Because tribes are sovereign
governments, the field of Indian Law encompasses distinct
legal issues and legal sources. Researching both federal
Indian law (the law of the relationship between tribal
governments and the U.S. government) and tribal law
(the law of individual tribes) requires a different
set of tools and research skills than those students
are introduced to in a basic legal research course.
In this course, students will learn the skills and
sources necessary to research general Indian law issues
as well as the very specialized skills and sources
used in researching the legal history of a tribe, including
reserved treaty rights. The course will cover researching
treaties, Indian land claims, statutory and case law,
and tribal law. Students will actively participate
in creating a tribal legal history throughout the course. |
