"Few studies take serious the challenges facing modern tribal governments. Stephen Wall studies the enigma of modern tribes that continue to vex and challenge American Indians and the United States government alike. Not only were tribal governments never intended by the United States to be permanent, they were never meant to effectively govern. Wall exposes the contradictions of "quasi-sovereignty" and the colonial function of US-American Indian relations. A thorough survey, American Indian Tribal Governance is a great primer."

-Nick Estes (Lakota), author of Our History Is the Future: Standing Rock Versus the Dakota Access Pipeline, and the Long Tradition of Indigenous Resistance

"This is a wonderful book, devoted to understanding the essential nature and functions of tribal governments, yet contextualized by the relevant American history, jurisprudence, and political movements that have impacted the development of modern tribal governments. Wall's deep knowledge of tribal governance is apparent, and he offers the reader a grounded account of the challenges that face modern tribal governments, while also generating a vibrant narrative of tribal self-determination. This book is quite readable, and it will be of interest to both students and scholars. This is the best concise reference work on tribal governments that I have seen in recent years, and it is deeply informative on many levels."

-Rebecca Tsosie (Yaqui), regents professor and the Morris K. Udall Professor of Law at the University of Arizona

Publisher: Tribal College Press

Pub date: 2023-09-05

Length: 214 pages