Research Guides: American Indian Law Research Guide: Case Law

Compilations/Collections

Landmark Indian Law Cases by National Indian Law Library Staff (Contribution by); U. S. Supreme Court Staff
Call Number: KF8204.5 .L36 2002 (available online, see below)
ISBN: 0837701570
Publication Date: 2002
Online Access: HeinOnline (American Indian Law Collection). Contains 53 landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions.
Landmark Indian Law Cases by National Indian Law Library Staff (Contribution by)
Call Number: KF8204.5 .L36 2022
ISBN: 9780837742595
Publication Date: 2nd ed., 2022
"Presents 54 ground-breaking federal Indian law decisions made by the U.S. Supreme Court. This edition adds five cases that were either decided or gained elevated significance since the first edition. Conversely, five cases with waning prominence are no longer included in the text. The subject index, which includes all the cases under one or more subject headings, provides a quick reference aid. Additionally, each case now includes a summary that explains why it is a landmark Indian law case and the key holding(s) of the decision."

Native American Case Files, 1800-1848
This collection from the St. Louis Circuit Court Historical Records Project consists of 32 suits involving Native Americans. The documents can be searched by collection, year, parties, action, and the notes describing the cases that have been supplied by indexers.

Westlaw This link opens in a new window
The Federal Native American Law Cases database on Westlaw [Practice Areas > Native American Law > Federal Native American Law Cases] contains cases from the U.S. Supreme Court, Federal Circuit Courts of Appeals, Federal District Courts, Federal Bankruptcy Courts, Court of Federal Claims, U.S. Tax Court, military courts, and related federal and territorial courts that relate to peoples native to the United States. Coverage begins with 1789.
Westlaw This link opens in a new window
West's American Tribal Law Reporter, available on Westlaw [Practice Areas > Native American Law > ALL Tribal Cases] publishes decisions from selected tribal courts as well as decisions of the U.S. Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court concerning issues relevant to tribal law. Hardcopy print volumes are also available on the 2nd floor of the library (Law Library Reporters KF8220 .A519).

Indian Law Reporter by American Indian Lawyer Training Program
Call Number: Per .I44
This monthly looseleaf service reports cases from federal, state and tribal courts, as well as administrative agencies (many decisions available in full-text). Each monthly issue contains a topical index and table of cases. Cumulative topical indexes and case tables are provided for each volume. Note: the National Indian Law Library's Indian Law Reporter: Tribal Court Cases Index offers a browsable and searchable cumulative subject index to all of the tribal court cases in the Indian Law Reporter starting with Volume 2 (1974)

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.

Native American Law Digest by Falmouth Institute
Call Number: Reserve KF8202.8 .N38x
Publication Date: Ceased publication in 2008
Provides monthly summaries of significant Federal, state and tribal court decisions. Library holds vols. 5-17 (1995-2007).

Consultations on Cobell Trust Land Consolidation
(U.S. Dept. of Interior)
Information and documents concerning the following: Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations, National Commission on Indian Trust Administration and Reform, court documents related to the Cobell Settlement Agreement, and regional consultations for the Cobell Trust Consolidation Program.

Cases & Finding Aids

Federal & State Cases, Finding Aids

Federal and state Indian law cases can be located using the same online and print resources used for case law research generally. Note: West's Digest (available in print and via Westlaw) classifies Native American law under the topic "Indians" (topic number 209). Online databases include:

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.

