Updates, News & Information: Law Library Blog

National Native American Heritage Month

November is National Native American Heritage Month in the US. This month recognizes the contributions the first Americans made to the history, and continue to make to the future, of the United States of America as a country. This month also provides a wide scope for legal researchers who are interested in Native American Indian law.

The many legal documents establishing National Native American Heritage Month are collected on the Law Library of Congress' website. More general legal resources related to Native American Indian legal issues are available through the Law Library of Congress' Indigenous Law Portal, which provides links to research guides, and primary and secondary sources of law.

Researchers interested in examining the legal history and current state of legal issues affecting Native American Indians across the US will find numerous resources in the UofL Law Library as well. The collection includes copies of everything ranging from historic treaties to the latest scholarly articles in print and electronic forms. Some key resources are highlighted below, but researchers with questions can always contact the Law Library to get expert guidance in their research from one of our librarians.

HeinOnline provides electronic access to many legal journals and law reports, including the NARF [National American Indian Rights Fund] Legal Review and the American Indian Law Review.

For the latest legal news, try searching a database like Law360, or set up an alert to follow the Law360 Native American news feed.

Books in the UofL Law Library collection include collections of historic treaties and tribal documents, along with recent treatises and commentary on current legal issues, including the following:

Enduring Legacies by Bruce E. Johansen (Editor)

Call Number: KF 8205 .E53 2004

ISBN: 9780313321047

Publication Date: 2004

This collection of essays by experts in Native American history examines historic treaties in light of recent and ongoing controversies.

Thundersticks by David J. Silverman

Call Number: E 98.W2 S55 2016

ISBN: 9780674737471

Publication Date: 2016

Thundersticks reframes our understanding of Indians' historical relationship with guns, arguing against the notion that they prized these weapons more for the pyrotechnic terror guns inspired than for their efficiency as tools of war.

American Indian Law in a Nutshell by William Canby Jr.

Reserve Shelf: KF 8205 .C36 2015

ISBN: 9781628100082

Publication Date: 2014

This guide provides a reliable resource on American Indian law.