Making Strategic Choices: How and Why Indian Groups Advocated for Federal Recognition from 1977 to 2012.

The article discusses how and why Indian groups use law strategically to advocate for U.S. federal recognition in 1977-2012. It discusses the elements of the legal framework governing these groups including the recognition of inherent governmental authority possessed by Indian tribes, federally protected lands for these tribes, and special federal powers over them and their citizens. It also discusses the circumstances in which these groups developed different strategies for recognition.