Native Peoples Law Overview

Native Peoples Law, also known as American Indian Law, includes federal laws that recognize specific Native American tribes or nations and their ownership of particular U.S. territories. It also covers sovereignty rights granted to federally recognized Native American nations. States may recognize native tribes, even if the U.S. government has not.

U.S. law gives recognized native peoples special authority to govern themselves, subject to an overriding federal authority. For instance, native people may operate their own courts, prisons, police forces, and social-service agencies. They may also create laws governing their territory, such as laws legalizing gambling.

Native American law attorneys have expertise in these special rights. If, for example, you want to do business on a reservation or are injured on a reservation, you should hire an attorney with expertise in Native American law to help you.