Introduction to Tribal Legal Studies

In this updated edition, Richland and Deer have built on an already indispensable resource for those working with tribal communities.  With new material throughout -- including vital changes in tribal criminal jurisdiction and sentencing authority, among others – this text will undoubtedly become a ‘go to’ resource for anyone concerned with tribal sovereignty and tribal legal institutions. -- Angela R. Riley, UCLA American Indian Studies Center
Introduction to Tribal Legal Studies remains an indispensable resource for students, advocates, leaders, judges, and students. The new edition provides critical materials on the way American Indian tribal justice shifted dramatically in the last few years as the United States enacted two important criminal justice statutes enhancing tribal criminal sentencing authority and authorized tribes to prosecute non-Indians for crimes against intimate partners. Inaakonigewin (Indian law) matters more now than ever, and more Indian people have a stake in their justice systems. This new edition is the handbook of tribal justice for Indian people all over. -- Matthew L.M. Fletcher, associate professor of law; Director of the Indigenous Law and Policy Center, Michigan State University College of Law
Richland and Deer offer a rich and up-to-date collection of the most indispensable articles and essays on tribal legal systems, together with examples of cases, statutes, and constitutions, in a format that is accessible to both law-trained and lay audiences. The third edition includes new material on tribal approaches to integrating traditional justice into modern court systems and an updated chapter on the Indian Child Welfare Act. It also covers key changes to federal laws affecting tribal criminal power. Here, the authors do more than simply summarize the changes by including a helpful discussion of how federal law affects tribal criminal courts in practice and highlighting creative strategies for working within and around jurisdictional limits. -- Addie C. Rolnick, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, associate professor of law