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"Tribes operated sovereign governments since time immemorial. Colonialism forced tribes onto reservations and stripped them of sovereign powers. Federal paternalism continues to undermine tribal self-governance; thus, tribes struggle with crime and poverty. Treating tribes as nations again is the key to improving life in Indian country"--
List of contents
1. Introduction; Part I: 2. The original American governments; 3. 'Discovering' and 'founding' America; 4. Commerce and culture; 5. World war and American revolution; 6. Governing the United States and tribal rights; 7. Indian removal and the Cherokee cases; 8. Reservations and federal power; 9. Allotment and assimilation; 10. The Indian new deal to tribal termination; 11. Tribal self-determination; Part II: 12. An unfit guardian: ongoing federal paternalism; 13. Excessive federal bureaucracy; 14. Criminal justice crisis; 15. Tribal economic development and uncertain civil jurisdiction; Part III: 16. Domestic dependent no more; 17. Federal recognition; 18. Territorial jurisdiction; 19. Tribal legal institutions; 20. Tribes as nations; 21. Education, ethics, and the law; 22. Conclusion.
About the author
Adam Crepelle is an Assistant Professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. He received the Elinor Ostrom Prize in 2023 for his co-authored article, Community Policing on American Indian Reservations. He is the coauthor of the upcoming book Reservation Capitalism: Economic Development in Indian Country Revised and Updated (2025).
Summary
Tribes operated sovereign governments since time immemorial. Colonialism forced tribes onto reservations and stripped them of sovereign powers. Federal paternalism continues to undermine tribal self-governance; thus, tribes struggle with crime and poverty. Treating tribes as nations again is the key to improving life in Indian country.
Foreword
Tribal governments can solve Indian country's problems if the federal government treats tribes as nations again.
