Indian Law

Below is a short list of titles related to federal Indian law in the Ross-Blakley Law Library. Other titles can be found in HeinOnline’s Indigenous Peoples of the Americas: History, Culture & Law and through the ASU Library Catalog using the following subjects:

• Federally Recognized Indian Tribes
• Gambling on Indian Reservations
• Indians of North America-Claims
• Indians of North America-Legal Status, Laws, etc.

American Indian Law Deskbook (Conference of Western Attorneys General, 2022)
This is a comprehensive treatise on Indian law presented from the perspective of state officials. It is available in print in the Law Library.

American Indian Law : Native Nations and the Federal System. 8th Ed. (Rebecca Tsosie, et al., 2025)
This title covers historic and modern conceptions of the tribal-federal relationship, fundamental issues in tribal-federal legal relations, tribal sovereignty and its exercise, federal and state authority in Indian country, jurisdiction under special statutes, tribal rights to land and cultural resources, and more.

Mastering Native American Law. 3d. (Angelique Wambdi EagleWoman and Stacy L. Leeds, 2024)
This title is designed to provide readers with an overview of the field and to serve as a useful supplement to classroom instruction covering Tribal nations governance and law, federal Indian law, and Tribal Nation-state government relations.

American Indian Law in a Nutshell (William C. Canby, Jr., 2025)
This Nutshell is an overview of federal Indian law and policy, tribal governments, treaties, gaming, claims to water and land, etc. A previous edition is available in print in the Law Library.

Cohen’s Handbook of Federal Indian Law (Felix S. Cohen, 2012)
This treatise covers federal Indian law, focusing on the relationship among tribes, the states, and the federal government within the context of civil and criminal jurisdiction, as well as areas of resource management and government structure. It is available in print in the Law Library and on Lexis. The 1941 edition is available on the University of Oklahoma’s website.

Encyclopedia of American Indian Civil Rights (James Stuart Olson & Mark Baxter, 1997)
This encyclopedia includes brief descriptions of the major concepts, court decisions, Congressional acts, citizen protests, and individuals pertaining to the history of Native American civil rights. It is available in print in the Law Library.

The Encyclopedia of Native American Legal Tradition (Bruce E. Johansen, 1998)
This work includes entries on cases, laws, treaties, doctrines, organizations, individuals, and tribal law concepts. It is available in print in the Law Library.

Fletcher’s Principles of Federal Indian Law (Matthew L.M. Fletcher, 2017)
This hornbook provides comprehensive coverage of Federal Indian law. It is available in print in the Law Library and on West Academic (available on campus, remotely with ASURITE, or with an ASU West Academic account).

Restatement of the Law, The Law of American Indians (American Law Institute, 2013-2024)
This Restatement contains six chapters which cover Federal-Tribal Relations, Tribal Authority, State-Tribal Relations, Tribal Economic Development, Indian Country Criminal Jurisdiction, and Natural Resources. It is available on Westlaw (Westlaw password required), Lexis (Lexis password required), and HeinOnline (available on campus or remotely with ASURITE).

The Rights of Indians and Tribes (Stephen L. Pevar, 2024, available on campus or with ASURITE credentials)
This book discusses, in a question-and-answer format, the powers of Indian tribes, civil and criminal jurisdiction on Indian reservations, Indian hunting, fishing, and water rights, taxation, the Indian Civil Rights Act, the Indian Child Welfare Act, and tribal jurisdiction over non-Indians.

The databases listed below provides access to journal articles and other resources related to Indian law. They are available on-campus or remotely with an ASURITE password. 

American Indians and the American West, 1809-1971
This resource provides access to a variety of collections from the U.S. National Archives, a series of collections from the Chicago History Museum, as well as selected first-hand accounts on Indian Wars and westward migration. Specific collections include the Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and records from the Major Council Meetings of American Indian Tribes.

America: History & Life
This database contains full-text articles on the history and culture of the United States and Canada from prehistoric to the present time.

American Indian History Online
This database offers access to over 5,000 years of culture, history, and leaders. More than 240 Native American groups are presented through subject entries, biographies, primary source documents, historical maps, and photographs. Search by topic centers sorted by era or by North American culture areas, such as the Northeast, Southwest, Arctic, and California culture areas.

Anthrosource
Anthrosource indexes current issues from the American Anthropological Association’s most critical peer-reviewed publications. Coverage is 19th Century to the present.

Arizona and Southwestern Index
As part of the ASU Special Materials Index and covering from pre-history to the present, this resource covers all subjects dealing with Arizona and the Southwest including some southwestern Indian tribes. The index describes materials found in the Arizona Collection at Hayden Library.

Bibliography of Indigenous Peoples in North America
This database covers all aspects of native North American culture, history, and life. It contains more than 141,000 citations of multiple formats covering the U. S. and Canada, and dates of coverage include content from the 16th century to the present.

HeinOnline’s Indigenous Peoples of the Americas: History, Culture & Law
An expansive archive of materials related to indigenous American life and law, including hundreds of treaties, tribal codes, constitutions, treaty-related publications, and more.

Since 2019, Arizona Attorney, a publication of the Arizona State Bar, has produced an annual issue with a special focus on Indian and Tribal law. Access digital versions of the magazine in the Arizona Attorney - Issue Library and in HeinOnline (available on campus or remotely with ASURITE).

July/August 2025 Issue
Articles in this issue discuss whether tribes should enact "ban-the-box" employment laws, strategies for addressing the challenges that AI software poses with respect to Indigenous knowledge and information, the challenges faced by tribal-owned and operated health facilities that contract with Indian Health Service, the effect of anti-DEI Executive Orders on Tribal programs, and tort claims in Indian Country.

July/August 2024 Issue
Articles in this issue discuss American Indian Treaty Rights in Arizona, economic development and sovereignty in Indigenous communities, dual taxation of non-Indians on Indian reservations, and the effect of Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard on Native American college students.

July/August 2023 Issue
Articles in this issue discuss the Native American Graves Protection Act (NAGPRA), the Navajo Nation's efforts to secure water supplies, mining practices on Indian lands, Tribal Law and Order Acts, and tips for improving legal writing when discussing tribal legal issues.  

July/August 2022 Issue
Articles in this issue discuss the SCOTUS opinion of McGirt v. Oklahoma, the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), evidentiary standards for proving tribal citizenship, tribal labor and employment laws, the evidentiary value of oral histories, and the legal history of tribal gaming.

July/August 2021 Issue
Articles in this issue discuss tips for practicing in tribal court, the use of common law principles in tribal legal systems, the legal status of marijuana in Indian Country, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), Indigenous rights to Spectrum for telecommunication, Arizona-Tribal Gaming Compacts, and the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).

July/August 2020 Issue
Articles in this issue discuss the challenges of voting during the pandemic, repatriation of sacred Native American cultural belongings from historical racism, leasing business property on the Navajo Nation, the application of Jewish legal principles to achieve Tribal prosperity, sports betting in tribal gaming, and practicing in tribal court.

April 2019 Issue
Articles in this issue discuss ICWA and reproductive technology, environmental justice in Indian Country, energy development and services on Tribal land, Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction (SDVCJ) on Tribal land, the U.S. Census and Native American undercounts, and voting issues for the 2020 election.