Exiled in the land of the free: democracy, Indian nations, and the U.S. Constitution

Abstract

Now available as a paperback, it has become an indispensable work in any discussion on the influences on the framers of the Constitution. (Harvard Review -- paperbacks) These impressive essays by eight Native American leaders and scholars present persuasive evidence that the American colonists and U.S. founding fathers borrowed from the Iroquois Confederacy and other Indian political institutions in drafting the U.S. Constitution and in creating democratic traditions ... a timely, forceful book. (Publishers Weekly) authors make a compelling case for the existence of an Indian civilization of participatory democracy rich in its respect for individual human dignity, yet steeped in values of community.... One thing is clear. The American conscience cannot rest easy when the plight of the Indians is not in our consciousness. (New York Times) is a finely tuned chorus of articulate as well as academically recognized native voices, and their work is persuasive. (St. Louis Post Dispatch) An important and great book. (Library Journal) Underlying all Indian claims for our attention, and all the arguments in this fine book, is the issue of Indian sovereignty.... Since the Indian peoples are legally (and in common justice) entitled to far more land than they are asking for, why not return to them the dignity of sovereignty as well? (Peter Matthiessen) This groundbreaking work, which was written into the Congressional Record, has major implications for future relations between Indian tribes and the governments of the United States and other nations. It presents the strongest case ever made for Native American sovereignty.