Tribal nations have entered an era of nation building or the process by which a native nation enhances its foundational capacity for effective self-governance and self-determination. While many tribal nations have become more economically secure in recent years, legitimacy has remained elusive for some. Successful tribal nations, alongside…

The fragmentation of large nineteenth-century reservations resulted in the creation of American Indian allotment geographies in the United States. Federal Indian policy, namely the General Allotment Act of 1887, allowed the US government to break up large reservations, allot land to individual Indians, and sell the surplus to non-Indian settlers.…

No comprehensive analysis of tribal constitutions has ever been conducted, so this project aims to begin filling this significant gap in American, constitutional, and comparative politics research. In this study, the authors examine only one small but significant element of Native constitutions: oaths of office for incoming tribal government…

Describing the history of the Cheyenne River Sioux Constitution as established under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, this article presents a section by section analysis of the Sioux Constitution and the text of that constitution as well. (JC)

Compares tribal government of the Upper Skagit tribe and St. Lawrence Island Eskimos. Summarizes tribal histories and describes current relationships with federal, state, and county governments. Reveals the complexities of tribal government functions and the dominant influence of federal policies on tribal affairs. Contains 10 references. (SV)

Compares the impact of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 on the Hopis, Western Shoshones, and Southern Utes with regard to land reform, economic development, and tribal management. Describes salient tribal characteristics prior to 1934, and federal government tactics to force acceptance of the Act. Contains 83 references. (SV)