Inter-Tribal and International Treaties for American Indian Economic Development
Lewis & Clark Law Review, Forthcoming
Lewis & Clark Law School Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2008-23
31 Pages Posted: 22 Aug 2008 Last revised: 8 Oct 2008
Date Written: August 21, 2008
Abstract
American Indian Tribes and Indigenous peoples around the world are among the poorest groups in their countries. Economic development is an absolutely crucial issue for these governments and their people. Recently, two different efforts have been undertaken to create beneficial development based on treaties between Indigenous groups.
In August 2007, eleven American Indian Nations, Canadian First Nations, New Zealand Maori Iwis, and Australian Aborigine groups signed a treaty to engage in international economic activities. Dozens of other American Tribes and New Zealand Iwis have also signed this treaty or will do so in the next few months. In addition, Pacific Northwest Indian Tribes have drafted an inter-tribal treaty to facilitate the conduct of business on reservations.
This Article dissects these two treaties and addresses some of the unique legal issues that these treaties raise.
Keywords: economic development, American Indian economic development, American Indian treaties, international Indigenous economic development; international economic treaties
JEL Classification: F00, G28, H10, H30, H70, H73, H77, K20, L32, L50, O10, R00, Z10
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation