohen (1942)8

Pre-Constitutional Between 1492 and the adoption of the U.S. Constitution in 1789, there had

Policy (1532–1789) been nearly 300 years of legal contracts of various descriptions with

American Indians (Cohen 1942). Early European explorers recognized that

Indians had occupancy status on lands similar to the well-established

European concept of land ownership. As the expeditions and colonists were

greatly outnumbered, they also recognized that such lands could only be

taken by conquest. In 1630, the Dutch West India Company required that

their officials negotiate and purchase land from the Indian leaders of the

New Netherlands, thereby recognizing an Indian land ownership status

commonly understood by other sovereign nations throughout Europe.

American Indian Tribal Sovereignty—Nations Within a Nation. By 1750,

Indian tribes were recognized as sovereigns. In 1754, Benjamin Franklin

proposed the formation of a union of colonies following the King of England’s

suggestion. One of this union’s main purposes was an attempt to centralize

control over Indians—as the tribes were rapidly forming an allegiance with

French settlements and were viewed as a potential threat to the colonies’

landholdings (Sheldon 1896). The British Crown rejected such a proposal

because they thought it would give the colonies too much independent

power. Shortly thereafter, during the French and Indian War, rather than

give the colonies the authority that Franklin originally proposed, the English Crown took the sole responsibility for conducting legal and governmental business with Indians. In 1763, the King of England proclaimed the

lands west of the Appalachians as Indian Territory—reserved for Indians.

On July 12, 1775, one of the first acts of the Continental Congress was to

declare its jurisdiction over Indian tribes by creating three departments of

Indian Affairs: Northern, Southern, and Middle Departments. A Commissioner was named for each: Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, and James

Wilson, respectively—the quality of the selections is an indication of the

importance of these positions.

8

 “The Spanish Origin of Indian Rights in the Law of the United States,” 31 Geo. L.J. 1, 17

(1942).
10

After the Revolutionary War, the newly independent United States was

without financial resources to adequately pay men who had served in the

military. The primary asset now in the hands of the new country was land.

Therefore, for their service during the Revolutionary War, former soldiers

were allowed to select lands. George Washington knew that through prior

use and occupancy, Indian peoples had demonstrated ownership in the

eyes of the former colonies and other countries. For this new settlement to

succeed, a new government land policy needed to be developed.

The Northwest Ordinance, passed by the Continental Congress in 1787,

established the governing principles for this new policy. The ordinance

included the following provision (Article the Third) to recognize Indian land

status, because settlers would surely be in contact with Indian Nations as

they moved West:

The utmost good faith shall always be observed towards

the Indians; their lands and property shall never be taken

from them without their consent; and in their property,

rights, and liberty, they never shall be invaded or disturbed, unless in just and lawful wars authorized by Congress; but laws founded in justice and humanity shall from

time to time be made, for preventing wrongs being done to

them; and for preserving peace and friendship with them.

With this ordinance, the “territory of the United States, North-West of the

River Ohio” was opened for settlement.

The Northwest Ordinance is the first formal acknowledgment of Indian

people having an ownership status in the land. Land ownership along with

the Indians’ superior numbers and habitation were the basic principles

defining the sovereign (independent) status of Indian people. Not all citizens

recognized this status, which led to continuous conflict with those living

along the frontier.

The adoption of the U.S. Constitution and treaties up to 1871, in combination with other acts of Congress and Supreme Court cases after 1810,

contribute to the current well-established existence of Indian tribes as

sovereign (independent) nations. In 1871, Congress ended the formal treatymaking process with Indian tribes. From thence forward, Indian reservations were established by statute (until 1919) or by executive order of the

President. Table 1 (page 11) describes the major laws that defined United

States jurisdiction over American Indian affairs and resource management

that set the stage for future relations with the American Indians.

An 1831 Supreme Court decision confirmed that Indian Nations were

distinct, self-governing political entities that were nonetheless dependent

upon the United States as their guardian. This case also described the

tribes as “domestic dependent nations”—coining the expression “Nations

within a Nation.”
11

1790’s Non-Intercourse Act of July 22, 1790 (1 Stat. 131;

18 U.S.C. 1511 et seq.) extended in 1793, 1796,

1802, and Act of June 30, 1834 (4 Stat. 729;

25 U.S.C. 177) gave the Federal Government

authority over American Indian matters and

provided a base for Untied States American

Indian policy.

Trade and Intercourse Act of March 1, 1793

(ch 19, 1 Stat. 3.29) provided for the settling lands

belonging to a tribe and forbade the purchase of

any horse in Indian territory, without a license;

and contained an appropriation to defray the cost

of employing agents and to furnish tribes with

goods, money, domestic animals, or implements

of husbandry for the purpose of promoting Indian

assimilation and securing their continued

friendship.

Trade and Intercourse Act of May 19, 1796

(ch. 30, section 1, 1 Stat. 469) defined the

boundaries of then existing Indian Country but

allowed them to be modified by treaty. It included

a mechanism to compensate citizens for Indian

depradations or crimes committed outside Indian

Country.

Trade and Intercourse Act of March 3, 1799

(ch. 46, 1 Stat 661 et seq.) was comparably

worded to the 1796 Trade and Intercourse Act.

Early 1800’s Trade and Intercourse Act of March 30, 1802

(ch. 13, 2 Stat. 139) had several minor amendments or supplementations to the Trade and

Intercourse Act of 1799.

Indian Removal Act of May 28, 1830 (4 Stat. 411;

25 U.S.C. 174) enabled the President to negotiate in exchange for lands to relocate tribes east of

the Mississippi to lands with Indians residing in

the territories west of the Mississippi River.

Act of May 18, 1796 (ch. 29, 1 Stat. 464; 464–469)

provided instructions for establishing the rectangular

public land survey system for the sale of public lands

so surveyed in the territory northwest of the Ohio

River and north of the mouth of the Kentucky River

for a public land records system.

Table 1.—Major Statutes of Indian Affairs and Natural Resources

Date American Indian Acts Resource Management Acts
12

Table 1.—Major Statutes of Indian Affairs and Natural Resources (continued)

Date American Indian Acts Resource Management Acts

Trade and Intercourse Act of June 30, 1834

(ch. 161, 4 Stat 729) was the single most important measure of Indian-related legislation during

the Trade and Intercourse Acts period. It defined

the contemporary scope of Indian Country;

prohibited alienation of lands by tribes unless the

same be made by treaty or convention entered

into pursuant to the constitution; provided remedies for the theft or destruction of property; and

made liquor or distilleries in Indian Country illegal;

provided for the punishment of crimes committed

in Indian Country but excluded from such application crimes committed by one Indian against the

person or property of another Indian.

