Month: May 2009

I. Tribal Authority to Manage Air Quality Indian tribes can undertake air quality programs either under the inherent power of a sovereign Tribal government or pursuant to the Clean Air Act. Indian tribes were independent, self-governing societies long before contact with European nations. The United States recognizes tribes as “distinct, independent political communities” qualified to…

Where do federally recognized Indian tribes fit in the development of environmental law? Where do American Indian and Alaska Native cultures fit into the landscape of environmental protection and natural resources management? The answer that I would give to both questions is a lot of places. Tribal cultures are deeply rooted in the web of…