“Another edition of Pevar’s ground-breaking work is just cause for celebration.”
 Matthew L. M. Fletcher, University of Michigan Law School (Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa)

---

Updated for 2024:

​THE RIGHTS OF
INDIANS AND TRIBES

by Stephen L. Pevar

​The Authoritative Guide
to Indian and Tribal Rights
with a Foreword by John Echohawk

BUY NOW

Author-autographed books
​are available at checkout

---

This book is widely recognized by tribal advocates as the best and most easily accessible resource on Federal Indian Law. The book addresses every significant legal issue facing Indians and tribes today, and does so in a user-friendly manner, including tribal sovereignty; civil and criminal jurisdiction on Indian reservations; Indian hunting, fishing, and water rights; taxation in Indian country; the Indian Civil Rights Act; the Indian Child Welfare Act; and tribal jurisdiction over non-Indians.

New to the Updated 5th Edition:

• Updated with court decisions that have been issued since the publication of the 4th edition
• Discusses new legislation, such as the Violence Against Women Act that recognizes that Indian tribes may arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate non-Indians who commit certain crimes of sexual abuse and child assault on Indians in Indian county. 
• Detailed discussion of Brackeen, McGirt, Cooley, and Castro-Huerta cases. These cases affect tribal sovereignty, child custody, and criminal authority in Indian country.
• Contains a current Appendix listing all federal and state-recognized tribes on a state-by-state basis.
• An updated map of U.S. Indian Reservations and Tribal Communities​

---

Vertical Divider

“This is a remarkable book, and there is nothing else like it. It explains the complex subject of federal Indian law clearly and concisely. Both lawyers and non-lawyers will find this book very helpful, as I have.”
Honorable BJ Jones, Chief Judge of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate and Prairie Island Indian Community, and Director of the Tribal Judicial Institute

“As a tribal leader, this book is invaluable. Stephen Pevar explains the complexities of Federal Indian Law in a conversational manner.”
Mark Woommavovah, Chairman, Comanche Nation (Comanche)

“Every Native person should read this book!”
Suzan Shown Harjo, President, The Morning Star Institute (Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee)
 
"Stephen Pevar's book is an extraordinary service to Indian Country. It makes Federal Indian Law accessible to lawyers and non-lawyers alike. It is truly a one-of-a-kind resource." 
Mark Carter, Attorney, Native American Rights Fund (Citizen Potawatomi Nation)

"Stephen Pevar's book remains the authoritative text on Indigenous human rights in America. . . it's a must-read." 
Gabriel. S. Galanda, Indigenous rights lawyer, Round Valley (Nomlaki/Concow)

"Anyone looking to advocate for the restoration of tribal sovereignty that has been wrongfully limited should start here, on page one." 
Mary Kathryn Nagle, Attorney and Playwright (Cherokee)

“Stephen Pevar’s book is an indispensable part of the toolkit for American Indian lawyers, leaders, and scholars. Nothing gives us more accessible, comprehensive, and realistic treatment of modern-day tribal sovereignty. ”
 Matthew L. M. Fletcher, University of Michigan Law School (Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa)

“I highly recommend this book. Many federal employees, including myself, rely on it. The book gives clear, useful, and well-documented answers for anyone approaching the vast and often intimidating subject of federal Indian law.” 
Lori Windle, Board Director, Society of American Indian Government Employees (Minnesota Chippewa, White Earth)

photo by Lianna Pevar

Stephen L. Pevar​ is an attorney, author, lecturer, and educator. He recently retired after 45 years from his position as Senior Staff Counsel for the ACLU. Mr. Pevar began his legal career as a Legal Aid attorney on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota (1971-74). He is currently a Lecturer in Law at Yale Law School. Previously, he taught Federal Indian Law at NYU Law School from 2014 to 2018 and, before that, at the University of Denver School of Law for 16 years. Mr. Pevar has lectured extensively on the subject.