Connecting the Dots Between the Constitution, the Marshall Trilogy, and United States v. Lara: Notes Toward a Blueprint for the Next Legislative Restoration of Tribal Sovereignty

67 Pages Posted: 11 Sep 2008 Last revised: 30 Jan 2010

See all articles by Ann E. Tweedy

Ann E. Tweedy

University of South Dakota School of Law

Date Written: September 8, 2008

Abstract

This law review article examines: (1) the underpinnings of tribal sovereignty within the American system; (2) the need for restoration based on the Court's drastic incursions on tribal sovereignty over the past four decades and the grave circumstances, particularly tribal governments' inability to protect tribal interests on the reservation and unchecked violence in Indian Country, that result from the divestment of tribal sovereignty; (3) the concept of restoration as illuminated by United States v. Lara, and finally (4) some possible approaches to partial restoration.

The article first evaluates the constitutional provisions relating to Indians and the earliest federal Indian law decisions written by Chief Justice Marshall on the premise that these two sources shed light on the upper limits of a potential legislative restoration of tribal sovereignty. Next, the article examines the judicial trend of divestment of tribal sovereignty, focusing particularly on the latest decisions that evidence this trend. The article further examines the negative effects of this divestment in Indian Country, from impeding tribes' ability to provide governmental services and to protect their unique institutions, to problems of widespread on-reservation violence, particularly against Indian women. The article concludes that the judicial trend of divesting tribal sovereignty combined with these dire effects clearly demonstrate a need for restoration.

Finally, the article examines the Lara holding and its implications for the types of restoration that will be upheld by Court, concluding with an examination of options for potential legislative restorations.

Keywords: federal Indian law, tribal sovereignty, tribal jurisdiction, restoration of tribal sovereignty, Marshall Trilogy, constitutional law, United States v. Lara, restoration of tribal sovereignty, federal courts

Suggested Citation

Tweedy, Ann E., Connecting the Dots Between the Constitution, the Marshall Trilogy, and United States v. Lara: Notes Toward a Blueprint for the Next Legislative Restoration of Tribal Sovereignty (September 8, 2008). University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform, Vol. 42, No. 3, p. 651, 2009, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1265229

Ann E. Tweedy (Contact Author)

University of South Dakota School of Law ( email )

414 E. Clark Street
Vermillion, SD SD 57069
United States
57069 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.usd.edu/faculty-and-staff/Ann-Tweedy

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