Late 1800’s Indian Appropriations Act of March 3, 1871

(ch. 120, 16 Stat. 566; 25 U.S.C. 71) had a rider

attached that effectively ended the President’s

treaty making by providing that no Indian Nation or

tribe shall be acknowledged as an independent

nation, tribe, or power with whom the United

States may contract by treaty. The Federal

Government continued to provide similar contractual relations with the Indian tribes after 1871 by

agreements, statutes, and executive orders.

Major Crimes Act of March 3, 1885 (23 Stat. 362;

18 U.S.C. 1153) created Federal jurisdiction over

seven crimes committed by Indians in Indian

Country. It was the first systematic intrusion by the

Federal Government into the internal affairs of the

tribes.

Dawes Act of Feb. 8, 1887 (ch. 119, 24 Stat. 388;

25 U.S.C. 331) provided for the allotment of lands

to Indians on various reservations and public

domain and extended the protection of United

States laws to Indians. Upon receiving an allotment, the allottee became a U.S. citizen. Cessation of Indian tribal holdings and division of lands

among them was an attempt at assimilation. It was

hoped that they would establish homes, develop

lands, and become a part of American society.

One of the results was the transfer of more than

80 million acres of Indian lands into private

ownership.
13

The Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act of July 22,

1937 (P.L. 210, 50 Stat. 522; 7 U.S.C. 1010–1012)

authorized and directed the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a program of land conservation

and use, to correct poor land use, control soil

erosion, monitor reforestation, preserve natural

resources, protect fish and wildlife, develop and

protect recreation facilities, mitigate floods,

conserve surface and subsurface moisture, protect

watersheds of navigable streams, and protect the

public lands, public health, and welfare.

Table 1.—Major Statutes of Indian Affairs and Natural Resources (continued)

Date American Indian Acts Resource Management Acts

Act of March 3, 1891 (ch. 543, 26 Stat. 1035;

16 U.S.C. 471 et seq.) established a court of

private land claims. It stated that the court had

jurisdiction over Spanish and Mexican land grant

claims in Colorado, Nevada, and Wyoming; and all

claims in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. Once a

reservation was fully allotted, Congress usually

enacted legislation opening the remaining surplus

reservation lands to nonmember settlement: some

acts carried out agreements negotiated with tribes

for the cession of surplus lands, while other acts

unilaterally opened surplus lands to nonmember

settlement without tribal consent. This act was for

confirming cession agreement.

1910’s Allotment Act of June 25, 1910 (P.L. 313, ch. 431,

36 Stat. 855; 25 U.S.C. 331 et seq.) amended the

Dawes Act of 1887 and provided for the allotment

of land to American Indians occupying, living on, or

improving national forest land.

1920’s The Indian Citizenship Act of June 2, 1924

(P.L. 175, 43 Stat. 253; 8 U.S.D. 1401b) granted

Federal and state citizenship to American Indians,

regardless of their land tenure or place of residence.

Act of June 7, 1924 (P.L. 254, ch. 331, 43 Stat.

636–642; 28 U.S.C. 111) established the Pueblo

Lands Board. This act provided that non-Indians

could validate title to previously acquired Pueblo

lands.

1930’s Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 (P.L. 383,

48 Stat 984; 25 U.S.C. 461–62) allowed American

Indian tribes to reorganize and adopt bylaws under

the Secretary of the Interior; ended allotments in

severalty; and gave the Secretary of the Interior the

authority to acquire lands inside or outside of

reservations for American Indians.

Organic Administration Act of June 4, 1897

(30 Stat. 18; 16 U.S.C. 473 et seq.) established

the National Forest System to improve and protect

the forests, secure favorable water flow conditions, and furnish a continuous supply of timber.

This act also provided the Secretary of Agriculture

with the authority to regulate occupancy and use,

and preserve the forest from destruction.

Weeks Law of March 1, 1911 (P.L. 435, 36 Stat.

961; 16 U.S.C. 480 et seq.) authorized and

directed the Secretary of Agriculture to acquire

forested, cutover, and denuded lands within

watersheds of navigable streams necessary to the

regulation of the flow of navigable streams or for

timber production . Under the act, the lands were

permanently reserved, held, and administered as

national forests.
14

Table 1.—Major Statutes of Indian Affairs and Natural Resources (continued)

Date American Indian Acts Resource Management Acts

1940’s Sustained Yield Forest Management Act of Mar.

29, 1944 (P.L. 273, ch. 146, 58 Stat. 132; 16 U.S.C.

583a-i) section seven of this act requires the

consent of American Indians concerning the

control or disposition of timber and other forest

products on tribal or allocated lands.

Indian Claims Commission Act of Aug. 13, 1946

(P.L. 725, 60 Stat. 1049; 25 U.S.C. 70–70v)

established the Indian Claims Commission to

determine claims in law or equity arising under the

Constitution, laws, treaties of the United States,

and all other claims in law or equity, and claims

based upon dishonorable dealings not recognized

by any existing rule of law or equity.

1950’s Public Law 280; Act of Aug. 15, 1953 (P.L. 90–280,

67 Stat. 588; 18 U.S.C. 1360) gave jurisdiction to

California, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, and

Wisconsin, and some other states, with respect to

criminal offenses and civil causes of action

committed or arising on Indian reservations within

such states and for other purposes.

1960’s Indian Civil Rights Act of April 11, 1968

(P.L. 90–284, 82 Stat. 77; 25 U.S.C. 1301 et seq.)

extended most of the protections of the Bill of

Rights to tribal members in tribal governments

since the U.S. Constitution does not limit tribal selfgovernment. This act also allowed states with

assumed jurisdiction under Public Law 280 to

“retrocede” or transfer back jurisdiction to the tribes

and the Federal Government.

Sustained Yield Forest Management Act of March

29, 1944 (P.L. 273, 58 Stat. 132; 16 U.S.C. 583a-i)

provided authority to the Secretary of Agriculture

and the Secretary of the Interior to establish

cooperative sustained units with private and other

Federal agencies to provide for a continuous and

ample supply of forest products and to secure the

benefits of forest in maintenance of water supply,

regulation of stream flow, prevention of soil erosion,

improvement of climate, and preservation of

wildlife.

Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act of June 12, 1960

(P.L. 86–517, 74 Stat. 215; 16 U.S.C. 528, 528–

531) confirmed that national forests are established and administered for outdoor recreation,

range, timber, watershed, and wildlife and fish

purposes; authorized and directed the Secretary of

Agriculture to develop and administer the renewable resources for multiple-use and sustainedyield of services and products; and authorized the

Secretary of Agriculture to cooperate with interested agencies in the development and management of the national forests.