Bloomberg Law This link opens in a new window
Bloomberg Law provides rich core collections of U.S. primary resources (case law, statutes, and administrative law materials); secondary resources (legal news, treatises, and other texts) and practice-oriented publications and tools. Its Dockets Search tool covers Federal, state and selected international courts. Other tools include Trackers for monitoring developments in various practice areas; Litigation Analytics for companies, law firms, judges and attorneys; Practical Guidance publications (sample forms, checklists, worksheets, timelines, etc.) covering various topics and practice areas, and State Law Chart Builders. Bloomberg Law also offers a Business Intelligence practice center with resources for researching company and market information, business information and news. Note: Bloomberg Law login credentials required. U of M Law School students, staff & faculty contact Law Library Reference Office for assistance.
Lexis This link opens in a new window
Legal research database available to UMN Law School students and faculty only. A searchable directory of online sources available in Lexis Advance is here: http://w3.nexis.com/sources/
ProQuest Indian Claims Insight This link opens in a new window
Content includes: Pre-1948: claims presented to Congress and/or brought before the Court of Claims; 1948-1978: Indian Claims Commission, including briefs, docket books, decisions, expert testimony, oral transcripts; Post-1978: Claims brought before the US Court of Claims (through 1982) and US Court of Federal Claims (through 2006); documents related to post-2006 settlement of claims; legislative histories and congressional publications directly related to Indian claims, including congressional publications indexed by docket numbers; important Supreme Court decisions; and maps.
Westlaw This link opens in a new window
A comprehensive legal research system containing primary and secondary law sources and more. Available to U of M Law School students and law faculty only.
Westlaw Campus Research This link opens in a new window
Access legal materials, including federal and state cases, statutes, and regulations. Secondary sources include law reviews & journals, the legal encyclopedia, American Jurisprudence 2nd, and the American Law Reports series. Additional material includes U.S. Supreme Court briefs, EDGAR filings and disclosures, federal legislative history documents, EU legal publications and various news databases.

Case Law Reporters & Digests (Law Library Print Collection, see Location Guide for call numbers)

The Law Library's print collection of federal case law reporters are located on the 2nd floor of the Library in sections A, B & C. Several of the West Digests are also located on the 2nd floor including West's Supreme Court Digest, Federal Practice Digest, and the Decennial and General Digest series. The West Digest topic for Native American law is "Indians".

Minnesota Case Law Reporters & Digest

See the Library's Location Guide for locations & call numbers of print resources.

North Western Reporter (Coverage from 1879 - current)
Minnesota Reports (Coverage from the first territorial cases published, until it ceased publication in 1977, vol. 312)
West's Minnesota Digest (Coverage from 1851 to current)

Note: The general case law databases on Bloomberg Law, Lexis Advance, Westlaw & WestlawNext Campus Research include coverage of Minnesota appellate court cases (dates of coverage vary).

Indian Claims Commission

The Indian Claims Commission was created in 1946 and issued decisions in Indian claims cases against the United States until 1979. Claims not settled after 1978 were transferred to the United States Court of Claims.

ProQuest Indian Claims Insight This link opens in a new window
Content includes: Pre-1948: claims presented to Congress and/or brought before the Court of Claims; 1948-1978: Indian Claims Commission, including briefs, docket books, decisions, expert testimony, oral transcripts; Post-1978: Claims brought before the US Court of Claims (through 1982) and US Court of Federal Claims (through 2006); documents related to post-2006 settlement of claims; legislative histories and congressional publications directly related to Indian claims, including congressional publications indexed by docket numbers; important Supreme Court decisions; and maps.

Indian Claims Commission Materials
(National Indian Law Library) The best starting point for researching Indian Claims Commission decisions. Contains background information, indexes and links to decisions and related information.
Indian Claims Commission Decisions
(Electronic Publishing Center, Oklahoma State University) Contains all 43 volumes and index volume of Indian Claims Decisions (1943-1978) published by the Native American Rights Fund. These decisions are also available in HeinOnline's American Indian Law Collection.

Indian Claims Commission Decisions

Online: HeinOnline | Oklahoma State Univ. Library Electronic Publishing Center
Print: KF8208 .A559 U5645x (vols. 10-43 only)
Microform: Law Storage Mfiche KF8208 .A55 D43x 1980 (complete set)

Index to the Indian Claims Commission Decisions (NARF, 1973, index coverage 1948-1973)
Index to the Indian Claims Commission Decisions (NARF, 1976 Supplement, index coverage 1973-1976)
Index to the Indian Claims Commission Decisions (NARF, 2009 Supplement, index coverage 1976-1978)
Online: PDF copies of the index and supplements at the National Indian Law Library.

Index to the Decisions of the Indian Claims Commission

Print: Law Library KF8208 .A58 I54x 1973 (index coverage 1946 - Aug. 13, 1973)

Index to the Expert Testimony Before the Indian Claims Commission: the Written Reports

Print: KF8208.A58 I55x 1973
Microform: Law Storage Mfiche KF8208.A58 I55x 1973