Path to Sovereignty

Description

This course, the first of the 1st Year Tribal Concentration Courses, relates the historical foundations for federal Indian policy to the contemporary legal and political issues confronting Indian tribes as governments. Following an overview discussion of the contemporary role of self-governing Indian tribes, Readings and discussion of the historical period from pre-colonial through the implementation of the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act and overview discussions of the contemporary role of self-governing Indian Tribes form the first component.  The balance of the course concentrates on the l, "the modern era" of Indian policy, defined as that period beginning with the foundation of the National Congress of American Indians in 1944 up until the present. Our goal in this first quarter is to gain understanding of the historical origins of the current laws and policies that constitute the legal, economic, social and political environment in which tribal governments operate today and the leadership and persistence of Tribes in the policy formation process.