Sikes Act of September 15, 1960 (P.L. 86–797,

74 Stat. 1052; 16 U.S.C. 670g-1,o) provided for

Interior/Agriculture coordination with states to

develop, plan, and maintain programs for the

conservation and rehabilitation of wildlife, fish, and

game including, but not limited to, specific habitat

improvement projects and threatened or endangered species protection.
15

Table 1.—Major Statutes of Indian Affairs and Natural Resources (continued)

Date American Indian Acts Resource Management Acts

1970’s Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of

Dec. 18, 1971 (P.L. 92–203, 85 Stat. 688;

43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), also known as ANCSA,

extinguished aboriginal title to lands in Alaska,

as well as all aboriginal hunting and fishing

rights in the state; and transferred 44 million

acres of lands to Alaska Native-owned and -

controlled state-chartered corporations.

Menominee Restoration Act of Dec. 22, 1973

(P.L. 93–197, 87 Stat. 770; 25 U.S.C. 899)

provided that after Federal supervision ended,

the laws of the several states apply to the tribe

and its members in the same manner as they

apply to other citizens within their jurisdiction.

The tribal hunting and fishing rights survived

termination, and Wisconsin could not apply its

game and fish laws to the Menominees exercising such rights.

Indian Self-Determination and Education

Assistance Act of Jan. 4, 1975 (P.L. 93–638,

88 Stat. 2203; 25 U.S.C. 450 et seq.) encouraged tribes, through grants and contracts, to

assume program responsibility for Federally

funded programs designed for their benefit and

previously administered by employees of the

Bureau of Indian Affairs and the United States

Indian Health Service.

American Indian Religious Freedom Act of

Aug. 11, 1978 (P.L. 95–341, 92 Stat. 469,

42 U.S.C. 1996), also known as AIRFA, explicitly

recognized the importance of traditional Indian

spiritual practices and directed all Federal

agencies to ensure that their policies will not

abridge the free exercise of Indian religions.

Indian Child Welfare Act of Nov. 8, 1978

(P.L. 95–608, 92 Stat. 3969–3084; 25 U.S.C.

1901–1961) addressed the transfer of large

numbers of Indian children to non-Indian parents

in state adoption and guardianship proceedings.

The act required many adoptions and guardianship cases be held in tribal court; and established statutory preferences for Indian guardians

over non-Indian guardians for those cases heard

in state court.

National Environmental Policy Act of 1969; Act of

Jan. 1, 1970 (P.L. 91–190; 83 Stat. 852; 42 U.S.C.

4321 et seq.), also known as NEPA, established

national policy to: fulfill environmental trust responsibilities for succeeding generations; assure safe,

healthful, productive, and pleasant surroundings;

attain a range of beneficial uses without degradation; preserve national heritage and, if possible,

maintain a diverse environment; achieve balanced

use between people and resources that will permit

high quality of life and enhance quality of natural

resources.

Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources

Planning Act of Aug. 17, 1974 (P.L. 93–378;

88 Stat. 476; 16 U.S.C. 1600; 1600–1614), also

known as RPA, directed and authorized the

Secretary of Agriculture to assess renewable

resources and determine ways and means to

balance demand and supply, as well as benefits

and uses for the people of the United States. This

act also assured national forest plans provide for

multiple use, harvest levels and availability, and

resource management. In addition, this act specified procedures to ensure plans are in accordance

with NEPA (1969) requirements.

Federal Land Policy Management Act of Oct. 21,

1976 (P.L. 94–579, 90 Stat. 2744, 43 U.S.C. 1701

et seq.), also known as FLPMA, directed the

Secretary of Agriculture to coordinate National

Forest System land use plans with the land use

planning and management programs of and for

Indian tribes by considering the policies of approved tribal land resource management programs.

National Forest Management Act of Oct. 22, 1976

(P.L. 94–588, 90 Stat. 2949; 16 U.S.C. 472 et seq.),

also known as NFMA, reaffirmed Forest Service

statutory responsibility to provide multiple-use and

sustained-yield management of products and

services, including coordination of outdoor recreation, range, timber, watershed, wildlife and fish,

and wilderness; and to determine forest management systems, harvesting levels, and procedures

for all the above uses.
16

Table 1.—Major Statutes of Indian Affairs and Natural Resources (continued)

Date American Indian Acts Resource Management Acts

1980’s

1990’s Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of Nov. 16, 1990 (P.L. 101–601, 104 Stat.

3048; 25 U.S.C. 3001, 3001–3013), also known

as NAGPRA, addressed the rights of lineal

descendants and members of Indian tribes,

Alaskan Natives and native Hawaiian organizations to certain human remains and to certain

precisely defined cultural items with which they

are related. These items include human remains

from graves associated with a particular tribal

group or individual offerings or artifacts associated with burials, and important religious items of

cultural and spiritual importance to a tribal group.

Indian Health Care Improvement Act of

Oct. 29, 1992 (P.L. 102–573, 106 Stat.

4526–4592; 25 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) consolidated

Indian Health Service program, authorized

funding to improve these programs, and created

programs to educate health professionals for work

in Indian Country.

Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of

Dec. 2, 1980 (P.L. 96–487, 94 Stat. 2371; 43 U.S.C.

1636), also known as ANILCA, allocated

110 million acres to several Federal conservation

systems to protect undeveloped Native fee lands

from property taxation and from certain types of

foreclosure and involuntary transfer. The settling of

the boundaries for the national interest lands

clarified the areas available for final selections by

the state and by Alaska Natives.

Note: See Appendix A for other laws.
17

The Formative When the United States gave peace, did they not also receive it? Were not

Years (1789–1871) both parties desirous of it? If we consult the history of the day, does it not

inform us that the United States were at least as anxious to obtain it as the

[Indians]?... This relation [in a treaty between the United States and an Indian

tribe] was that of a nation claiming and receiving the protection of one more

powerful: not that of individuals abandoning their national character, and

submitting as subjects to a master.

—Chief Justice John Marshall (1832)9

We are assured that, beyond the Mississippi, we shall be exempted

from further exaction; that no State authority there can reach us; that

we shall be secure and happy in these distant abodes.

—Headmen and Warriors of the Creek

Nation, addressing Congress (1832)10

I will fight no more forever.

—Chief Joseph (1877)11

Federal Indian law and policy was shaped by early comprehensive Federal

legislation and by three court opinions, written by Chief Justice John

Marshall and referred to as the Marshall Trilogy. They are Johnson v.

