Law Commons^™

Indigenous Nations As Reserved Sovereigns, David E. Wilkins

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

Some adhere to the idea that the federal government, as a democratic state founded on the rule of law, contains within its legal and political institutions and ideologies a framework that provides the necessary vaccines that will eventually cure the various and sundry indigenous ailments generated throughout American society by its social, economic, political and legal institutions.

By contrast, there are others who vigorously argue that the prevailing institutions of governance and law of the United States are incapable of providing justice to First Nations because they entail systems, ideologies, and values that represent non-Indians and thus they cannot possibly …

First Nations And States: Contesting Polities, David E. Wilkins

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

The U.S. Supreme Court in an historic case in 1886, U.S. v. Kagama, which devastated tribal sovereignty by affirming the legality of the 1885 Major Crimes Act that problematically extended federal criminal jurisdiction over "all" Indians for seven major crimes—murder, manslaughter, rape, etc., (today that number has increased to 14 crimes)—more accurately declared in that same case that state governments could be characterized as the "deadliest enemies" of indigenous nations.

Native State Lawmakers: Minimizing The Tribal Disadvantage, David E. Wilkins

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

Not surprisingly, most of these lawmakers are serving in western states where more than 80 percent of indigenous peoples live—Alaska is home to 11 Native lawmakers; Montana has elected seven; New Mexico's legislature now has five Indian legislators; Oklahoma, Arizona, and South Dakota each have three Indian representatives; Washington has two; and Colorado and North Dakota have one each. Eastern states also have indigenous representation: Maine has two representatives—a Penobscot and a Passamaquoddy; North Carolina's Lumbee tribe has a member in the state legislature; and Vermont has a lone Native member.

Our preliminary results give us reason to be moderately …

A Constitutional Confession: The Permanent If Malleable Status Of Indigenous Nations, David E. Wilkins

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

I appreciate the opportunity to address such an august group of students and faculty. When Amy invited me to join you, and she certainly is a very persuasive person, I debated long and hard on what kind of talk to give since I study politics comparatively. Although much of my work is infused with law and history, and a smidgen of culture, economics, and geography, I work largely at the intersection of politics, history and law, and have coined the awkward though accurate term, "Polegalorian," to describe what I do. My research is concerned broadly with how indigenous peoples generate, …

The Indigenous Vote: Protecting Or Endangering Sovereignty?, David E. Wilkins

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

Much ado has been made about the 2002 mid-term congressional and gubernatorial elections. Democrats are bemoaning the Republican's treble triumph—congressional control, an invigorated Bush administration, and conservative rule on the supreme court. Republicans are exulting in their perceived conservative mandate—to address the War on Terror, privatize Social Security, and roll back environmental regulations that are deemed overly restrictive of private and public property development. And the inconsistent American voter, depending on race, socio-economic status, and issue salience, seems either unenthusiastic, ambivalent, or wildly animated about politics.