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Indian Law Timeline

This timeline is a work in progress, and more material will be added. Feel free to use what you find here now. Come back later to find more.

1778

Treaty between the United States and the Delaware Indian Tribe (Lenni Lenape) – September 17, 1778

7 Stat. 13 (1778). 

The first treaty negotiated between the United States and Indian Tribes.

1789

Constitution: Article 1: Commerce with the Indian Tribes

1790

Indian Trade and Intercourse Act – July 22, 1790

1 Stat. 137 (1790).

First law to regulate trade between Indians and colonists.

1802

Act to Regulation of Trade and Intercourse with the Indian Tribes and to Preserve Peace on the Frontier – March 30, 1802

2 Stat. 139 (1802).  

Sale of liquor to Indians prohibited.

1810

Fletcher v. Peck

10 U.S. 87 (1810).  

1817

Indian Country Crimes Act – March 3, 1817

3 Stat. 383.

1823

Johnson v. McIntosh

21 U.S. 543 (1823).

1830

Indian Removal Act – May 28, 1830

4 Stat. 411

1831

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia

30 U.S. 1, 8 L.Ed. 25 (1831).

1832

Worcester v. Georgia

31 U.S. 515, 8 L.Ed. 483 (1832)

1834

Indian Intercourse Act of 1834 – June 30, 1834

4 Stat. 729.

1850

Donation Land Act – September 27, 1850

9 Stat. 496.

1854

Kansas Nebraska Act – May 30, 1854

10 Stat. 277.

1862

Homestead Act – May 20, 1862

12 Stat. 392.

Pacific Railroad Act – July 1, 1862

12 Stat. 489.

Morril Act of 1862 – July 2, 1862

12 Stat. 503.

1868

Ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment – July 20, 1868

15 Stat. 706.

Indians denied the vote.

1871

Indian Appropriations Act – March 3, 1871

16 Stat. 544.

The United States ends the negotiation of Indian treaties.

1877

Desert Land Act – March 3, 1877

19 Stat. 377.

1881

United States v. McBratney – October 1881

104 U.S. 621, 24 L.Ed. 869 (1881).

1883

Ex parte Crow Dog – December 7, 1883

109 U.S. 556, 3. S.Ct. 396, 27 L.Ed. 1030 (1883).

1884

Elk v. Wilkins – November 3, 1884

112 U.S. 94 (1884).

1885

Indian Major Crimes Act – March 3, 1885

ch. 341, § 9; 23 Stat. 362, 385 (1885).

1886

United States v. Kagama – May 10, 1886

118 U.S.375, 6 S.Ct. 1109, 30 L.Ed. 228 (1886).

1887

General Allotment Act (Dawes Act) – February 8, 1887

24 Stat. 388.

1896

Talton v. Mayes – May 18, 1896

163 U.S. 376, 16 S.Ct. 986, 41 L.Ed. 196 (1896).

1898

Curtis Act (Indians in Indian Territory) – June 28, 1898

30 Stat. 495.

1902

Reclamation Act (Irrigation of Arid Lands) – June 17, 1902

32 Stat. 388.

1903

Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock – January 5, 1903

187 U.S. 553, 23 S.Ct. 216, 47 L.Ed. 299 (1903).

1905

United States v. Winans – May 15, 1905

198 U.S. 371, 25 S.Ct. 662, 49 L.Ed. 1089 (1905).

1906

Osage Allotment Act – June 28, 1906

34 Stat. 539.

Curtis Act (Five Civilized Tribes) – April 26, 1906

34 Stat. 137.

Burke Act – May 8, 1906

34 Stat. 182.

Antiquities Act of 1906 – June 8, 1906

34 Stat. 225.

1908

Winters v. United States – January 6, 1908

207 U.S. 564, 28 S.Ct. 207, 52 L.Ed. 340.

1913

United States v. Sandoval – October 20, 1913

231 U.S. 28 (1913).

1916

United States v. Nice – June 12, 1916

241 U.S. 591 (1916).

1921

Snyder Act (Indian Affairs Bureau) – November 2, 1921

42 Stat. 208.

1934

Johnson-O'Malley Act – April 16, 1934

48 Stat. 596.

Indian Reorganization Act – June 18, 1934

ch. 576, 48 Stat. 984 (1934).  

