Indigenous, Indian, and Aboriginal Law Commons^™

Jackpot! A Legal History Of Indian Gaming In California, Aaron Peardon

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Indian Gaming has transformed the economic, political, and sociological landscape of California. The growth of Indian casinos has had a profound impact on both Indian and non-Indian communities alike. California tribes took the lead in legalizing Indian Gaming throughout the nation. The efforts of California tribes in the legislative and political process have enabled many tribal groups to rise out of poverty and to gain prosperity that would otherwise be impossible to achieve. They have also brought increased revenue to local communities and have provided thousands of jobs to all Californians.

This thesis discusses the historical relationships between Native American …

The Doctrine Of Discovery And The Elusive Definition Of Indian Title, Blake Watson

School of Law Faculty Publications

On April 15, 2011, the Lewis & Clark Law Review hosted its Spring Symposium, entitled “The Future of International Law in Indigenous Affairs: The Doctrine of Discovery, the United Nations, and the Organization of American States.” While the Symposium participants agree that the doctrine of discovery should be rejected, they disagree on the impact of the discovery doctrine on native land rights in the United States. This Article examines the differing views of Indian title. Specifically, it contrasts the “limited owner” view of Indian title, under which Indian tribes retained nearly all of their proprietary rights, subject only to …

Community Growth And Land Use, Susan Kelly

Publications

No abstract provided.

Not Out Of The (Fox)Woods Yet: Indian Gaming And The Bankruptcy Code, Emir Aly Crowne, Andrew Black, S. Alex Constantin

UNLV Gaming Law Journal

The recent economic downturn has caused Foxwoods Resort Casino, one of the largest casinos in the world, to seek a restructuring of nearly $1.5 billion in debt. Ordinarily, bankruptcy proceedings are triggered when a typical commercial enterprise defaults on its debt. Under these proceedings, creditors step in and collect monies owed to them before any residual equity is dispersed amongst owners. The rub here is that Foxwoods is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Western Pequot Tribal Nation, a sovereign nation under U.S. federal law. This triggers questions of paramountcy; namely, whether tribunal sovereignty can trump federal bankruptcy law.

These …

Smoke And Mirrors: A History Of Nagpra And The Evolving U.S. View Of The American Indian, Lindee R. Grabouski

Department of History: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

While paintings of Native Americans and Europeans exchanging goods and cultural values adorn the walls of museums around the United States, actual Native/non-Native interaction over the past 500 years has been one of illusion, not cooperation. Until recently, legislation “protecting” Native Americans appeared altruistic on the surface, but, instead, served only as a facade for keeping Native artifacts in the hands of scientists and collectors. Even the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the most recent legislative attempt to reconcile the past mistreatment of Native Americans, is riddled with obstacles and optical illusions.

Certainly, NAGPRA demonstrates the most …

Review Of Canada's Indigenous Constitution. By John Borrows., Signa A. Daum Shanks

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

This text's major thesis, that "Canada cannot presently, historically, legally, or morally claim to be built upon European-derived law alone," has been mentioned before. Yet in those earlier musings by Borrows and others, such a statement has never been documented so well as it is here. Borrows contemplates that others, besides those sympathetic with Indigenous perspectives, might just admit such a thesis is the case. Moreover, they might also support the creation of social and economic policies that demonstrate such a belief. But observing it in Canada's current legal system-really? Keenly aware of skeptics, Borrows has thought as much about …

Review Of Compact, Contract, Covenant: Aboriginal Treaty Making In Canada. By J.R. Miller., Sidney L. Harring

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

In Canada, the term First Nations explicitly recognizes a nation-to-nation relationship between the Crown and the original inhabitants of North America that requires treaty making as the primary political and legal process for the taking of Indian lands and the incorporation of Indian nations into the multinational Canadian state. There are great political difficulties embodied in this process, including the continued impoverishment and marginalization of the First Nations, and the repeated failure of successive Canadian governments to carry out their responsibilities under these treaties, but the treaty process remains the required process. J.R. Miller, perhaps Canada's leading scholar of Aboriginal …

Review Of Aboriginal Title And Indigenous Peoples: Canada, Australia, And New Zealand. Edited By Louis A. Knafla And Haijo Westra., Dwight Newman

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

This volume contains a number of intelligent, insightful essays that, as a collection, are meant to offer comparative perspectives on Aboriginal title issues in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. A relatively limited number of the essays actually engage in direct comparison, although David Yarrow's examination ofthe place ofIndigenous jurisdiction in Australia and Canada, Kent McNeil's scrutiny ofthe source and content ofIndigenous land rights in Australia and Canada, and Louis Knafta's superb introduction are welcome exceptions. Most of the other chapters frame a set of comparisons by engaging with issues in a single jurisdiction, although some are also devoted to specific …

The Legal Process Of Cultural Genocide: Chinese Destruction Of Tibetan Culture V. U.S. Destruction Of Native American Culture, Evan Mascagni

University of the District of Columbia Law Review

No abstract provided.

United States' Statement Of Claims Of Water Rights In The New Mexico San Juan River Basin On Behalf Of The Navajo Tribe, United States

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

United States' Statement of Claims of Water Rights in the New Mexico San Juan River Basin on Behalf of the Navajo Tribe: Parties: United States, New Mexico, Navajo Nation. Contents:

I - Introduction, p.5;

II - Scope of Claims, p.5:

A. Legal Basis;

B. Lands for Which Water Rights are Claimed;

C. Priority Date;

D. Categories of Water Use;

E. Subsequent Revision or Supplement to Claims;

III - Claims on Behalf of the Navajo Nation, p.9:

1. Domestic, Commercial, Municipal, and Industrial
2. Heavy Industrial Activities
3. Livestock
4. Historic and Present Irrigation
5. Future NIIP Irrigation
6. Additional Future Irrigation – PIA Claims
7. Impoundment Storage …

Supplemental Partial Final Decree Of The Water Rights Of The Navajo Nation, 11th Judicial District, San Juan County, State Of New Mexico

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Supplemental Partial Final Decree of the Water Rights of the Navajo Nation: Parties: Navajo Nation, NM, New Mexico, USA, United States.

