Research Guides: American Indian Law Research Guide: Administrative Law

Administrative Law (Executive & Agency Materials)


Above: Former Secretary of Interior, Ken Salazar, Crow Chairman Cedric Black Eagle and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, Crow Tribe-Montana Water Rights Compact Signing Ceremony, April, 27, 2012. Photo: National Congress of American Indians Photo Gallery.

Current Awareness Resources

Indian Law Bulletins
A current awareness service of the National Indian Law Library. Eight bulletins (U.S. Supreme Court; Federal Courts of Appeal; Federal Trial Courts; State Courts; U.S. Regulatiory; U.S. Legislative; News; Law Reviews/Bar Journals) are published. Users can sign up to receive bulletins via email. A search engine (custom Google search) is provided for searching bulletins, and an archive of past bulletins is also available.

Federal Administrative Rules

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

Title 25 of the CFR contains regulations related to Native Americans. For Presidential Executive Orders and Proclamations, see Title 3. Hardcopy print volumes of the CFR are available on the 1st floor of the library, section A (call no. Primary KF70 .A3).

Online sources for the CFR include:

Bloomberg Law This link opens in a new window
Current version of the CFR (updated frequently with amendments published in the Federal Register).

eCFR, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
"A current, daily updated version of the CFR. It is not an official legal edition of the CFR. The eCFR is an unofficial editorial compilation of CFR material and Federal Register amendments." Produced by the Office of the Federal Register and the GPO. The eCFR includes a "Point-in-Time System" feature that allows users "a way of exploring the Code of Federal Regulations as it exists today and at points in time back to January 2017."
FDsys - Code of Federal Regulations (Annual Edition)
This collection includes the most recent annual edition of the CFR and an archive of earlier editions beginning as earlier as 1996.

Federal Register Collection / Code of Federal Regulations This link opens in a new window
(HeinOnline) Includes PDF copies of the annual editions of the CFR beginning with its inception (1938).
Lexis This link opens in a new window
Current version of the CFR (updated frequently with amendments published in the Federal Register).
Westlaw This link opens in a new window
Current version of the CFR (updated frequently with amendments published in the Federal Register). Also includes an archive of earlier editions of the CFR back to 1984. Note: WestlawNext's Federal Native American Law Regulations database contains Title 25 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Federal Register (FR)

Regulations and presidential documents are published in the Federal Register prior to publication in the CFR. The Federal Register is published every business day. Online sources include:

FDsys - Federal Register
Complete coverage of the Federal Register from volume 1 (1936) through the current daily issue.
Govinfo - Federal Register
Complete coverage of the Federal Register from volume 1 (1936) through the current daily issue.

Federal Register Collection / Code of Federal Regulations This link opens in a new window
The Federal Register is updated daily in this HeinOnline collection, and back issues are available from its inception (1938).

Federal Administrative Decisions & Presidential Documents

Administrative Decisions, Opinions & Reports

U.S. Department of the Interior Administrative Decisions and Policies
Describes various DOI administrative decisions, policies, manuals. Information on how to locate and cite these materials. Includes: land decisions, interior decisions, administrative decisions (Solicitor's Opinions), Interior Board of Land Appeals, Interior Board of Contract Appeals, Interior Board of Indian Appeals, Secretary's Orders, Departmental Manual and Public Land Orders.
Interior Board of Indian Appeals (IBIA)
The IBIA issues final decisions for the Department of the Interior in appeals involving Indian matters. Located within the Department's Office of Hearings and Appeals, IBIA is separate and independent from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs. Scroll to the bottom of the webpage for links to information on these topics: how to find IBIA Decisions, the Indian Self-Determination Act; Procedural Regulations for Cases before the IBIA; IBIA jurisdiction; FAQs on practice before the IBIA; Articles about the IBIA; Finding Pre-IBIA Decisions. Additional online sources for IBIA Decisions include: HeinOnline; Lexis Advance; Westlaw. IBIA Decisions are also available in print volumes in the library (call no. KF5660 .A555).
Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA)
The IBLA hears appeals from decisions of the Bureau of Indian Affairs regarding minerals management on Indian lands. Scroll to the bottom of the webpage for links to information on these topics: how to find IBLA Decisions, IBLA Digest covering 151 IBLA 1 (1999) through 172 IBLA 395 (2007; IBLA Manual; Procedural Regulations for Cases before the IBLA; Additional online sources for IBLA Decisions include: HeinOnline; Lexis Advance; Westlaw.
Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs
Digitized copies of the annual reports from 1826-1932 from the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections. A valuable primary source for historical research into the U.S policy and government interaction with Native American populations.