M’Intosh (1823),12 Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831),13 and, perhaps most

importantly, Worcester v. Georgia (1832).14

Federal Power. The Indian Commerce Clause, Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 of

the U.S. Constitution provides Congress with broad powers. “The Congress

shall have Power...to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among

the several States, and with the Indian Tribes.” [Emphasis added]

The Trade and Intercourse Acts and Tribal Property Rights. Congress

implemented its power by establishing a comprehensive program regulating

Indian affairs. The Indian Trade and Intercourse Act of 1790 (often referred to

as the “Nonintercourse Act”) articulated Congress’ policy to implement

treaties and establish the basic features of Federal Indian policy 15 and—

• Brought virtually all interaction between Indians and non-Indians

under Federal control.

• Broadly regulated commercial trade with the Indians and established

penalties for violations by traders.

• Laid out criminal provisions for murder and other crimes against

Indians in Indian Country.

9

 Worcester v. Georgia, 31 U.S.(6 Pet.) 515, 551 (1832).

10 H.R. Exec. Doc. No. 102, 22nd Cong., 1st Sess. 3 (1832).

11 Quoted in M. Beal, “I Will Fight No More Forever.” Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce War

(1963).

12 21 U.S. (8 Wheat.) 543 (1823).

13 30 U.S. (5 Pet.) 1 (1831).

14 31 U.S. (6 Pet.) 515 (1832).

15 See F. Prucha. American Indian Policy in the Formative Years (1962).
18

One of the crucial provisions for the act, the basis of eastern land claims,

was the requirement that Indian land not be sold by the tribe without

Federal approval.16 In the first case in the Marshall Trilogy, Johnson v.

M’Intosh (1823),17 the U.S. Supreme Court concluded that the “Discovery

Doctrine” gave the U.S. Congress the exclusive right to extinguish the

original tribal right of possession without compensation.18

The concept of the “Discovery Doctrine” was created by the European

countries to benefit their expansionism in the Western Hemisphere.

Treaties With Before the Forest Service was created, the U.S. Government, through the

Indian Tribes President, had negotiated, signed, and ratified 389 treaties with Indian

Nations. Sixty treaties contained provisions of reserved rights on what was

then public domain land. The purpose of these treaties was to allow western

settlement and expansion. The policy was to confine Indian people to land

areas to minimize conflict between the two cultures. Some treaties were

negotiated to end wars; others to protect the dwindling Indian populations;

and some to maintain peace between the two cultures while non-Indian

settlement continued. Formal treaties accomplished this until 1871. Early

cases clarifying these treaties established the basic elements of Federal

Indian law:

1. The Trust Relationship. Indian tribes are not foreign nations, but

constitute “distinct political” communities “that may, more correctly,

perhaps be denominated domestic, dependent nations” whose “relation

to the United States resembles that of a ward to his guardian.”19

2. Tribal Governmental Status. Indian tribes are sovereigns. They are

governments. State law does not apply to Indian lands without the

consent of Congress.20

3. Reserved Rights Doctrine. The United States did not grant tribal rights,

including rights to land and self-government. Tribes reserved such

rights as part of their status as prior and continuing sovereigns.21

4. Canons of Treaty Construction (Interpretation of Treaties). Courts have

adopted fundamental rules and principles to interpret written

documents such as treaties. In legal terminology, these rules and

principles are known as “Canons of Construction.” Canons that

pertain specifically to Indian law have been developed to the benefit of

tribes. For example, the canons provide that treaties be construed

broadly to determine Indian rights, but construed narrowly when

considering the elimination of those rights. Most of the special canons

16 25 U.S.C. §177. See County of Oneida v. Oneida Indian Nation, 470 U.S. 226 (1985);

Clinton and Hotopp. “Judicial Enforcement of the Federal Restraints on Alienation of the

Indian Land.” 31 Maine Law Rev. 17 (1979).

17 21 U.S. (8 Wheat.) 543 (1832).

18 Tee-Hit-Ton Indians v. United States, 348 U.S. 272 (1955).

19 Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, 30 U.S. (5 Pet.) 1 (1831).

20 Worcester v. Georgia, 31 U.S. (6 Pet.) 515 (1832).

21 United States v. Winans, 198 U.S. 371 (1905).
19

of construction dealing with treaty rights also have been applied to

agreements,22 executive orders,23 and statutes24 dealing with Indians.

5. Congress’ Plenary Power (Elimination of Rights). Congress may

eliminate rights established by treaty or other documents.25

Most, although not all, of the above principles, first developed in treaty

cases, have been extended to situations not involving treaties.26 For example, Alaska Natives are both similar to and different than American

Indians elsewhere. Similar, in that Alaska Natives, the original inhabitants

of the region, claim aboriginal rights, a trust relationship, and inherent

governmental powers (Case 1984; Price 1982; Smith and Kancewick 1990;

Berger 1985).

Primarily, Alaska Natives are different in that, until recently, they experienced very little pressure to surrender their lands and traditional hunting

and fishing grounds. A major exception are the Russian settlements in

Southeast Alaska and the Aleutian regions before the United States purchased Alaska. Unlike Indian tribes south of the Canadian border, Alaska

Natives were not conquered by Euro-Americans, did not sign treaties with

the U.S. Government, and were not forced on to reservations.

Removal Era Beginning in the 1830’s, many tribes across the country were forced from

their aboriginal lands and removed to the “Indian Territory,” most of which

is the present-day State of Oklahoma. The “Trail of Tears” was one of these

removals.27 The Federal Government frequently relocated tribes to new

lands—sometimes at great distances from their original homelands. In most

cases, where the United States moved several tribes on to a single reservation,

despite tribal distinctions, the Federal Government then, and today, regards

them as a single confederated tribe.

Some bands, or portions of tribes, refused to move with the main bodies of

their tribes. Congress had the power to designate such remnant groups as

“tribes” and deal with them in the normal course of the Federal-Tribal

relationship.28

The End of Treaties are legally binding agreements between two or more sovereign

Treaty Making governments. Treaties with Indian Nations were negotiated and concluded

by a representative of the President and became binding agreements after

they were ratified by a two-thirds majority vote of the U.S. Senate. Formal

treaty making ended when Congress, by a rider in the Appropriation Act of

March 3, 1871 (16 Stat. 544, 25 U.S.C. 71), enacted legislation declaring

that tribes were no longer regarded as independent nations. This rider

22 See, for example, Antoine v. Washington, 420 U.S. 194 (1975).

23 See, for example, Arizona v. California, 373 U.S. 546 (1963).

24 See, for example, United States v. Dion, 106 S. Ct. 2216 (1986); Squire v. Capoeman,

351 U.S. 1 (1956).

25 Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock, 187 U.S. 553 (1903).

