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Indian Law

Treatises

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:

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 in a Nutshell (William C. Canby, Jr., 2020)
This Nutshell is an overview of federal Indian law and policy, tribal governments, treaties, gaming, claims to water and land, etc. It is available in print in the Law Library and on West Academic.

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, 2021)
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).

Databases

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
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 Native North Americans
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.

News

American Indian Law Review (University of Oklahoma College of Law) 
This biannual journal includes articles on American Indian legal and cultural issues. It is available for free on their website. It is also on HeinOnline (available on campus or remotely with ASURITE), Lexis (Lexis password required), and Westlaw (Westlaw password required). 

ICWA Info (Native American Rights Fund and Casey Family Programs) 
ICWA Info is a blog that focuses on Indian child welfare issues. 

Indian Country Today (National Congress of American Indians) 
This online platform is a resource for news and special features on topics such as Indian culture, history, and education. 

Indianz.com (Ho-Chunk Inc.)
From the news, information, and entertainment resource Indianz.com, this section provides up-to-date resources on legal matters. 

Indigenous Nations & Peoples Law eJournal (SSRN) 
The Indigenous Nations & Peoples Law eJournal on SSRN publishes scholarly articles and working papers on the law of indigenous peoples.

Indian Law News Bulletins (National Indian Law Library) 
This service provides information on federal and state court cases related to Indian law, tribal court cases, and legislative, regulatory and legal news.

Navajo Times 
The Navajo Times provides current news and information from Indian Country.

Navajo-Hopi Observer 
The Navajo-Hopi Observer publishes news for the Navajo and Hopi Nations and Winslow area communities in northern Arizona.

Turtle Talk 
Turtle Talk is a blog from the Indigenous Law and Policy Center at Michigan State University College of Law that posts items on Indian law and politics.

Law360 Native American Law News (available on campus or remotely with Lexis password)
Law360 is available to ASU law students through their Lexis accounts. The Native American Law News source is available on the Law360 website, via email, and an RSS feed.