Annotated Bibliography of the Basic Literature Needed for an Understanding of Tribal Governance

Abstract

or a scholar of the indigenous peoples of the United States, the beginning of this new century is an exciting time. The area of tribal governance, in particular, demonstrates how far tribes have come in the last fifty years. And the momentum gained in recent decades suggests that the tribes' successes will continue into the twenty-first century. During the 1950s, Indians in the United States were facing the ultimate challenge to survival. Poverty and despair reigned supreme on the reservations. Congress had officially adopted the policy of termination, the program designed to end federal supervision of tribes and called for selling off Indian lands. Tribal leaders across the nation recognized the crisis and in time responded to the challenge. They decided to fight termination and > reestablish the tribes' sovereignty. With patience and determination, Indian leaders caused the reversal of the termination policy and achieved other successes as well. Today, although many problems still exist on the reservations, the progress of tribes cannot be disputed. For example, tribal lands 3 7 have been increased, traditional practices are being revived, and the economic situation is improving on many reservations. Most important, the majority of decisions are made on the reservation by tribal councils and not by federal or state government officials. In the next century, the battle will be to maintain and expand the victories the tribes have won in the courts, the legislatures, and on the reservations.