26 See F. Cohen, Handbook of Federal Indian Law 62–70 (1982).

27 See G. Foreman, Indian Removal (1832).

28 United States v. John, 437 U.S. 634 (1978).
20

effectively ended the Presidents’ treaty-making authority by providing “that

hereafter no Indian Nation or tribe...shall be acknowledged or recognized as

an independent, nation, tribe, or power with whom the United States may

contract by treaty...” All existing treaty rights were protected.29 The end of

treaty making otherwise had little effect; the Government continued to enter

into similar legal relationships with tribes under statutes, executive orders,

and other agreements such as Presidential proclamations.

The Reservation The reservation system, which began during the “Treaty-making Era,”

System (1853) continued to expand as later reservations were added by statute and

executive order. Indian law and policy continued to focus primarily on the

reservation system. The reservation system was the principal means by

which “Indian Country” was established.30

Indian Country in Alaska. The U.S. Government purchased Alaska from

Russia in 1867. Between 1884 and 1904, beginning with the Organic Act,

which created the Forest Service, Congress enacted a number of statutes

purported to protect “Indians or other persons” in Alaska “in possession of

any lands actually in their use or occupation.”

Military officers were the first U.S. Government agents in Alaska. They

arrived after the Civil War to control and pacify the Indians on America’s

last frontier. These first agents enforced Federal customs and Indian liquor

laws, preserved order, and protected non-Native traders and settlers (State

of Alaska 1986:74ff)

During the period immediately following the purchase of Alaska, the U.S.

Government did not give high priority to Alaska Native affairs. While the

War Department was officially responsible, missionaries and teachers were

the primary non-Indian contacts who carried out the largest share of work

with Alaska Natives.

Both the 1884 and 1912 Alaska Organic Acts contained language protecting Native land rights. In 1870, Congress exempted Alaska Natives from a

general prohibition on harvesting seals. There were also other exemptions

from fish and wildlife [game] laws and international treaties.

In 1904, United States v. Beerigan held that the United States had both the

right and duty to file suit to prevent non-Natives from acquiring land

occupied by Natives, implying that non-Natives could not acquire such

lands without the consent of the Federal Government. Judge Wickersham

held that the authority of the United States to bring the suit in part on the

theory that Article III of the 1867 Treaty between Russia and the United

States entitled Athabaskan Natives “to the equal protection of the law

which the United States affords similar aboriginal tribes within its borders.”

Tribal Governments and Their Status in Alaska. The question of whether

or not Alaska Natives have tribal governments similar to those identified in

the lower 48, has been discussed and debated since the United States

purchased Alaska from Russia. Article III of the treaty divided the inhabit29 18 U.S.C. §71.

30 See generally Antoine v. Washington 420 U.S. 194 (1975)
21

California Tribes

The Federal Government’s relationship with California Indians is unique. It

reflects a legally and politically complex history that was shaped by the state’s

economic and social forces for well over a century.

As early as 1853, the California Superintendent of Indian Affairs acknowledged

that California Indian affairs differed from much of the rest of the United

States “...where the Indian intercourse laws were enforced by the United States

and the Indian territorial possession was protected by the government.” Such

was not the case with the California Indians.

Contrary to the implied intent of the Treaty of Guadelupe Hidalgo (1848) to

preserve and continue civil safeguards established under Spanish and Mexican rule, the State of California denied the Indian population the rights of

citizenship and title to property received in Mexican land grants. Native Californian rights of settlement were further and most dramatically affected with

the subsequent negotiation of 18 treaties with the Federal Government.

These treaties were negotiated by three agents and approximately 126 tribes,

which represented only about 38 percent of the existing tribes. These tribes

essentially included the groups that the agents could find most easily. Acting

in good faith, the Indian people surrendered their rights in title to their tribal

lands for promises the Government made in these treaties.

In 1852, pressures from mineral and agricultural interests, resulted in the

California legislature successfully petitioning Congress to not ratify the treaties that would have set aside 8.5 million acres of land for Indian use and

occupancy, and would have provided other benefits and services as compensation for loss of traditional tribal territories. However, a few reservations were

established through executive order, legislation, and purchases.

Over a thousand California Indians were living on Forest Reserves in 1906,

and by 1914, almost half of the California Indian population of 15,000 to

20,000 were referred to as “squatters.” The 1910 Forest Allotment Act (25 U.S.C.

337) authorized the Secretary of the Interior to make discretionary allotments

of land to Indians occupying national forests. However, the Secretary of Agriculture determined the suitability of land for that purpose and required that it

had to be more valuable for agriculture or grazing than for timber with the

result that few allotments were granted.

In 1905, the eighteen unratified treaties came to light, and various Indian and

non-Indian organizations began lobbying efforts to redress these wrongs. But

because of delays in enabling legislation, it wasn’t until 1928 that suit was

filed in the Court of Claims. It took 16 years to reach an agreement that resulted in a relatively small cash settlement of a few hundred dollars for each

tribal member and little land was received.
22

ants of Alaska into two broad categories: 1) the “uncivilized” tribes and 2) all

other inhabitants. The last sentence of Article III has been held by [the

courts] to apply the whole body of Federal Indian and statutory law to the

“uncivilized” tribes of Alaska. That sentence states, “The uncivilized tribes

will be subject to such laws and regulations as the United States may, from

time to time, adopt in regard to aboriginal tribes of that country.”

On October 21, 1993, the Secretary of the Interior first recognized Alaska

tribal governments by publishing a list of Federally Recognized Tribal

Governments. The 1993 list represents a list of only those villages and

regional tribes which the Department of the Interior believes are functional

as political entities, exercising governmental authority. The listed entities

are therefore acknowledged to have the “immunities and privileges available

to other Federally acknowledged Indian tribes by virtue of their governmentto-government relationship with the United States as well as the responsibilities, powers, limitations, and obligations of such tribes” 25 CFR 83.2

(1994 ed) (Printed in the Federal Register, Vol. 60, No. 32, Thursday,

February 16, 1995). An updated version of that list may be found in Appendix C.

The Era of Allotment As long as Indians live in villages they will retain many of their old

and Assimilation and injurious habits... I trust that before another year is ended they

(1871–1928) will generally be located upon individual lands of farms. From that

date will begin their real and permanent progress.

—BIA Agent for the Yankton Sioux Tribe (1877)31

The General Allotment Act is a mighty pulverizing engine to break up

the Tribal mass. It acts directly upon the family and the individual.

—President Theodore Roosevelt (1901)32

Indian Allotments. Originally, Indian lands were communally owned by

tribes. In 1887, Congress passed the Dawes, or General Allotment, Act, one of

the most significant Federal statutes in the field of Indian law.33 It delegated

the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) authority to allot parcels of tribal land to

individual tribal members. Generally, each family head was allotted 160

acres with each single person over 18 years of age receiving 80 acres. Each

individual allotment would remain in trust (exempt from State taxes and

other State laws) for 25 years—a period that could be shortened or extended. Many of these lands remain exempt from State taxes today.

