Research Guides: American Indian Law & Culture: Secondary Sources

Landmark Treatise

Cohen's Handbook of Federal Indian Law is a landmark treatise that provides a comprehensive analysis of Indian law and includes extensive reference tables and indexes. It is available in print and online.

Cohen's Handbook of Federal Indian Law by Felix S. Cohen
ISBN: 9780769855165
Publication Date: 2012-06-01

Cohen's Handbook of Federal Indian Law
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Cohen's Federal Indian Law is an encyclopedic treatise on federal Indian law, written by experts in the field, and provides general overviews to relevant information, as well as in-depth study of specific areas within this complex area of federal law. This is an updated and revised edition of what has been referred to as the "bible" of federal Indian law.

Online Resources & Law Journals

HeinOnline American Indian Law Collection This link opens in a new window
With more than 900 unique titles and more than 900,000 pages dedicated to American Indian Law, this collection includes an expansive archive of treaties, federal statutes and regulations, federal case law, tribal codes, constitutions, and jurisprudence. This library also features rare compilations edited by Felix S. Cohen that have never before been accessible online.

Restatement of the Law, The Law of American Indians
This work covers the foundational principles of American Indian law. Comprehensive in scope, it provides descriptions of fundamental terms and addresses Indian statutes and treaties, tribal governance, the federal-tribal relationship, and Congressional powers over Indian affairs.
Tribal Law Journal
The Tribal Law Journal is the premier indigenous law journal in the United States and is one of the few international legal journal sources dedicated to indigenous and tribal law.
American Indian Law Review
The American Indian Law Review serves as a nationwide scholarly forum for analysis of developments in legal issues pertaining to Native Americans and indigenous peoples worldwide.
Turtle Talk Blog (Michigan State Univ. College of Law)
Turtle Talk is the blog for the Indigenous Law and Policy Center at Michigan State University College of Law. They specialize in providing access to primary documents related to current topics in American Indian law and policy — court opinions and pleadings, federal government documents, scholarly materials, and other sources. They also post news items related to Indian law and politics, with a special emphasis on topics related to Indian tribes in Michigan and the Great Lakes region.

Books in the Law Library

American Indian Law in a Nutshell by William C. Canby Jr.
Call Number: KF8205 .Z9 C36 2020 (Reserve)
ISBN: 9781640209138
Publication Date: 2019-12-30
This guide provides a reliable resource on American Indian law. Its authoritative text covers the essentials of this complex body of law, with attention to the governmental policies underlying it. The work emphasizes both the historical development of Federal Indian Law and recent matters such as the evolution of Indian gaming, issues arising under the Indian Child Welfare Act, and the present enforcement of treaty rights. It addresses the policy and law applicable to Alaska Natives, but does not deal with Native Hawai'ians.
American Indian Law Deskbook by Eds. Larry Long and Clay Smith
Call Number: KF8205.A76 2008
ISBN: 9780870819254
Publication Date: 2008
Comprehensive guide that provides an up-to-date summary of Indian law, including both historical and current developments.
American Indian Law: Cases and Commentary by Robert T. Anderson et al
Call Number: KF8204.5 .A44 2010
ISBN: 9780314908155
Publication Date: 2010
Encyclopedia of Native American Legal Tradition by Bruce E. Johansen, ed.
Call Number: KF8204.E53 1998 Reference
ISBN: 9780313301674
Publication Date: 1998
Detailed descriptions of traditional Native American political and legal systems; outlines of many major Indian law cases, Congressional acts, and treaties; and personal profiles of individuals important to the evolution of Indian law.

American Indian Law & Culture

Landmark Treatise

Online Resources & Law Journals

Books in the Law Library

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