1935

United States v. Creek Nation – April 29, 1935

295 U.S. 103 (1935).

1936

Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act – June 26, 1936

49 Stat. 1967.

1946

Indian Claims Commission Act – August 13, 1946

60 Stat. 1049.

1948

Indian Country Crimes Act (General Crime Act) – June 25, 1948

18 U.S.C. § 1151 was revised, codified, and enacted into positive law by the Act of June 25, 1948.

ch. 645, 62 Stat. 683, 757 (1948). 

"Indian Country" defined.

1949

Act of May 24, 1949 – May 24, 1949

ch. 139 § 25, 63 Stat. 89, 94 (1949). 

Amended Indian Country Crimes Act.

1950

Navajo-Hopi Rehabilitation Act – April 19, 1950

64 Stat. 44.

1955

Tee-Hit-Ton Indians v. United States – February 7, 1955

348 U.S. 272, 75 S.Ct. 313, 99 L.Ed. 314 (1955).

1956

Indian Vocational Training Act – August 3, 1956

70 Stat. 986.

1959

Williams v. Lee

358 U.S. 217, 79 S.Ct. 269, 3 L.Ed.2d 251 (1959)

1963

Arizona v. California (I) – March 9, 1964

376 U.S. 340, 84 S.Ct. 755, 11 L.Ed.2d 757 (1964).

1964

Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 – August 20, 1964

70 Stat. 508.

1968

Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968 – April 11, 1968

Pub. L. No. 90-284, Title II, 82 Stat. 77 (1968).

Menominee Tribe v. United States – May 27, 1968

391 U.S. 404, 88 S.Ct. 1705, 20 L.Ed.2d 697 (1968).

1970

Choctaw Nation v. Oklahoma – April 27, 1970

397 U.S. 620 (1970).

1972

Indian Education Act – June 23, 1972

86 Stat. 334.

1973

McClanahan v. Arizona State Tax Commission – March 27, 1973

411 U.S. 164, 93 S.Ct. 1257, 36 L.Ed2d 129 (1973).

Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973 (CETA) – December 28, 1973

87 Stat. 839.

1974

Morton v. Ruiz – February 20, 1974

415 U.S. 199, 94 S.Ct. 1055, 39 L.Ed.2d 270 (1974)

Indian Financing Act of 1974 – April 12, 1974

Pub. L. No. 93-262, 88 Stat. 77 (1974). 

