US Federal Relations & Law - Native American Studies - Law & Government

Federal Agencies

Bureau of Indian Affairs (Dept. of the Interior)
Office of the Special Trustee (within Bureau of Indian Affairs)
Office of Tribal Justice (US Dept. of Justice)
Indian Health Service (Dept. of Heath & Human Services)
Office of Native American Programs (US Dept. of Housing & Human Development)
Tribal Affairs (US Dept. of Energy)
part of the US Dept. of Energy's Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs.
Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs (US Dept of Energy)
Office of Indian Education (US Dept. of Education)
The US Dept. of Education also oversees the White House Initiative on Tribal Colleges and Universities
Bureau of Indian Education (within the Bureau of Indian Affairs)

Congressional Committees

US Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
Information on current legislation, committee hearing transcripts and/or webcasts, and more.
Congressional Native American Caucus (US House)
No web site for the Caucus, but see above link for the "Congressional Member Organizations" document listing current Caucus leadership

Books Of Note

Guides & overviews are often the easiest introduction to the original legal documents. Consider starting with a secondary source and use its bibliography to locate original sources.

American Indians and the law by N. Bruce Duthu
Note: library ebook license for three simultaneous users
American Indian Politics and the American Political System (4th ed., 2018) by David E. Wilkins; Heidi Kiiwetinepinesiik Stark
Call Number: Baker-Berry Stacks E98.T77 W545 2018

documents of note

John Collier papers, 1922-1968
Jones Media Micro film 4853r Reels 1-59 + guide.
Commissioner of Indian Affairs (1933-1945) and architect of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934.

Yale's finding aid for the full Collier archive
The problem of Indian administration; report of a survey made at the request of Honorable Hubert Work, Secretary of the Interior, and submitted to him, February 21, 1928.
Baker Berry E93 .B873
Commonly known as the Meriam Report

Federal Law - Guides & Document Compilations

Indian Affairs: Laws and treaties - Kappler
Online via Oklahoma State.
Also available in paper: Baker Berry Stacks KF8203 1975 v.1-7
Commonly known as the Kappler report.

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Contents: v. 1. Laws. Compiled to Dec. 1, 1902.--v. 2. Treaties.--v. 3. Laws. Compiled to Dec. 1, 1913.--v. 4. Laws. Compiled to March 4, 1927.--v. 5. Laws. Compiled from Dec. 22, 1927, to June 29, 1938.--v.6-7. [Laws, compiled through 1970]
Documents of United States Indian policy (3rd ed.) - edited by Francis Paul Prucha.
Call Number: Baker-Berry KF8205 .D63 2000
Excerpts from key documents 1785-2000
See table of contents via Google Books preview
Early American Indian Documents : treaties and laws, 1607-1789
Baker-Berry KF8202 1979 v.1-20

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v. 1. Pennsylvania and Delaware treaties, 1629-1737.--v. 2. Pennsylvania Treaties, 1737-1756.--v. 3. Pennsylvania Treaties, 1756-1775.--v. 4. Virginia Treaties, 1607-1722.--v. 5. Virginia Treaties, 1723-1775.--v. 6. Maryland Treaties, 1632-1775.--v. 7. New York and New Jersey Treaties, 1609-1682.--v. 8. New York and New Jersey Treaties, 1683-1713.--v. 9. New York and New Jersey Treaties, 1714-1753.--v. 10. New York and New Jersey Treaties, 1754-1775.--v. 11. Georgia Treaties, 1733-1763.--v. 12. Georgia and Florida Treaties, 1763-1776.--v. 13. North and South Carolina Treaties, 1654-1756.--v. 14. North and South Carolina Treaties, 1756-1775.--v. 15. Virginia and Maryland laws.--v. 16. Carolinga and Georgia Laws.--v. 17. New England and Middle Atlantic News.--v. 18. Revolution and confederation--v. 19. New England Treaties, Southeast, 1524-1761.--v. 20. New England Treaties, North and West, 1650-1776
Ratified Indian treaties, 1722-1869 - United States. Bureau of Indian Affairs
Call Number: Jones Media Micro film 3795r
16 reel microfilm set
Guide to American Indian documents in the Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1899
Baker-Berry Reference KF8201.A1 J63
Subject index to the United States Congressional Serial Set of House & Senate Reports & Documents. Additional information on Serial Set below.
Handbook of federal Indian law (1945 ed.) - Felix Cohen
Online via U. Oklahoma.
Have reprint of 1945 ed. in Baker-Berry stacks KF8205 .A333 1988
2005 edition (with 2007 supplement) is shelved nearby: KF8205 .C6 2005 (see catalog record)
Key to the Annual Reports of the United States Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Ethnohistory, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Winter, 1955), 58-64. (via JSTOR)
A wonderful aide in locating the Indian Affairs Commissioner's annual report to the Secretary of War (1824-1848) and the Secretary of the Interior (1849-1920) as they appear in the US Congressional Serial Set (see below)
Records in the US National Archives
See in particular the instructions for searching the microfilm catalog. We have an older guide to related microfilm shelved in Baker-Berry Reference Z1209 .U53 1984. [see catalog record]

United States Congressional Serial Set (Historic Archive)

The collected reports and documents of the United States Senate and House of Representatives, including annual reports of the Secretary of the Interior. Available in print and selected years online.

