Sovereignty establishes a government-to-government relationship between American Indian tribes and the United States. Exploring tribal-state interactions over land and sovereignty, this book takes a geographical look at issues of environmental regulation, expansion of gaming, criminal jurisdiction, taxation, fishing, and transportation. The contributors find repeatedly that tribes and states have two choices--litigate or cooperate. While identifying the encroachment of state jurisdiction in Indian country, this book also seeks to develop a resource for tribes, states, and all actors in their...

While tribal territory and sovereignty guide the approaches of tribal governments, their ability to govern depends on other factors, such as leadership and economic developments. Through historical and political geography, the author examines how the erosion of tribal territory has affected tribal sovereignty on the Cheyenne River and Lake Traverse Indian Reservations. In particular, the book analyzes the concept of Indian Character as used by the United States Supreme Court in deciding diminishment cases involving the two reservations. The Court concluded that the Cheyenne River Indian...