Course Name: AB013-Introduction to American Indian Land Tenure Act 

This course covers first how American Indian reservations were established, beginning with the Doctrine of Discovery, to Manifest Destiny and the creation of the Office of Indian Affairs, through the evolution of federal policies that have created the reservations that we know today. The second section of the module covers the difficulties of navigating the uniqueness of each reservation. How the reservation was established and whether or not it was impacted by the Dawes Act of 1887 will determine land tenure on a given reservation. American Indian trust land is held in a "trust status" by the US government; in the case of allotments, fractionation occurs, resulting in hundreds of owners on a single parcel of land. Water rights are also brought up as a contentious issue on reservations, and the use of Indian trust land as collateral is difficult. This class shines light on the laws and legislation that have created social economic hardship for reservations and Native Americans. 1. Federal policy eras 2. Tribal governance and the federal relationship 3. Tribal sovereignty 4. General Allotment Act, 1887 5. Fractionation 6. Trust to fee conversion 7. Water rights on reservations Questions? Email Trent Teegerstrom at tteegers@ag.arizona.edu.