Documents of Native American political development

"This book features a variety of primary source documents - traditional accounts, tribal constitutions, legal codes, business council rules and regulations, Bureau of Indian Affairs agents' reports, congressional discourse, and intertribal compacts - written by both Natives and non-Natives, that reflect how indigenous peoples continued to exercise a significant measure of self-determination long after it was presumed to have been lost, surrendered, or vanquished. The documents are arranged chronologically, each with a brief, introductory essay by Wilkins that places them in the proper context. Each essay is then followed by a brief list of suggestions for further reading." "Covering a fascinating and relatively unknown period in Native American history, from the earliest examples of indigenous political writings to the formal constitutions crafted just before the American intervention of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, this anthology will serve as an invaluable resource for scholars and students of the political development of indigenous peoples the world over." --Book Jacket.