Native American Justice / Edition 1

by Laurence Armand French

Overview

Tracing the history of U.S. Indian policy from the eighteenth century to the present, this book explores how the Euro-American ethos of Manifest Destiny fueled a devastating campaign of ethnic cleansing against Native Americans. After decimating the Indian population through organized massacres, the U.S. government forcibly removed the survivors from their homelands to live on reservations. Physical genocide gave way to attempts at cultural eradication through policies designed to Christianize and civilize the Indians. These policies included the traumatic separation of children from their families for indoctrination and abuse in remote boarding schools. Treaties and policies are linked to the concept of federal paternalism and its relationship to pervasive health and social problems endemic in Indian country, including substance abuse and addiction.
The book is divided into three main parts. Part I covers the US government's treatment of Indians from the colonial era to the present. Part II describes how the Cherokees' aboriginal concept of blood vengeance gave way to justice models based on the Protestant ethic. Part II also discusses governmental restrictions of religious expression by Indians. Part III delves into the judicial system within Indian country, looking at tribal courts, the Navajo court system, law enforcement, and corrections. An epilogue covers the incompleteness of social justice in Indian country, as reflected in problems such as the misuse of Indian money by the federal government.
A Burnham Publishers book

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780830415755
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	01/01/2003
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	244
Product dimensions:	5.96(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.56(d)

About the Author

Laurence Armand French is a Psychology Professor and Chair of the Department of Social Sciences at Western New Mexico University. A student of Native American issues for more than thirty years, he is the author of more than 200 scholarly publications, including eleven books.

Table of Contents

Part 1 Indian Policies, Treaties, and Rights Chapter 2 The Genesis of Indian-US Relations Chapter 3 Civil Rights, Self-Determination, and the New Federalism Part 4 Indian Justice Chapter 5 Aboriginal Justice: Cherokee Blood Vengeance Chapter 6 American Indian Religious Freedom within the Criminal Justice Context: History, Current Status, and Prospects for the Future Part 7 Indian Courts and Jurisdictions Chapter 8 Unequal Justice and Punishment under the Law Chapter 9 Tribal Courts: Self-Determination and Limited Justice Chapter 10 The Navajo Court System Chapter 11 Law Enforcement and Corrections in Indian Country Part 12 Epilogue: The Issue of Social Justice in Indian Country