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"A Perfect Copy": Indian Culture And Tribal Law, Matthew L.M. Fletcher
"A Perfect Copy": Indian Culture And Tribal Law, Matthew L.M. Fletcher
Matthew L.M. Fletcher
A critical area of American Indian law is the resurgence, restoration, and development of tribal law in Indian Country. Some tribal law is borrowed or transplanted, while other tribal law is based on custom and tradition, but the ultimate purpose of developing a body of law that parallels Anglo-American law is the preservation of American Indian culture. Leech Lake Ojibwe David Treuer’s recent book of literary criticism, Native American Literature: A User’s Guide, offers a startling premise that reaches far beyond literature – American Indian literature that borrows from Anglo-American literary traditions is nothing more than a “copy” of Indian …
Rethinking Customary Law In Tribal Court Jurisprudence, Matthew L.M. Fletcher
Rethinking Customary Law In Tribal Court Jurisprudence, Matthew L.M. Fletcher
Matthew L.M. Fletcher
Customary law still appears in many of the decisions of American state and federal courts. Customary law, part and parcel of the English common law adopted and adapted by the Founders of the United States, recurs less often given that statutory and administrative law dominate 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 ancient …
Toward A Theory Of Intertribal And Intratribal Common Law, Matthew L.M. Fletcher
Toward A Theory Of Intertribal And Intratribal Common Law, Matthew L.M. Fletcher
Matthew L.M. Fletcher
Courts and scholars refer to the substantive common law applied by tribal courts in the United States using the monolithic term “tribal common law,” but in fact tribal common law can and should be subdivided into two major categories of law – “intertribal common law” and “intratribal common law.” “Intertribal common law” is the common law applied by tribal courts to cases arising out of Anglo-American legal constructs, such as employment contracts or housing leases. “Intratribal common law” is the common law applied by tribal courts to cases arising out of indigenous legal constructs, such as family and inheritance rules …