Tribal Legal Studies Resources

The Project Peacemaker Tribal Legal Studies Program was initiated in 1998 as a collaborative effort between the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Native Nations Law and Policy Center, the Tribal Law and Policy Institute, and four tribal colleges (Turtle Mountain Community College, Salish Kootenai College, Diné College, and Northwest Indian College) to develop, pilot, and implement Tribal Legal Studies curricula at tribal community colleges. Project Peacemaker (Providing Education And Community Empowerment by Maintaining And Keeping the Earth and all our Relatives through Tribal Justice Systems) was initially funded through a grant from the U. S. Department of Education’s Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) to UCLA.

The current phase of Project Peacemaker (including the development of Tribal Legal Studies textbooks) has been funded in part through a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to Turtle Mountain Community College and the Office on Violence Against Women.

We are pleased to announce that our newest textbook, "Sharing our Stories of Survival: Native Women Surviving Violence" is now available for purchase through AltaMira Press. This textbook has been funded through a grant from the Office on Violence Against Women. Sharing our Stories of Survival: Native Women Surviving Violence is a general introduction to the social and legal issues involved in acts of violence against Native women, this book's contributors are lawyers, advocates, social workers, social scientists, writers, poets, and victims. In the U.S. Native women are more likely than women from any other group to suffer violence, from rape and battery to more subtle forms of abuse, and Sharing Our Stories of Survival explores the causes and consequences of such behavior. The stories and case-studies presented here are often painful and raw, and the statistics are overwhelmingly grim; but a countervailing theme also runs through this extremely informative volume: Many of the women who appear in these pages are survivors, often strengthened by their travails, and the violence examined here is human violence, meaning that it can be changed, if only with much effort and education. The first step is to lay out the truth for all to see, and that is the purpose accomplished by this book. To order, call 800-462-6420 or visit Alta Mira Press and use promotion code BW8SSOS to receive your 20% discount! We are interested in your feedback about this book. After you have had an opportunity to read this book, please consider filling out Our Online Survey. Introduction to Tribal Legal Studies addresses the power of tribal courts and tribal legal systems as key to the exercise and expansion of tribal sovereignty. Richland and Deer discuss in depth the histories, structures and practices of tribal justice systems, efforts to balance tribal legal heritage and Anglo-American law, the scope of criminal and civil jurisdictions, child welfare and civil rights, traditional dispute resolution mechanisms in contemporary tribal law, models of peacemaking, and means for assuring integrity of tribal courts. "I have taught undergraduate courses in Tribal Law at several universities and have been amazed at the lack of available resources and texts. Introduction to Tribal Legal Studies will fill the void in the field and provide an avenue for expanded course offerings. I am particularly impressed with the authors' approach to tribal law and their extensive use of primary tribal documents such as tribal court opinions and tribal code provisions. I would recommend this manuscript for use in a variety of courses and will use the materials myself."—Stacy L. Leeds, Director, Tribal Law and Government Center, University of Kansas School of Law To order, call 800-462-6420 or visit Alta Mira Press and use promotion code BS5TLSTS to receive your 20% discount! Tribal Criminal Law and Procedure examines the complex subject of tribal criminal law and procedure from a tribal perspective—utilizing tribal statutory law, tribal case law, and the cultural values of Native peoples. Garrow and Deer discuss in depth the histories, structures and practices of tribal justice systems, comparisons of traditional tribal justice with Anglo-American law and jurisdictions, elements of criminal law and procedure, and alternative sentencing and traditional sanctions. Tribal Criminal Law and Procedure will be an invaluable resource for legal scholars and students. To order, call 800-462-6420 or visit Alta Mira Press and use promotion code BS5TLSTS to receive your 20% discount! Additional Reviews of Sharing our Stories of Survival: Native Women Surviving Violence and textbook Table of Contents are available from AltaMira Press. Additional Reviews of Introduction to Tribal Legal Studies and textbook Table of Contents are available from AltaMira Press. Additional Reviews of Tribal Criminal Law and Procedure and textbook Table of Contents are available from AltaMira Press.

