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American Indian Law: Federal Statutes & Regulations

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United States Statutes at Large (various titles).
An official compilation of the public laws of the federal government. Volume 7 of the Public Statutes at Large of the United States of America contains the texts of Indian treaties entered into between 1778 and 1845. After that date, they are in the respective volume chronologically associated with the date of the treaty and are indexed by tribal name. (Note that not all Indian treaties appear in the Statutes at Large series.)
Location: KF50

  • Microfiche versions of volumes 1 (1776/1799) through 83 (1969) are shelved in the Microform Room, Case J6.
  • The Library of Congress has posted the first eighteen volumes of the Statutes at Large, covering the laws of the first forty-three Congresses, 1789 to 1875, including the volume 7 compilation.
  • HeinOnline includes the Statutes at Large (UCB only).
  • GPO's Federal Digital System, FDsys, also includes the volumes.

United States Code (USC), United States Code Annotated (USCA), and United States Code Service (USCS).
The current federal law arranged into fifty subject titles and sections. In the Index, entries are listed primarily under Indian, but a few appear under Native American. Use the Popular Name Table in the back of the last Index volume to find corresponding public law numbers and code sections for enactments. The entire Title 25 is denominated Indians. Annotations (in both USCA and USCS) include citations to pertinent law review articles, legal encyclopedias, cases, and related code and CFR sections. See, e.g., the entries for the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968, 25 U.S.C. §§ 1301-1303, Pub. L. No. 90-284, Title II, 82 Stat. 77.
Location:

  • USC: KF62 .A2 (South Reading Room)
  • USCA: KF62 .W4 (Reserve Collection & Main Reading Room)
  • USCS: KF62 .L3 (Main Reading Room)

NOTE: Although it is the official publication of the Code, USC is not as current as USCA or USCS.

See also the electronic versions of USC posted at FDsys and via HeinOnline (UCB only).

Code of Federal Regulations.
The current regulations promulgated by federal agencies to carry out the laws passed by Congress. Check the general index under Indians or the table of contents to title 25. You can also use the "Parallel Table of Authorities and Rules" appearing in the Index and Finding Aids volume of CFR to convert USC sections to their corresponding CFR sections.
Location: KF70 .A3

US Senate Commmittee on Indian Affairs.

"The Committee has jurisdiction to study the unique problems of American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native peoples and to propose legislation to alleviate these difficulties. These issues include, but are not limited to, Indian education, economic development, land management, trust responsibilities, health care, and claims against the United States." (History of the Committee on Indian Affairs.)

The web site tracks legislation referred to the Committee and maintains an archive of transcripts of hearings, for which there are also live broadcasts.

Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties (Charles J. Kappler comp. and ed., 2d ed. 1904-).
An historically significant, seven volume compilation of US treaties, laws, and executive orders pertaining to Native American Indian tribes. The volumes cover US Government treaties with Native Americans from 1778-1883 (vol. II) and US laws and executive orders concerning Native Americans from 1871-1970 (vols. I, III-VII).
Location: KF8202 1904

  • Web access at the Oklahoma State University Library
  • For an updated index, see Charles D. Bernholz, Kappler Revisited: An Index and Bibliographical Guide to American Indian Treaties (2003).
    Location: KF8202 1904a (Reference and Stacks)

Laws of the Colonial and State Governments, Relating to Indians and Indian Affairs, from 1633 to 1831 Inclusive: With an Appendix Containing the Proceedings of the Congress of Confederation and the Laws of Congress from 1800 to 1830, on the Same Subject (Earl M Coleman Pub. 1979) (1832).
A reprint of a compilation of the full texts (with some excerpts) of colonial and state laws.
Location: KF8203 .L38 1832a

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