The Federal Government deemed large amounts of unallotted tribal land to

be surplus to the needs of the Indian tribal reservation population and

opened them to non-Indians for sale or homesteading. Some tribes received

compensation for the sale of these lands; some did not. Indian landholdings

decreased from 138 million acres in 1887 to 48 million acres in 1934—a

31 Quoted in D.S. Otis. The Dawes Act and the Allotment of Indian Lands. (F. Prucha, ed.,

1973).

32 Quoted in S.L. Tyler. A History of Indian Policy 104 (1973).

33 See generally D.S. Otis. The Dawes Act and the Allotment of Indian Lands. (F. Prucha,

ed., 1973).
23

total loss of 90 million acres. The combination of allotments and homesteads caused serious jurisdiction and management problems.

Assimilation. The allotment policy was one of several policies intended to

assimilate Indians into the larger society. There were also other policies.

• Indians were required to abandon their language, native dress, spiritual and cultural practices, and other traditional customs at BIA

boarding schools.

• Various Christian denominations, with the concurrence of Congress,

established missions on reservations and were given land to build their

churches.

• Tribes’ exercise of their tribal governmental authority was discouraged

and a local BIA superintendent could, in effect, govern many reservations.

• Tribal sovereignty was further eroded with the Major Crimes Act of 1885,

by which Congress authorized the Federal Government to transfer

jurisdiction for dealing with certain criminal acts away from the tribes

and to the Federal Courts, further reducing tribal government and

encouraging assimilation into the larger society.34

The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924. The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924

was enacted to provide U.S. citizenship to Indians. Indians had previously

not been U.S. citizens because they remained members of sovereign nations.35

Indian Reorganization John Collier was vindictive and overbearing. He tolerated no dissent,

(1928–1945) either from his staff or from the Tribes.... Who can say but that we will

succeed in vanquishing the pernicious effects of the Indian Reorganization Act, finally exposing its leader for what he really was, and

institute our own independent governments in all the Tribes, respected and admired by all.

—Rupert Costo (1983)36

Collier’s achievement as commissioner was not only to end the forced

“atomization” of Indian life, to humanize the Indian administration,

and to involve other agencies in the search for remedies to the problems of Indian poverty, ignorance, and despair, but above all to

resurrect the “bilateral, contractual relationship between the government and the Tribes (the historical, legal, and moral foundation of

Government-Indian relations).”

—Wilcomb E. Washburn (1975)37

34 18 U.S.C. §1153.

35 18 U.S.C. §1401(b).

36 “The Indian New Deal, 1928–1945" in Indian Self-Rule 14 (Institute of the American

West, 1983).

37 The Indian in America 254 (1975).
24

The Meriam Report. The Meriam Report of 1928 set the tone for a reform

movement in Indian affairs. This influential study, prepared by the

Brookings Institution, publicized the deplorable living conditions on Indian

reservations and—

• Recommended an increase in health and education funding.

• Recommended an end to the allotment policy.

• Encouraged tribal self-government.38

The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. The Indian Reorganization Act of

1934 (IRA)39 translated some of the Meriam Report’s recommendations into

legislation. Its primary thrust was to establish governments with whom

Congress and the Department of the Interior could conduct governmental

business. Its main points were—

• Repealing the Dawes Act.

• Providing that no new allotments be made.

• Extending the trust period for existing allotments.

• Encouraging tribes to adopt constitutions40 and to form Federally

chartered corporations.41

• Instituting Indian hiring preference in the BIA.

• Establishing a revolving loan fund for tribal development.

• Expressly allowing the Secretary of the Interior to accept additional

tribal lands in trust.

• Including other provisions directed toward improving the lot of

Indians.42

Tribes were given 2 years to accept or reject the Indian Reorganization Act.

One hundred eighty-one tribes accepted it; 77 rejected it. Many tribes

viewed the Indian Reorganization Act’s procedures for establishing tribal

governments as a continuation of the Federal Government’s role in tribal

affairs.43

Tribal Self-Government. The Indian Reorganization Act’s (IRA’s) most

significant contribution was to promote tribal self-government. It encouraged the tribes to adopt a form of government. Tribes have the inherent

right to operate under their own governmental systems. Many have adopted

constitutions, while others operate under Articles of Association or other

bodies of law, and some still have traditional systems of government. The

chief executive of a tribe is generally called a tribal chairperson, but may

also be called principal chief, governor, or president. The chief executive

38 See generally Institute for Government Research. The Problem of Indian Administration (L. Meriam ed., 1928) (commonly referred to as the Meriam Report).

39 25 U.S.C. §461–479.

40 25 U.S.C. §476 (Section 16).

41 25 U.S.C. §477 (Section 17).

42 See Generally Comment. “Tribal Self-Government and the Indian Reorganization Act of

1934,” Mich. L. Rev. 955 (1972). On John Collier, the primary mover behind the IRA,

see K.R. Phillip, John Collier’s Crusade for Indian Reform (1977).

43 See S.L. Tyler. A History of Indian Policy 95–124 (1973).
25

usually presides over what is typically the tribal council. The tribal council

performs the legislative function for the tribe, although some tribes require

a referendum of the membership to enact laws.

Following in the footsteps of the Emancipation Proclamation of

94 years ago, I see the following words emblazoned in the letters of

fire above the heads of the Indians— “These people shall be free.”

—Sen. Arthur V. Watkins (1953)44

Termination represented a...revolutionary forced change in the traditional Menominee way of life... Congress expected immediate Menominee

assimilation of non-Indian culture, values, and life styles. The truth is

that we Menominees have never wanted such changes imposed upon

us, any more than white people would want an Indian way of life

imposed upon them... The immediate effect of termination of our Tribe

was the loss of most of our 100-year-old treaty rights, protections, and

services.... We want Federal protection, not Federal destruction. The

Menominee Restoration Act will be the dawn of a new partnership with

the Government—self-determination without termination.

—Ada Deer (1973)45

Appointed Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs USDI in 1992

The Indian Claims Commission Act of 1946. The Indian Claims Commission allowed tribes to sue the Federal Government for past actions considered detrimental to their welfare.

In 1946, Congress created the Indian Claims Commission to provide Indian

tribes an opportunity to obtain payment for the loss of tribal lands.46 This

special court was authorized to hear and decide causes of action originating

prior to 1946. Tribes were given 5 years, or until 1951, to file their claims;

no statutes of limitation were applied, and certain claims not previously

recognized were allowed.