Morton v. Mancari – June 17, 1974

417 U.S. 535, 94 S.Ct. 2474, 41 L.Ed.2d 290 (1974)

Navajo-Hopi Land Settlement Act of 1974 – December 22, 1974

88 Stat. 1712.

1975

Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act – January 4, 1975

88 Stat. 2203.

United States v. Mazurie – January 21, 1975

419 U.S. 544 (1975).

DeCoteau v. District Court – March 3, 1975

420 U.S. 425, 95 S.Ct. 1082, 43 L.Ed.2d 300 (1975).

1976

Colorado River Water Conservation District v. United States – March 24, 1976

424 U.S. 800 (1976).

Indian Health Care Improvement Act – September 30, 1976

90 Stat. 1400.

1978

Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe – March 6, 1978

435 U.S. 191, 98 S.Ct. 1001, 55 L.Ed.2d 209 (1978).

United States v. Wheeler – March 22, 1978

435 U.S. 313, 98 S.Ct. 1079, 55 L.Ed.2d 303 (1978).

Santa Clara Pueblo v. Martinez – May 15, 1978

436 U.S. 49, 98 S.Ct. 1670, 56 L.Ed.2d 106 (1978).

American Indian Religious Freedom Act – August 11, 1978

92 Stat. 469.

Indian Child Welfare Act – November 8, 1978

92 Stat. 3069.

1979

Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 – October 31, 1979

93 Stat. 721.

1980

White Mountain Apache Tribe v. Bracker – June 27, 1980

358 U.S. 217, 79 S.Ct. 269, 3 L.Ed.2d 251 (1980).

United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians – June 30, 1980

448 U.S. 371 (1980).

Navajo and Hopi Relocation Amendments Act of 1980 – July 8, 1980

94 Stat. 929.

Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act – December 2, 1980

94 Stat. 2371.

1981

Montana v. United States – March 24, 1981

450 U.S. 544, 101 S.Ct. 1245, 67 L.Ed.2d 493 (1981).

1983

Indian Tribal Governmental Tax Status Act of 1982 – January 14, 1983

96 Stat. 2607.

Arizona v. California (II) – March 30, 1983

460 U.S. 605 (1983).

Arizona v. San Carlos Apache Tribe – July 1, 1983

463 U.S. 545, 103 S.Ct. 3201, 77 L.Ed.2d 837 (1983).

1987

California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians – February 25, 1987

480 U.S. 202, 107 S.Ct. 1083, 94 L.ed.2d 244 (1987).

1988

Lying v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association – April 19, 1988

485 U.S. 439, 108 S.Ct.1319, 99 Led.2d 534 (1988).

Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act Amendments of 1988 – October 5, 1988

102 Stat. 2285.

Indian Gaming Regulatory Act – October 17, 1988

102 Stat. 2467.

Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation Amendments of 1988 – November 16, 1988

102 Stat. 3929.

1989

Brendale V. Confederated Tribes and Bands of Yakima Indian Nation – June 29, 1989

492 U.S. 408, 109 S.Ct. 2994, 106 L.Ed.2d 343 (1989).

1990

Employment Division v. Smith – April 17, 1990

494 U.S. 872, 110 S.Ct. 1595, 108 L.Ed.2d 876 (1990).

Duro v. Reina – May 29, 1990

495 U.S. 676, 110 S.Ct. 2053, 109 L.Ed.2d 693 (1990)

Native American Languages Act – October 30, 1990

104 Stat. 1153.

Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act – November 16, 1990

104 Stat. 3048.

Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 – November 29, 1990

104 Stat. 4662.

Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act Amendments of 1990 – November 29, 1990

104 Stat. 4665.

1991

Oklahoma Tax Commission v. Citizen Band Potawatomi Indian Tribe – February 26, 1991

498 U.S. 505 (1991).

1992

Native American Languages Act of 1992 – October 26, 1992

106 Stat. 3434.

1994

American Indian Religious Freedom Act Amendments of 1994 – October 6, 1994

108 Stat. 3125.

1996

Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Florida – March 27, 1996

517 U.S. 44, 116 S.Ct. 1114, 134 L.Ed.2d 252 (1996).

Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute Settlement Act of 1996 – September 26, 1996

110 Stat. 3649.

1997

Strate v. A-1 Contractors – April 28, 1997

520 U.S. 438, 117 S.Ct. 1404, 137 L.Ed.2d 661 (1997).

Idaho v. Coeur D’Alene Tribe of Idaho – June 23, 1997

521 U.S. 261, 117 S.Ct. 2028, 138 L.Ed.2d 438 (1997)

1998

Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma v. Manufacturing Technologies, Inc. – May 28, 1998

523 U.S. 751, 118 S.Ct. 1700, 140 L.Ed.2d 981 (1998).

2000

Arizona v. California (III) – June 19, 2000

530 U.S. 392 (2000).

2001

Native American Education Improvement Act of 2001 (No Indian Child Left Behind Act) – January 8, 2002

115 Stat. 2007.

2006

Esther Martinez Native American Languages Preservation Act of 2006 – December 14, 2006

120 Stat. 2705.

2008

Code Talkers Recognition Act of 2008 – October 15, 2008