Office of Indian Affairs, Department of War

Opinions of the Solicitor of the Department of Interior Relating to Relating to Indian Affairs 1917 - 1974 by United States Department of the Interior. Office of the Solicitor
Call Number: Magrath Library Gov Pub (US Docs) (I 1.69/9:917-74/ ) Also available on HeinOnline and Lexis Advance.
Publication Date: 1979
An official compilation of published and unpublished opinions. Also available online from HeinOnline (American Indian Law Collection) and on Lexis Advance (titled: "Native American Solicitor's Opinions).

Presidential Documents (Executive Orders, Proclamations, Memoranda...)

Executive orders, presidential proclamations, presidential memoranda are published in title 3 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and the Federal Register.

ProQuest Congressional This link opens in a new window
Includes Executive branch documents from various federal agencies and departments. Also includes Presidential Proclamations, Directives and Executive Orders. Documents related to Native Americans can be found by using a subject field search with the phrase "native north americans" (in the Advanced Search template).

Indian Affairs, Laws and Treaties
This seven volume compilation by Charles J. Kappler is the primary source for the texts of treaties, laws and executive orders pertaining to Native American Indian tribes. Volume two contains treaties from 1778 to 1883. The compilation also includes laws, executive orders and related government publications pertaining to Native American Indian tribes from 1778 - 1970. Enhanced by the editor's use of margin notations and a comprehensive index. Available online on the Oklahoma State University Digital Collection (linked title above) and in the U.S. Treaties and Agreements Library on HeinOnline. Hardcopy. Print versions are available at the Law Library and Wilson Library, Government Publications

Federal Agency Web Sites

Dept. of Agriculture (USDA)

Dept. of Defense (DOD)

Indian Incentive Program (Office of Small Business programs)

Dept. of Education

Office of Indian Education (Office Elementary and Secondary Education)

Dept. of Energy

Tribal Energy Program (Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy)

Dept. of Health & Human Services (HHS)

Indian Health Service
Administration for Native Americans
An Office of the Administration for Children & Families.
Intergovernmental and External Affairs, Tribal Affairs
Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs.

Dept. of Housing & Human Services (HHS)

Office of Native American Programs

Dept. of Interior (DOI)

U.S. Department of the Interior
See "Resources for Native Americans" section
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Education
Bureau of Land Management - Tribal Consultation Information
Fish and Wildlife Service - Native American Liaison
Indian Arts & Crafts Board
Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED)
Tribal Energy and Environmental Information Clearinghouse (TEEIC)
Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians
National Park Service - American Indian Liaison Office
National Park Service - National Tribal Preservation Program
National Park Service - National NAGPRA
(Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act)
Information and resources on NAGPRA (laws, regulations and guidance). Note: another excellent NAGPRA resource is the American Indian Ritual Object Repatriation Foundation.

Dept. of Justice (DOJ)

Indian Country Crimes Unit - Federal Bureau of Investigation
Office of Tribal Justice
National Institute of Justice: Tribal Crime and Justice
Part of the Office of Justice Programs.
Tribal Justice & Safety
Part of the Office of Justice Programs.
Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women: Program of Research
Part of the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs

Dept. of Labor (DOL)

Indian and Native American Program

Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Office of Diversity and Inclusion, American Indian and Alaska Native Employment Program

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

American Indian Environmental Office Tribal Portal

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Office of Native Affairs and Policy (ONAP)

Internal Revenue Service (IRS, Dept. of Treasury)

National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC)

The NIGC is an independent federal regulatory agency, established under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 for the regulation of gaming activities conducted by tribes on Indian lands. The NIGC web site provides access to related laws and regulation. The web site's reading room offers access to substantial collection of related documents and materials.

Minnesota Rules & Regulations

Minnesota Rules
This online version of Minnesota's administrative rules is published on the Office of the Revisor's website. Agency rules concerning or related to Indians can be located under "Indians" in the index to the Minnesota Rules. Minnesota Rules are also available online from Bloomberg Law; Lexis Advance; Westlaw and WestlawNext Campus Research.