Although the claims process resulted in substantial recoveries for some

tribes, its restrictions have been criticized in several respects.47

• The United States was allowed so-called “gratuitous offsets” against

claims awarded to tribes, in the amount of past services provided to

tribes.

• No interest was allowed on claims based on takings of aboriginal title or

executive order lands.

• Although the tribes were permitted to select their own counsel for these

claims, such counsel had to be approved by the Secretary of the Interior (because U.S. funds were expended to hire the attorneys).

The Termination Era

(1945–1961)

44 Quoted in D. Getches and C. Wilkinson. Cases and Materials on Federal Indian Law.

130 (1986).

45 Hearings on H.R. 7421, Before the Subcommittee on Indian Affairs, 93d Cong., 1st

Sess. 32–36 (1973).

46 25 U.S.C. §70–70v.

47 See Danforth, “Repaying Historical Debts: The Indian Claims Commission,” 49 NDL

Rev. 359 (1973)
26

Claims were then usually divided into three separate and time-consuming

stages:

• Determination of title ownership.

• Valuation of the United States’ liability.

• Determination and deduction of offsets to the United States’ liability.

The Indian Claims Commission Act could not provide for the recovery of

land. If a claim was successful, only monetary payments were available,

and they were distributed to individual tribal members rather than to the

tribes themselves.

The 1946 act applied only to claims against the U.S. Government and did

not cover claims against states, counties, or private entities.

In 1978, cases not completed by the Indian Claims Commission were transferred to the U.S. Court of Claims (which in 1983 became the Claims Court).

As of 1996, 617 dockets had been filed, and several still remain unresolved.

The Termination Acts. House Concurrent Resolution 108 (HCR 108),

adopted in 1953, expressed the Federal policy on the Government’s special

relationship with Indian tribes. HCR 108 called for ending such relationships as rapidly as possible. In line with that policy, the following groups

were terminated from their Federal relationship:

• Alabama and Coushatta Tribes of Texas*

• Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina*

• Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin Band of Snake Indians of Oregon*

• Ponca Tribe of Nebraska*

• Mixed Blood Ute Indians of Uintah and Ouray of Utah

• 40 California Indian Rancherias (32 have been restored)

• Western Oregon Indians, including Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians*

• Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community,* and Cow Creek

Band of Umpqua,* Confederated Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw

Indians

• Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin*

• Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma*

• Peoria Tribe of Oklahoma*

• Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma*

• Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah*

These groups were singled out for what has become known as the termination experiment. Termination fundamentally altered the special FederalTribal relationship by making the following changes:

• Tribal landownership was fundamentally altered by selling Indian land

to third parties (with compensation to tribal members), transferring
27

land to private trust, or transferring land to new tribal corporations

under State law.48

• All special Federal programs to tribes were discontinued.

• Generally, all special Federal programs (for example, health and education services) to individual Indians were discontinued.49

• Exemptions from State taxing authority were ended.

• Tribal sovereignty, as a practical matter, was ended.

Congress has never abandoned HCR 108’s termination policy expressly, but

termination has been repudiated implicitly by the more recent selfdetermination policy. Congress has restored the tribes marked above with

asterisks to Federal status.50 In addition, by action of the courts, as of 1987,

32 of the 40 California rancherias mentioned above were no longer considered

to be terminated. Many tribes have been restored with treaty rights intact;

however, the land base that existed at the time of termination has not been

restored.

Public Law 280. Even though their tribes were not actually terminated,

many tribes saw their sovereignty greatly diminished during the “Termination Era.” The most important piece of legislation in this regard was Public

Law 280, passed in 1953, which was the first general Federal legislation

extending State jurisdiction to Indian Country. The original five “280”

States with criminal and civil jurisdictions in Indian Country were California, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, and Wisconsin. Congress added Alaska

later. Other 280 “option states” had full or limited criminal or civil jurisdiction over various matters in Indian Country, such as certain domestic

matters, child abuse and neglect, and other areas that the tribes consented

to: Arizona (for air and water control laws only); Florida (for criminal and

civil jurisdiction); Idaho, Iowa, Montana, Nevada, and Utah (for criminal

and civil jurisdiction and child abuse and neglect and certain domestic

matters); Washington (jurisdiction limited to certain matters); North Dakota

(civil jurisdiction over tribes who consent, but no tribe has yet consented to

any jurisdiction); South Dakota (limited jurisdiction in civil matters); New

York and Kansas (limited jurisdiction). Public Law 280 also provided State

jurisdiction on other reservations in states that took the steps necessary to

assume jurisdiction under the act.51

Other Policies of the Termination Era. Other policies instituted or expanded in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s included the transfer of many

educational responsibilities to the states and the “relocation” program to

encourage Indian people to leave American Indian reservations and Alaska

Native communities and seek employment in various metropolitan areas.

48 See generally Wilkinson and Biggs, “The Evolution of the Termination Policy,” 5 Am.

Ind. L. Rev. 139 (1977).

49 See, for example, Menominee Tribe of Indians v. United States, 391 U.S. 404 (1968).

50 See, for example, the Menominee Restoration Act of 1973, 25 U.S.C. §903–903f.

51 See Goldberg, “Public Law 280, The limits of State Jurisdiction over Reservation

Indians,” 22 UCLA L. Rev. 535 (1975).
28

The The dismal failure of the “Termination Era” combined with poor living

“Self-Determination” conditions on reservations led to the reforms of the 1960’s, 1970’s, and

Era (1961–Present) 1980’s, in much the same way that the Indian Reorganization Act was a

reaction to the negative impact of the “Allotment Era.” The “SelfDetermination Era” has been characterized by expanded recognition and

application of the powers of tribal self-government, and by the general

exclusion of State authority from reservations. Progress has not been

uniform—Indians have suffered their share of reversals—but on balance it

can be said that Indian tribes and their members have benefited from more

favorable legislation and judicial decisions during the 1970’s and 1980’s

than in any other period in this country’s history.

Congressional Action

Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968 (ICRA). A major event between the “Termination” and “Self-Determination” eras was the ICRA.52 The act extended most

of the protections of the Bill of Rights to individual tribal members. This

action was taken because the civil rights protection of the U.S. Constitution

itself did not apply to Indian tribes. A copy of the text of ICRA can be found

in Appendix A.

The ICRA also allowed states that had assumed Public Land 280 jurisdiction

to transfer jurisdiction back to the tribes and the Federal Government.

Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). In 1971, Congress passed

ANCSA.53 Land claims of Alaska Natives—based on aboriginal title to much

of the state—had never been resolved. ANCSA extinguished aboriginal

claims and transferred 44 million acres to new Alaska Native-owned and

controlled State-chartered corporations. ANCSA also provided for a total

cash payment of approximately $1 billion dollars to Alaska Natives.54 As of

this writing, not all State claims have been settled.

American Indian Policy Review Commission Report. Public Law 93–580,

enacted on January 2, 1975, provided for the establishment of the American Indian Review Commission which Congress charged with conducting a

comprehensive review of the policies, laws, and programs affecting the

conduct of Indian affairs. The 11-person commission (six Congressmen and

five Indian members) formally submitted its report in May 1977. The core of

the commission’s report recommended strengthening tribal governments,

affirming the trust relationship between tribes and the Federal Government, and reorganizing the BIA.

Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975 (638).

Through grants and contracts, the Indian Self-Determination and Education

Assistance Act of 1975 encouraged tribes to assume responsibility for Feder52 25 U.S.C. §1301–1303 (also codified in scattered sections of 18 U.S.C. and 28

U.S.C.).

53 43 U.S.C. §1601–1628.

54 See generally Lazarus and West. “The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act: A Flawed

Victory.” 40 Law and Contemp. Prob. 132 (1976).
29

ally funded programs designed for their benefit that had previously been

administered by the BIA and IHS.55

Indian Health Care Improvement Act of 1976.56 This act consolidated Indian

Health Service (IHS) programs, authorized funding that would improve IHS

programs, and created programs to educate health professionals for work in

Indian Country.

The Indian Child Welfare Act of 197857 addressed the long-standing problem

of large numbers of Indian children being transferred from their natural

parents to non-Indian parents in State adoption and guardianship proceedings. In general, the Act requires that many adoption and guardianship

cases take place in tribal court; and establishes a strict set of statutory

preferences for Indian guardians over non-Indian guardians for those cases

that are heard in State court.

American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978 (AIRFA), a joint resolution

signed into law by President Carter, explicitly recognizes the importance of

traditional Indian spiritual practices and directs all Federal agencies to

insure that their policies do not abridge the free exercise of Indian religion.58

Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) of 1990

(P.L. 101–601), addresses the rights of lineal descendants and members of

Indian tribes, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian organizations to certain

human remains and to certain precisely defined cultural items. NAGPRA

requires Federal agencies to prepare inventories of remains in their possession and to consult with affiliated American Indian tribal groups about their

repatriation. It establishes a process for the return of institutionally held

skeletal remains, grave items, and other objects sacred to groups of their

cultural affiliation.

The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (P.L. 103–141) mandates that

the “government should not substantially burden the free exercise of religion without compelling justification.” The act further provides a claim or

defense to persons whose religious exercise is substantially burdened by

government.

During the past 20 years, Congress has greatly increased appropriations

for Indian affairs. After a decrease in fiscal year 1996, such appropriations

appear to be increasing again.

Executive Action. Administrative policy towards American Indians and

Alaska Natives began to shift in the mid-1960’s. In 1966, Interior Secretary

Stewart Udall told BIA administrators and congressional aides at a Santa

Fe, New Mexico meeting, that self-determination for Indians would be the

55 See, for example, Rosenfelt. “Toward a More Coherent Policy for Funding Indian

Education,” 40 Law and Contemp. Prob. 190 (1976).

56 Pub. L. No. 94–437, 90 Stat. 1400 (codified at 25 U.S.C. §1601–1603, 1611–1615,

1621, 1631–1633, 11651–1658, 1661, 1671–1675, 42 U.S.C. §139f, 1395n, 1395qq,

1396j).

57 25 U.S.C. §1901–1963.

58 See 42 U.S.C. §1996.
30

theme of the remainder of his administration. Self-determination was also

addressed by President Johnson’s congressional message in 1968 and in

President Nixon’s message to Congress in 1970.

It is long past time that the Indian policies of the Federal

Government began to recognize and build upon the capacities and insights of the Indian People. Both as a matter of

justice and as a matter of enlightened social policy, we must

begin to act on the basis of what the Indians themselves

have been telling us. The time has come to break decisively

with the past and to create the conditions for a new era in

which the Indian future is determined by Indian acts and

Indian decisions.

—Message to Congress from Richard M. Nixon,

July 8, 1970

Executive direction resulted in a new or modern Indian Policy, Public Law

93–638, which granted the BIA authority to continue Indian preference for

filling vacancies. The Indian Self-Determination Act helped tribes become

more involved in Federal decisionmaking processes on actions that could

potentially affect their general memberships or natural resources. Indian

preference has resulted in a steadily growing number of Indian BIA employees. Many BIA leadership positions are now held by Indians, and the Bureau is increasingly supporting self-determination for Indian tribes and

individuals.

In 1977, the Department of the Interior established a new position—the

Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. In the 1980’s, the Reagan Administration repeatedly expressed its support for tribal self-determination and

government-to-government relationships59 and promoted economic development projects. President Bush reaffirmed the government-to-government

policy as did President Clinton in his meeting with tribal leaders at the

White House on April 29, 1994.

Judicial Action. During the 1970’s, the Supreme Court heard some

33 Indian law cases—more than those in the fields of antitrust or consumer

law. This trend has continued.

Tribal Action. Since the 1970’s, Indian tribes have chosen to exercise their

powers of self-determination, sovereignty, and self-government by—

• Restructuring the BIA organization.

• Contracting programs performed for the benefit of individual tribe(s)

from BIA and IHS.

• Accepting self-governance grants from the Secretary of the Interior

which enable tribe(s) to assume all the programs and activities conducted for their benefit, enabling tribe(s) to set priorities and budgets

for tribal governance, programs, and activities.

59 President Reagan’s Statement on American Indian Policy, 19 Weekly Comp. Doc. 98–

102 (Jan. 24, 1983).
31

• Establishing tribal courts.

• Preserving culture and language.

• Some assuming the role of state Historic Preservation Officers (SHPO).

• Some working directly with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

and assuming programs formerly guided by the states.

• Establishing tribal ordinances for zoning, employment, contracting, air,

water, natural resources, hunting, fishing, and taxation.

• Establishing tribal and individual tribal member enterprises on Indian

lands, communities, or reservations.

• Developing and maintaining active relations with Congress and the

Administration.

• Seeking opportunities or developing initiatives with the Departments of

Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, Defense, Labor, and the

Environmental Protection Agency.

• Collaborating with other tribes to seek social, economic, and educational opportunities; economic development and gaming; and protection

of sovereignty, sacred sites, spirituality, and cultural practices.

• Seeking technical assistance from Federal agencies as may be needed

for self-determination initiatives.

• Seeking skills for interim tribal employment or until tribal members

may assume this technical assistance.