Native American Natural Resources Law

Book excerpt: To access this book's 2010 Update, click here. In addition, to bring the book up-to-date for 2011-12 before the new edition is released, click here. This casebook explores issues relating to property rights, environmental protection, and natural resources in Indian country. The book covers tribal, cultural and religious relationships with the land, fundamental principles of federal Indian law, land ownership and property rights of tribes, land use and environmental protection, natural resources development, taxation of lands and resources, water rights, usufructuary (hunting, fishing, gathering) rights, and international approaches to indigenous rights in land and natural resources. It is designed to be used in a stand-alone course or as a supplemental reader for courses in environmental law, natural resources law, or Native American studies. The second edition updates the casebook to include Supreme Court cases, such as the 2003 trust cases and the 2005 Sherrill case, as well as other judicial and legislative developments since 2002. The new edition also expands the materials on cultural and religious resources, natural resources damages, and international law; reorganizes the materials on water law; and includes the recent decision recognizing a right of habitat protection in treaties recognizing off-reservation fishing.