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Braid of Feathers: American Indian Law and Contemporary Tribal Life
In this ambitious and moving book, Frank Pommersheim, who lived and worked on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation for ten years, challenges the dominant legal history of American Indians and their tribes―a history that concedes far too much power to the laws and courts of the "conqueror." Writing from the perspective of the reservation and contemporary Indian life, Pommersheim makes an urgent call for the advancement of tribal sovereignty and of tribal court systems that are based on Indian culture and values.
Taking as its starting point the cultural, spiritual, and physical nature of the reservation, Braid of Feathers goes on to trace the development of Indian law from the 1770s to the present. Pommersheim considers the meaning of justice from the indigenous point of view. He offers a trenchant analysis of the tribal courts, stressing the importance of language, narrative, and story. He concludes by offering a "geography of hope,"one that lies in the West, where Native Americans control a significant amount of natural resources, and where a new ethic of development and preservation is emerging within the dominant society. Pommersheim challenges both Indians and non-Indians to forge an alliance at the local level based on respect and reciprocity―to create solidarity, not undo difference.
Taking as its starting point the cultural, spiritual, and physical nature of the reservation, Braid of Feathers goes on to trace the development of Indian law from the 1770s to the present. Pommersheim considers the meaning of justice from the indigenous point of view. He offers a trenchant analysis of the tribal courts, stressing the importance of language, narrative, and story. He concludes by offering a "geography of hope,"one that lies in the West, where Native Americans control a significant amount of natural resources, and where a new ethic of development and preservation is emerging within the dominant society. Pommersheim challenges both Indians and non-Indians to forge an alliance at the local level based on respect and reciprocity―to create solidarity, not undo difference.
- GenresHistoryIndigenous
280 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1995
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July 7, 2017
I had to read it for class, but given the condensed time spent with the author as my professor for the class, it was refreshing to see him champion the fight for increased awareness and further positive development for the ever-complicated field of Indian Law. I especially liked his real life examples from his work with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, and the legal poetry he wove throughout the entire book. For those of you who know Professor Pommersheim, you know he loves his poetry, and shares it every day in the beginning of class.
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