Constitution of the United States

Indigenous Peoples

Frontier Wars

Constitutional Convention

Indigenous Peoples and the U.S. Constitution

WhatdoestheConstitutionmeanforIndigenousPeoples?

Indigenous Peoples and the U.S. Constitution

•  Congresshastopowerto“regulateCommercewithforeignNations,andamongtheseveralStates,andwiththeIndianTribes”(Article1,Section8)

•  MarshallTrilogy–  Johnsonv.M’Intosh(1823)– CherokeeNationv.Georgia(1831)– Worcesterv.Georgia(1832)

•  However,Congressguttedmuchofthis–  IndianRemovalActsof1830authorizedtheremovalofIndigenousPeoplesfromtheirnativeterritoriestofederallandswestoftheMississippiRiver•  LedtotheinfamousTrailofTearswhereover4,000Cherokeesdied•  By1837,Jackson’sadministrationhadremoved46,000IndigenousPeoplesfromtheirhomelandandopeningover22millionacresoflandtowhitesettlement

Indigenous Peoples and the U.S. Constitution

•  CherokeeTobaccocase(1870)– SupremeCourtruledthatlatercongressionalstatutestrumpearliertreaties

– Courtdealtakillstroketonegotiatingtreatypolicymaking

– CongressunilaterallyendedthepracticeoftreatymakingwithIndigenousPeoplesthenextyear

Indigenous Peoples and the U.S. Constitution

•  Indigenoussovereigntyhassinceexperiencedincreasedlimitations– MajorCrimesActof1885

•  ExParteCrowDog(1883)–  Congressbegantopassbroadpiecesoflegislationpromotingassimilationistpoliciesfrom1887to1933

– DawesAct(1887)•  to“civilize”IndigenousPeoplesbyremovingtheiruniquecultureandheritage

•  BureauofIndianAffairs,privateorganizations,andstatesbeganthewidespreadremovalofchildrenfromindigenousfamiliesuntilthe1970s

Indigenous Peoples and the U.S. Constitution

– CongressionalpowertounilaterallybreaktreatyobligationsandtribalconsentnolongerrequiredinfederaleffortstoacquiremoreIndigenouslands•  LoneWolfv.Hitchcock(1903)

– PublicLaw280(1953)•  Concurrentcivilandcriminaljurisdictions

– CongresscouldextinguishtheIndigenoustitlewithoutbeingconsideringa‘taking’andhavingtoprovidejustcompensation•  Tee-Hit-Tonv.UnitedStates(1955)

Indigenous Peoples and the U.S. Constitution

– Nixonadministrationunilaterallyseveredgovernment’sobligationstowardsmanytribes•  therebyleavingthemsubjecttostateauthority

–  IndianGamingRegulatoryAct(IGRA)(1988)•  Californiav.CabazonBandofMissionIndians(1987)•  SeminoleTribev.Florida(1996)

–  IndianChildWelfareAct(ICWA)(1978)•  InReAdoptionofBabyBoyL(1982)•  MississippiChoctawIndiansv.Holyfield(1989)

Indigenous Peoples and the U.S. Constitution

– CityofSherill,NewYorkv.OneidaIndianNationofNewYork(2005)•  RepurchaseofIndigenouslandsdoesnotrestoretribalsovereigntytothatland

– Nebraskav.Parker(2016)•  Governmentcantake50,000acresofreservationlandwithout‘diminishing’Omahareservation

Indigenous Peoples and the U.S. Constitution

WhatdoesthisconstitutionalhistorymeanforIndigenousPeoplestoday?

Indigenous Peoples and the U.S. Constitution

•  Directlossofsovereigntyvialegislativeandjudiciallaw

•  Federaldevolutiontostates– eliminatessovereignty–  invitesconflict–  forcesIndigenousPeoplestolobbylegislaturesandseekjudicialredressinstatecourts

Indigenous Peoples and the U.S. Constitution

•  Stateshaveactivelylegislatedoverindigenousaffairs– From1998to2007,statesproposed3,557lawsandpassed910laws•  averageof91lawspassedeachyear

–  includingstateswithnofederally-recognizedtribewithintheirborders

– 30%oftheproposedlawsarepassed– Mixedsuccessinlobbyingstatelegislatures

Indigenous Peoples and the U.S. Constitution

•  Federalcourtsnowrarelyhearindigenousclaims.–  In2017,federalcourtsheardonly120casesinvolvingindigenousclaims•  Onaverage,indigenouscasesrepresentonly2%oftheU.S.SupremeCourtdocket

Indigenous Peoples and the U.S. Constitution

•  TheshiftfromfederalcourtjurisdictiontoprimarilystatecourtsisproblematicforIndigenousPeoples– Createsinconsistentprecedent– Directlyaffectsindigenousrights

•  Indigenousclaimsrarelywinatstatecourts

Indigenous Peoples and the U.S. Constitution

•  IndigenousPeoplesonlywin30%ofthetimewhentheyfacefederal/stateoppositioninstatesupremecourts– wherethevastmajorityofthesecasesarederivedfromPL280states

•  OfthecriminalcasesinvokingPL280,IndigenousPeopleslosealmost80%ofthetime

•  OfICWAcases,individuallitigantsonlywinaround30%ofthetime–  FirstNations(ascommunities)prevailaround46%ofthetime

Indigenous Peoples and the U.S. Constitution

•  Federalgovernmentsupportofindigenousclaimsdoesnotimprovelikelihoodtowin

•  OriginaltreatieswithIndigenousPeoplesdoesnotimprovelikelihoodofsecuringrights– 370treatiesbetweentheU.S.andIndigenousPeoples

Indigenous Peoples and the U.S. Constitution

•  ConstitutionprovideslittleprotectionforIndigenousPeoples– Collectiveversusindividualrights

•  Membership–  SantaClaraPueblov.Martinez(1978)

•  DomesticViolence–  ViolenceAgainstWomen(2013)

•  IndianCivilRightsAct1968– MakesmanybutnotallofBillofRightsguarantees–  Issuesofself-determinationandcolonizationeffectsonvulnerablepeoples

Indigenous Peoples and the U.S. Constitution

•  IndigenousPopulation–  576federallyrecognizedtribesin2016–  326federallyrecognizedreservations–  6.8millionIndigenousPeoples

•  2%ofthepopulationoftheU.S.– Morethan100,000IndigenousPeoplesinTexas

•  Anadarko,Apache,Arapaho,Caddo,Cherokee,Cheyenne,Chickasaw,Comanche,Kawakawa,Kiowa,andShawneePeoples

•  TiguaofYsletadelSurPueblo,MescaleroApache,TortugasPueblo,Pima,Suma,Manso,Comanche,Raramuri

Indigenous Peoples and the U.S. Constitution

•  In2017UTEPrecognizedIndigenousPeoplesDay– UTEPAcademicRevivalofIndigenousStudiesandEducation(A.R.I.S.E.)

Indigenous Peoples and the U.S. Constitution

Indigenous Peoples and the U.S. Constitution

•  Thankyou!

•  Questions?RebeccaA.Reid,PhD

UniversityofTexasatElPasorareid@utep.edu