Native American Water & Land Rights

Water Rights

Indian Reserved Water Rights Claims Symposium - biennial symposium hosted by the Native American Rights Fund and the Western States Water Council to discuss the settlement of Indian reserved water rights claims. Website includes links to past presentation materials.

Native American Water Rights Settlement Database (Univ. of NM) A collection of documents that formalize recognition of Native American water rights in the United States.

How's My Waterway? (United States, Environmental Protection Agency) Learn the condition of local streams, lakes and other waters anywhere in the US. See if your local waterway was checked for pollution, what was found, and what is being done. (Not specific to Native Americans, but looks like a relevant tool.)

Tribal Water Code Webinar Video - NARF webinar on Tribal Water Codes held December 2012. 

Wise Law Library's Arizona v. California Collection - contains more than 160 full-text, searchable pleadings, briefs, orders, transcripts, and reports from the 12-year original proceeding in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Land Rights

American Indian Territoriality: An Online Research Guide (or entire document in PDF) (Edition of October 17, 2003) - (Native American Constitution and Law Digitization Project, University of Oklahoma Law Library). By Imre Sutton, Professor Emeritus, California State University, Fullerton.

Cases and Materials on Problems in Lands Allotted to American Indians - (Native American Constitution and Law Digitization Project, University of Oklahoma Law Library). By Joseph F. Rarick, J.S.D.

A Guide to Rarick's Oklahoma Indian Law Titles - (Native American Constitution and Law Digitization Project, University of Oklahoma Law Library). Guide to using electronic book title above.

Indian Land Cessions in the United States [Map]- (Library of Congress). Compiled by Charles C. Royce (1896-7).

Native Land - (Victor G. Temprano and Mapster). Native Land strips out country and state borders in order to highlight the complex patchwork of historic and present-day Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages that stretch across the United States, Canada, and beyond. Read an article reviewing this resource: Indigenous Geographies Overlap in This Colorful Online Map

Printable Maps - Federal Lands and Indian Reservations - (US Geological Survey). Each map shows the Federal Lands and Indian Reservations overlaid on top of State boundaries, selected streams and waterbodies, and major cities for easy reference.

Tribal Nations Map - (Data.gov). The Tribal Nations Map Gallery includes printable PDF wall-map versions (24×36) of the Indian and Ceded Lands Web Services found in the data tab. The Map Gallery also includes interactive maps from federal partners, intertribal groups, and a tribal climate map showcase of example work products to inform climate resilience efforts of tribes, Alaska Natives, and other diverse communities nationwide.

Additional Land & Water Rights Resources (Contact NILL or your local library for help obtaining copies)

Search the NILL Indian Law Bulletins for articles, cases and other materials relating to Land and Water or ask NILL for research help on your specific issue.

Search the NILL Catalog for materials on Land and Water.

Cases and Materias on Federal Indian Law: See chapter eleven on water rights.

Cohen's Handbook of Federal Indian Law: See chapters 15, 16 and 19.

Indian Law in a Nutshell: See chapters 12 and 14.

Rights of Indians and Tribes, chapter XII on water rights. This book was written in question and answer format for the non-attorney.

Need Indian Law Research Help?

You can submit questions about Indian law to the NILL staff...
ask NILL