This vivid chronicle is the first in-depth, comprehensive history of the relationship between American Indians and the Bill of Rights, tracing developments and issues from 1491 to the present.

After providing a thorough examination of rights and legal status as perceived by Native Americans, addressing such topics as conduct and collective rights, "Retained by The People" recounts the various brutal forms of colonialism forced upon indigenous nations by European and American settlers through the beginning of 1900, then gives a balanced and detailed analysis of twentieth-century events that have shaped Native American rights under the United States constitution. The author explores attacks on Indian culture in the 1920s, the empowerment of tribal governments during the thirties, and federal attempts at cultural liquidation through the forties, fifties, and sixties.

With the first detailed assessment of the 1968 Indian Bill of Rights and a complete narrative of Native American efforts toward achieving limited sovereignty and unlimited rights over the past three decades, "Retained by The People" will be vital to anyone interested in Native American history or U.S. constitutional law.