Mastering Native American Law

Mastering Native American Law is designed to provide readers with an overview of the field and serve as a useful supplement to classroom instruction covering Tribal nations governance and law, federal Indian law, and Tribal Nation-state government relations. In ten chapters, the book provides the reader with a foundational understanding of core concepts stemming from American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Nations.

This third edition keeps pace with Tribal Nation legal developments in relation to policy, federal law, and court decisions, while it continues to fill a unique niche as a primary and secondary text for courses in the field. Updates are provided for key developments such as the recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions on the extent of criminal prosecutorial authority in Indian Country and the federal legislative authority for the Indian Child Welfare Act. The text also serves as a practical guide for Tribal law practitioners and lawyers that are looking to expand their knowledge of Native American law.

The topics include:

• Native American Property Law;
• Criminal Jurisdiction in Indian Country;
• Tribal Government, Civil Jurisdiction and Regulation;
• Family Law in Tribal Nation Communities;
• Tribal Nation-State Government Relations; and
• Sacred Sites, Cultural Property Protection, and Repatriation.

Throughout the text, explanations of the relevant interaction between the over 570 Tribal Nations, the United States federal government, and state governments are included in the various subject areas. In Chapter 10, "International Indigenous Issues and Tribal Nations," the significant evolution of collective rights in international documents is discussed in depth, as these documents have relevance for Tribal Nations in relations with the United States. Suitable for Native American law courses, law school seminars on topics in Native American Law, undergraduate and graduate level American Indian and Alaska Native Studies classes, and those interested in the field, this book provides an easy-to-read text to guide readers from the historical to the contemporary on the major aspects of Tribal Nations law and policy.