Native Americans' Day - October 14, 2013

In 1990, the South Dakota Legislature voted to observe the second Monday in every October as Native Americans' Day. This legal holiday is dedicated to the remembrance of the great Native American leaders who contributed so much to the history of South Dakota.  S.D. Codified Laws §1-5-1.2.

To coincide with this legal holiday, the McKusick Law Library has displayed some essential tribal law and federal Indian Law resources from its collection.  Included in the display are The Encyclopedia of Native American Tradition edited by Bruce Elliott Johansen and American Indian Tribal Governments by Sharon O'Brien, both recommended by David Selden of the National Indian Law Library at the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) as good secondary sources on tribal legal systems . In addition, this display includes resources for background on federal Indian Law, such as Cohen's Handbook of Federal Indian Law, Stephen Pevar's The Rights of Indians and Tribes and American Indian Law in a Nutshell, also recommended by David Selden and Monica Martens of NARF. Print copies of Selden's "Basic Indian Law Research Tips - Tribal Law" and Selden and Marten's "Basic Indian Law Research Tips - Part I: Federal Indian Law" also have been placed in the display.

The Law Library also has compiled a list of selected online Native American law resources.  These resources include the National Indian Law Library, the Tribal Court Clearinghouse, Versus Law, Tribal Law Journal, and the American Indian Law Review (available to USD Law students and faculty from Hein Online).

(This entry was originally written and posted by Marsha Stacey)