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Jurisdiction To Zone Indian Reservations, Robert D. Wilson-Hoss

Washington Law Review

This comment will examine one of the most critical aspects of the civil jurisdiction issue—tribal jurisdiction to exercise land use planning and zoning control. With such jurisdiction, a tribe may regulate or prohibit the development of reservation lands, and thus exercise a measure of control over the future of its reservation. Without zoning jurisdiction, most tribes would be forced to submit to the judgments of non-Indians about the uses of reservation lands. An introduction to the history and patterns of land ownership on Indian reservations is important to an understanding of the clashes between Indian and non-Indian reservation residents. Equally …