Book Review- Braid of Feathers: American Indian Law and Contemporary Tribal Life by Frank Pommersheim

Abstract

Frank Pommersheim’s Braid of Feathers: American Indian Law and Contemporary Indian Life offers a thoughtful invitation and a skillful guide into the largely uncharted terrain where federal Indian law meets tribal Indian law. Although of broad scope, including some insightful generalizations about the politics and economics of the American West, the book hones in on the courts of Indian tribes as the meeting place, as “the frontline tribal institutions that most often confront issues of self- determination and sovereignty.” Simply, the book should be read by anyone practicing or even remotely interested in the field of federal Indian law.

Keywords: Indigenous People, Book Review, Braid of Feathers, Tribal Sovereignty, Indian Law, Self-Determination, Plenary Power