Contents:

1. Jurisdiction, p.2; 2. Supplemental Decree, p.2; 3. Reserved Rights, p.2, including a) Livestock Water Use, p.4, b) Irrigation Water Use, p.6; 4. Water Rights Acquired under State Law, p.18; 5. Depletion Limits, p.22; 6. Allottees, p.24; 7. Limitations, p.24; 8. Disclaimers, p.27; 9. Jurisdiction after Entry of Decree, p.26; 10. Metering of Water Uses, p.26; 11. Records of Water Use, p.28; 12. Administration, p.32. [Source: https://sjrbadjudication.nmcourts.gov/navajo-inter-se-ab-07-1.aspx]

Ogalala Sioux Tribal Profile, Karen Kimbro Chase

Tribal Law Journal

This profile offers an excellent overview of Oglala Sioux law, both traditional and modern. Like many tribes, the Indian Reorganization Act had a major impact on the contemporary law of the Oglala Sioux. While the IRA resulted in tribal constitutions that reflected the values of the U.S. Constitution, this profile examines the traditional and customary law that was subsequently incorporated into the Oglala Sioux Constitution. This profile includes a brief history of the Oglala Sioux, overview of traditional law, governmental structure, summary of contemporary law, and history of political activism.

Ho-Chunk Nation Tribal Law Profile, Daniel B. Snyder

Tribal Law Journal

In this tribal profile provides an excellent point of reference for practitioners dealing with any legal matter within the Ho-Chunk Nation. Starting with an overview of the legal history of the tribe, including modern government and law, the author examines the traditional legal practices and responsibilities of the Ho-Chunk. Mr. Snyder then explores the modern judicial and legislative branches, and their work to preserve the tribe's traditional laws and customs.

Baselines Newsletter, No. 7, Winter/Spring 2011, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

Baselines: The Natural Resources Law Center Newsletter (2007-2011)

No abstract provided.

Tangled Up In Knots: How Continued Federal Jurisdiction Over Sexual Predators On Indian Reservations Hobbles Effective Law Enforcement To The Detriment Of Indian Women, Suzianne D. Painter-Thorne

Articles

Consequently, tribal lands have become safe havens for sexual predators, who can commit their offenses with little fear of prosecution. As Fort Peck Tribal Chairman A.T. “Rusty” Stafne explained, “Our people are afraid because there are persons committing crimes against us at night and in broad daylight....We have criminals that are simply unafraid of prosecution.” Indeed, “[t]o a sexual predator, the failure to prosecute sex crimes against American Indian women is an invitation to prey with impunity.”

Congress has responded to the epidemic of reservation crime with the Tribal Law and Order Act27 (TLOA). But, as this article explains, the …

Cases And Materials On Federal Indian Law (6th Edition), David H. Getches, Charles F. Wilkinson, Robert A. Williams Jr., Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

No abstract provided.

Tribal Court Convictions And The Federal Sentencing Guidelines: Respect For Tribal Courts And Tribal People In Federal Sentencing, Barbara L. Creel

Faculty Scholarship

This article critiques a proposal to include tribal court criminal convictions and sentences in the federal sentencing scheme. The proposal, as articulated by Kevin Washburn, calls for an amendment to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines to count tribal court convictions in calculating an Indian defendants criminal history score to determine a federal prison sentence. Currently, tribal court convictions are not directly counted in criminal history, but may be used to support an 'upward departure' to increase the Native defendant's overall federal sentence. Washburn's proposal seeks to gain 'respect' for tribal courts, based upon a premise that tribal convictions must be afforded …

New Mexico’S Major Reservoirs: An Overview, Susan Kelly, Diego Urbina

Water Matters!

This paper describes the salient facts about the major water storage reservoirs in New Mexico. For each reservoir, we address the purposes of water storage allowed by law, storage capacity, the responsible operating agency, and some key operational issues. This is by necessity a vast simplification of the topic.Books, articles, research reports, operation manuals, and other materials on these topics run into the hundreds. Millions of dollars have been spent on technical studies and computer models to understand,and sometimes alter, the operations of various dams and reservoirs.

Addressing The Overrepresentation Of The Maori In New Zealand's Criminal Justice System At The Sentencing Stage: How Australia Can Provide A Model For Change, Joanna Hess

Washington International Law Journal

New Zealand’s 2002 Sentencing Act provides several ways a sentencing court may take an offender’s cultural or ethnic background into account. Given the disproportionate rate of recidivism among New Zealand’s indigenous Maori offenders and international and domestic concerns regarding this problem, the Act’s provisions offer one method for addressing and mitigating this issue. However, these sentencing provisions remain largely unknown or underused. This comment argues that in order to tackle these concerns, left unaddressed by the current Sentencing Act, New Zealand should restructure its sentencing provisions to follow the legislative model that is developing in Australian states, particularly the model …

Latin America’S Indigenous Women, Courtney Hall

Human Rights & Human Welfare

Latin America’s indigenous women are as diverse as the land they inhabit. Their uniqueness is shaped by belonging to groups that have their own distinct history, traditions, and identity. Yet despite this diversity, indigenous women confront the same human rights challenges: racial, gender, and socio-economic discrimination. Without ignoring the diversity of indigenous women, a better understanding of their fundamental struggles can be gained by weaving these issues together in a comprehensive narrative.