University of Richmond UR Scholarship Repository Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications Jepson School of Leadership Studies 1999 The Reinvigoration of the Doctrine of Implied Repeals: A Requiem for Indigenous Treaty Rights David E. Wilkins University of Richmond,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.richmond.edu/jepson-faculty-publications Part of the Indian and Aboriginal Law Commons, and the Leadership Studies Commons Recommended Citation Wilkins, David E. “The Reinvigoration of the Doctrine of Implied Repeals: A Requiem for Indigenous Treaty Rights.” The American Journal of Legal History 43, no. 1 (January 1999), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.2307/ 846128 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at UR Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications by an authorized administrator of UR Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. The Reinvigoration of the Doctrine of 'Implied Repeals:' A Requiem for Indigenous Treaty Rights by DAVID E. WILKINS* INTRODUCTION America's indigenous nations occupy a distinctive political/legal sta- tus within the United States as separate sovereigns whose rights are based in the doctrine of inherent tribal sovereignty, affirmed in hundreds of rati- fied treaties and agreements, acknowledged in the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, and recognized in ample federal legislation and case law. Ironically, while indigenous sovereignty is neither constitution- ally defined or delimited, it may be restricted or enhanced by federal law.