"Pommersheim's book captures the unique evolution of tribal court jurisprudence and the continuing challenge facing tribal courts to meet the demands of the communities they serve. . . . A must read."—Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Colorado "Braid of Feathers bursts with insights and rich evocations of the contemporary rebirth of American Indian cultures and practices. Written from the inside of tribal worlds, this book simultaneously affords a powerful vision of American pluralism. Useful analysis of timely topics, such as economic development initiatives using gambling enterprises, undergirds this important contribution to American Indian law and American studies."—Martha L. Minow, Professor, Harvard Law School "A fresh approach by a thoroughly practical and experienced attorney/professor who understands the complexity of law as it is applied to living societies. Pommersheim deals easily with complex theories and doctrines because he has the good common sense to know that law must be worked out in Indian communities to promote a sense of order and, if possible, a modicum of justice. This volume will stimulate readers to move beyond abstractions and seek realistic solutions to perennial problems."—Vine Deloria, Jr., University of Colorado at Boulder

Feathers are not just for birds! This book includes a variety of ideas for using them in decorating your hair. Crafters practice comprehension skills as they use text and diagrams to follow the steps for each project. The activities push students to learn and apply domain-specific vocabulary, practice new techniques, and build on concepts that may already be familiar. Other tools, including an index and additional resources, encourage readers to locate information and explore further independently.

Recent years have seen an increased interest in the variety of cultures co-existing within one state, and a growing acknowledgement of the values ensconced in pluralistic social structures. this book examines the manner in which indigenous people can function in modern states, preserving their traditional customs, while simultaneously adapting aspects of their culture to the challenges posed by modern life. Whereas it was formerly assumed that these tribal frameworks were doomed to extinction, and some states even encouraged such a process, there has been a revival in their vitality, linked to a recognition of their rights. The book offers a comprehensive survey of various aspects of tribal life, focusing on political issues such as the meaning of sovereignty, legal issues dealing with the role of custom and social issues concerned with sustaining communal life. A focused study is made of a whole series of legal factors, relating to possession and ownership of land, religious rites, the nature of polygamous marriages, the assertion of group rites, the manner of peacefully resolving disputes and allied questions. Recent judicial decisions are analysed as a reflection of the far-reaching changes that have taken place, in a process that has seen the former disregard of basic rights of indigenous people being replaced by an awareness of the injustices perpetrated in the past and a willingness to seek to redress them. The comparison between approaches of different English-speaking countries provides an account of interwoven developments.

Fourteen-year-old Francis Tucket is heading west on the Oregon Trail with his family by wagon train. When he receives a rifle for his birthday, he is thrilled that he is being treated like an adult. But Francis lags behind to practice shooting and is captured by Pawnees. It will take wild horses, hostile tribes, and a mysterious one-armed mountain man named Mr. Grimes to help Francis become the man who will be called Mr. Tucket.