United States Congressional Serial Set
Online currently covers 15th Congress - 96th Congress, 2nd session, 1817 - 1980 (U.S. Congressional Serial Set Vols. 1 - 13384)
Tip: Browse by subject categories "Indian Affairs" or "Groups of People, Professions, etc."
Serial Set (paper copy)
See catalog record for complete listing of years owned & locations.
Baker Berry J80 .U5
Storage I83CH -- 4th congress (1795) to 14th (1816), with some lacks.
American State Papers, 1789-1838
American State Papers (paper copy)
Storage J33
"Indian affairs" portion of set (2 vols.) covers 1st Cong.-19th Cong., May 25, 1789-March 1, 1827.
A century of lawmaking for a new nation 1774-1873 U.S. Congressional documents and debates
This Library of Congress site contains selected years of Congressional journals, debates and documents, including American State Papers, the Congressional Serial Set, and the Congressional Record

Federal Legislation

The government-published US Code (abbreviated U.S.C.) and commercially published US Code Annotated (USCA) incorporate all current federal law into topical "titles". Title 25 is entitled "Indians" and covers much of the law governing federal relations with Native America. The Congressional Record contains the transcript of floor activity for the US House and Senate.

United States Code : containing the general and permanent laws of the United States
Paper copy of 2006 ed. with supplements - Baker Berry Ref. KF62 2006
US Code online (library subscription databases)
- Lexis-Nexis Congressional [Select "Legislative Histories, Bills & Laws" > "US Code"]
- WestLaw Campus [Select "United States Code Annotated" from "Statutes and Regulations" section of menu.
- Hein Online
US Code online (freely available sites)
- Cornell U. Legal Information Inst. [links directly to Title 25]
- US Gov't Printing Office [2006+]
- US House [See "Classification Tables" for sections of the U.S. Code affected by recently enacted laws]
Congressional record; Proceedings and debates of the congress
- Baker Berry J11 .R5 [Latest 2 Congresses in Reference; older years in stacks]
- Jones Media Micro fiche 1012-F [95th session (1977) to present]
Congressional Record online
- Library of Congress [101st Congress (1989/90) to present]
- US Gov't Printing Office [1994 to present]
- Lexis-Nexis Congressional
  - Select "Congressional Record Only" from entry screen for 1789-1997
  - Select "Daily Congressional Record & Rules" from left menu for 19
Congressional Hearings
- Indexed, with full-text for 2004+, in Lexis-Nexis Congressional (Use Advanced Search)
- Microfilm in Jones Media Center for 1869-2011

Federal Regulations

The Code of Federal Regulations (abbreviated CFR) incorporates all current federal regulations into topical "titles". Title 25 is entitled "Indians." The Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents.

We no longer receive current issues in paper.

Code of Federal Regulations online (library subscription databases)
- Lexis-Nexis Congressional [Select "Regulations" from left-hand menu; Covers 1981+]
- WestLaw Campus [Select CFR from "Statutes and Regulations" menu; Covers Current ed.]
- Hein Online
Code of Federal Regulations online (freely accessible sites)
- Cornell's Legal Information Institute [Covers 1994-present]
- US Gov't Printing Office [Covers 2000-present]
Federal Register online
- US Gov't Printing Office [1994+]
- ProQuest Congressional [1980+; Select "Regulations" from left menu]
- WestLaw Campus [1981+; Select FR from "Statutes and Regulations" menu]
- Hein Online

List of CFR Sections Affected
lists proposed, new, and amended Federal regulations that have been published in the Federal Register since the most recent revision date of a CFR title.

Federal Cases

United States Reports (U.S.) - or - United States Supreme Court reports (U.S.) -or- United States Supreme Court Reports, Lawyer's Ed., 2nd series (L Ed 2d).

US Reports contains decisions of US Supreme Court cases.

Consider starting with law review articles for introduction to specific cases. Both the WestlawNext and Lexis-Nexis Academic databases (see links below) include both law reviews *and* court decisions.

United States reports... Cases adjudged in the Supreme Court
- paper copies in Baker-Berry KF101 .A3
- See also United States Supreme Court reports. Lawyer's ed., 2nd ser - Baker-Berry KF101 .A32
US Supreme Court decisions online (library subscription databases)
- Lexis-Nexis Academic [Select "Legal" from top menu, and then "Federal & State Cases" from left menu]
- WestLaw Campus [Select "Supreme Court Cases" from "Cases" menu]
- Hein Online
US Supreme Court decisions online (freely accessible sites)
- Supreme Court web site
- Cornell's Legal Information Institute
- The Oyez Project [Case summaries & decisions. For cases since 1950, there are audio files for oral arguments.]
Federal Lower Court & State Supreme Court decisions
- Lexis-Nexis Academic [Select "Legal" from top menu, and then "Federal & State Cases" from left menu]
- WestLaw Campus [Select Federal or State from "Cases" menu]

Native American Studies - Law & Government: US Federal Relations & Law