A Third Way

‘I couldn’t put this down. A Third Way is a refreshing, powerful, and inspirational work because Hoffmann and Mills acknowledge tribal agency. Indians and tribes are not passive observers to federal, state, and business interests carving up America. They are active policy makers, not mere stakeholders seeking a voice, not mere victims lamenting the past. Indians and tribes tend to see the universe in terms of balance, not the zero-sum competition that dominates American politics. We should all hope Indians and tribes succeed because this philosophy is all about our collective futures.’ Matthew L.M. Fletcher, Director of the Indigenous Law & Policy Center, Michigan State University‘Indian tribes have pulled themselves up from the oppressive policies of the past. There are many monuments to that – court decisions, tribally-driven federal statutes, and the truly substantial sovereign Native governments that govern the reservations today. A Third Way gives deep, unprecedented insight into modern Indian country by brightly recounting some of the innumerable stories of how individual tribes have made lasting advances in protecting specific, beloved places. This book captures the inspiring spirit of Indian country today as well or better than any other source.’ Charles Wilkinson, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of Colorado, and author of Blood Struggle: The Rise of Modern Indian Nations‘Through a careful exploration of legal history and contemporary case studies, Hoffmann and Mills demonstrate how the US legal system has authorized and often encouraged the destruction of indigenous cultures. The authors also chart a new pathway for the future: one in which Indigenous cultural values help to drive public policy by providing an actual ‘measure of comfortable justice,’ not just for Indigenous peoples, but for all Americans.’ Rebecca Tsosie, Regents Professor of Law, University of Arizona

Hillary Hoffmann is Professor of Law, