American Indians and the Law
Subtitle: The Penguin Library of American Indian History (Penguin's Library of American Indian History)
Contributors: Colin Calloway (Editor)
Publisher: Viking Adult; Viking
Published: January 31, 2008
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 304
ISBN-13: 9780670018574
Subjects: Constitutional History; Native Americans - History; History; Legal Reference / Law Profession; History: World; Constitutional; Native American; History / Native American; Federally recognized Indian tribes; Indians of North America; Law and legislation; Politics and government
Description: Indian tribes have a legal status unique among America's racial and ethnic groups: they are also sovereign governments that engage in governmental relations with Congress. The self-rule of Native tribes long predates the founding of the United States, and that peculiar status has led to legal and political disputes--with vast sums of money hanging in the balance. From cigarette taxes to control of environmental resources to gambling law, the history of American Indians and American law has been one of clashing values and sometimes uneasy compromise. In this account, Native American scholar N. Bruce Duthu explains the landmark cases in Indian law of the past two centuries and demonstrates their common thread throughout history, giving us an accessible entry point into a vital facet of Indian history.--From publisher description.