The growth and development of tribal police: Challenges and issues for tribal sovereignty

American Indian tribal governments have the opportunity to expand tribal sovereignty subsequent to the passage of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, and the Indian Self-Governance Act. The legal window created by these acts, coupled with cutbacks in Bureau of Indian Affairs Law Enforcement Services, has created an environment in which tribal governments are developing and expanding tribal law enforcement services. The legal minefield in which tribal governments and law enforcement personnel operate is a complicated one, but one which must be successfully negotiated if tribal sovereignty is to be advanced through the assertion of police authority.