The Tribal Legal Studies program has been designed to provide a Legal Studies certificate program, a two-year Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree and/or Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in Legal Studies, a possible four year Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Legal Studies, and to increase tribal college course offerings

The Project Peacemaker Tribal Legal Studies Program is designed to prepare students for employment with tribal governments and tribal court systems as judge, advocate (prosecutor, defender, or civil advocate), paralegal, victim advocate, court appointed special advocate (CASA), court administrator, court clerk, probation officer, social service personnel, law enforcement personnel, and other positions related to the administration of justice in Indian country. The target audience for the program includes students who plan a career working for tribal courts or governments, students with a specific interest in specific careers such as paralegals and victim advocates, professionals working in tribal government, and students planning further careers in law. The courses in the program are also available as in-service training for current tribal employees and the community at large. Moreover, the program serves as a gateway to those students who become interested in law school or other higher education opportunities.

The new courses that have been developed under Project Peacemaker include:

• Introduction to Tribal Legal Studies
• Tribal Criminal Law and Procedure
• Tribal Family and Juvenile Justice Systems
• Legal Research and Writing
• Violence Against Indian Women
• Tribal Constitution and Code Development
• Trial Skills Development
• Federal Indian Law
• Tribal Civil Law and Procedure
• Tribal Legal Studies Internships.

We are pleased to announce that both Introduction to Tribal Legal Studies and Tribal Criminal Law and Procedure textbooks are now available for purchase through AltaMira Press. The third textbook in this series, "Sharing our Stories of Survival: Native Women Surviving Violence" will be available in the autumn of 2007 and is funded under grants from the Office On Violence Against Women.

Tribal Legal Studies courses are also being offered through distance learning (Internet and satellite) by Turtle Mountain Community College, Northwest Indian College, and UCLA Extension.

UCLA Extension is now offering the three following Project Peacemaker online Tribal Legal Studies courses:

Tribal Legal Systems course offerings

Violence against Native Women
Introduction to Tribal Legal Studies
Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing in a Tribal Context
Federal Indian Law and Policy

Project Peacemaker is designed to enhance American Indian and Alaska Native communities and tribal justice systems on at least three different dimensions:

• First, it empowers tribal court staff (current and future) to provide leadership and shape their own futures and their communities by providing them with the legal knowledge, cultural knowledge, and advocacy skills needed to successfully complete this program and to go on to law school and other higher education opportunities.
• Second, it promotes tribal self-determination and enhances tribal sovereignty by strengthening, improving, and empowering tribal justice systems, and, thereby, building tribal capacity to create positive change and promote social and economic community development.
• Third, it strengthens the links between tribal courts and tribal community colleges by enriching the tribal college legal curriculum, enhancing their capacity to meet the needs of their communities and serving as gateways to higher education, and building partnerships between tribal colleges and mainstream institutions.

A central component of Project Peacemaker is a tribal community-based collaborative development and accountability process for planning and implementation. The program has utilized a series of Community Advisory Group meetings that assist with the process of adapting the concept of Project Peacemaker to meet the needs of each individual community. This community development process is designed to analyze the formation and refinement of the tribal justice course offerings and materials, both contemporary and traditional, so that they include community thought, philosophy, traditions, and norms. This process is designed to orient Project Peacemaker in each community to include specific information and knowledge from the community, address community needs, utilize community assets, and tailor the course offerings and curriculum to suit the needs and aspirations of the community and students in each tribal community.

Project Peacemaker provides a unique opportunity for tribal justice systems to work in close collaboration with tribal colleges. The Tribal Legal Studies Program has been pilot tested at all four tribal colleges involved in this educational initiative. This textbook and the entire Tribal Legal Studies series would not have been possible without the assistance of the instructors, students, and community advisory group members at each of the four tribal colleges.

It has been clear that the success of Project Peacemaker requires the formalization of the design, development, and printing of Tribal Legal Studies textbooks and instructor guides for each of the Tribal Legal Studies courses. Moreover, we anticipate that the printing of these textbooks and the accompanying instructor guides will greatly facilitate the dissemination of the Tribal Legal Studies curriculum to other tribal colleges and colleges with programs throughout Indian country. We hope that the printing of these textbooks and instructor guides will thereby benefit all of Indian country.