Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Keyword
-
- American Indians (3)
- Ancestry (2)
- Indian blood (2)
- Race and law (2)
- Tribal courts (2)
-
- Antimiscegenation statutes (1)
- Berdache tradition (1)
- Cherokee Freedman (1)
- Cherokee Nation (1)
- Citizenship (1)
- Culture (1)
- Customary law (1)
- Decision making (1)
- Discrimination (1)
- Eugenics (1)
- Gender and law (1)
- History (1)
- Identity (1)
- Indian Reorganization Act (1)
- Navajo (1)
- Pocohontas Exception (1)
- Racial Integrity Act (1)
- Racial purity (1)
- Slavery (1)
- Slaves (1)
- Sovereign immunity (1)
- Sovereignty (1)
- Stereotypes (1)
- Virginia (1)
Articles 1 - 4 of 4
Full-Text Articles in Law
Preserving The Seeds Of Gender Fluidity: Tribal Courts And The Berdache Tradition, Andrew Gilden
Preserving The Seeds Of Gender Fluidity: Tribal Courts And The Berdache Tradition, Andrew Gilden
Michigan Journal of Gender & Law
This Article outlines the particular cultural characteristics giving rise to traditional berdachism, the means by which American policies fostered their decline, and the Navajo tribal courts' re-infusion of these characteristics into contemporary jurisprudence. By tracking the interplay between the traditional values of child autonomy, gender equality, and tribal collectivism, the rise, fall and potential reemergence of the berdache tradition can be analyzed as resulting from shifts in its determinative cultural elements.
The Pocahontas Exception: The Exemption Of American Indian Ancestry From Racial Purity Law, Kevin Noble Maillard
The Pocahontas Exception: The Exemption Of American Indian Ancestry From Racial Purity Law, Kevin Noble Maillard
Michigan Journal of Race and Law
"The Pocahontas Exception" confronts the legal existence and cultural fascination with the eponymous "Indian Grandmother." Laws existed in many states that prohibited marriage between Whites and non- Whites to prevent the "quagmire of mongrelization." Yet, this racial protectionism, as ingrained in law, blatantly exempted Indian blood from the threat to White racial purity. In Virginia, the Racial Integrity Act of 1924 made exceptions for Whites of mixed descent who proudly claimed Native American ancestry from Pocahontas. This Paper questions the juridical exceptions made for Native American ancestry in antimiscegenation statutes, and analyzes the concomitant exemptions in contemporary social practice. With …
A Race Or A Nation? Cherokee National Identity And The Status Of Freedmen's Descendants, S. Alan Ray
A Race Or A Nation? Cherokee National Identity And The Status Of Freedmen's Descendants, S. Alan Ray
Michigan Journal of Race and Law
This Article examines the Cherokee Freedmen controversy to assess whether law and biology can function as sufficient models for crafting Cherokee identity at this crucial moment in the tribe's history. The author will argue that while law and biology are historically powerful frames for establishing tribal self-identity, they are inadequate to the task of determining who should enjoy national citizenship. The wise use of sovereignty, the author suggests, lies in creating a process of sustained dialogical engagement among all stakeholders in the definition of Cherokee citizenship on the question of Cherokee identity. This dialogue should ideally have been undertaken before …
Rethinking Customary Law In Tribal Court Jurisprudence, Matthew L.M. Fletcher
Rethinking Customary Law In Tribal Court Jurisprudence, Matthew L.M. Fletcher
Michigan Journal of Race and Law
Customary law still appears in many of the decisions of American state and federal courts. Modern courts rely less on customary law, part and parcel of the English common law adopted and adapted by the Founders of the United States, with statutory and administrative law dominating the field. In contrast, the importance of customary law in American Indian tribal courts cannot be understated. Indian tribes now take every measure conceivable to preserve Indigenous cultures and restore lost cultural knowledge and practices. Tribal court litigation, especially litigation involving tribal members and issues arising out of tribal law, often turns on the …