The right to vote is the foundation of democratic government; all other policies are derived from it. The history of voting rights in America has been characterized by a gradual expansion of the franchise. American Indians are an important part of that story but have faced a prolonged battle to gain the franchise. One of the most important tools wielded by advocates of minority voting rights has been the Voting Rights Act. This book explains the history and expansion of Indian voting rights, with an emphasis on seventy cases based on the Voting Rights Act and/or the Equal Protection Clause. The authors describe the struggle to obtain Indian citizenship and the basic right to vote, then analyze the cases brought under the Voting Rights Act, including three case studies. The final two chapters assess the political impact of these cases and the role of American Indians in contemporary politics.
Contents
1. From vanishing American to Voter: The Enfranchisement of American Indians; 2. On Account of Race or Color: The Development of the Voting Rights Act; 3. A Milestone on the Reservation: the Voting Rights Act comes to Indian Country; 4. Niha Whol Zhiizh (It's Our Turn): Indian Voting; 5. Going to Court for a Seat at the Table: Fort Belknap versus Blaine County; 6. Lakotas in the Legislature: The Bone Shirt Case; 7. A Fair Opportunity: The Impact of the Voting Rights Act; 8. From Extermination to Electorate: Indians in American Politics.
Reviews
"A well researched, compelling, and insightful book on the voting rights of American Indians, filling a major gap in judicial politics scholarship...a rich, engaging text...an invaluable text and an excellent starting place for a more in-depth research due to the wealth of resources identified and cited in the materials following the main text."
-Scott E. Graves, Georgia State University, The Law and Politics Review
"This is a meticulously researched, clearly written, and highly documented work that is a giant contribution to the analysis of American Indian law within the political science arena of Native American Studies"
-Jeffery M. Sanders, Political Science Quarterly
"We owe the authors a great debt of gratitude for gathering this material on VRA legal cases in a form that is usable and digestible for scholars for scholars in a variety of disciplines."
-Joy Porter, University of Wales, The Journal of American History
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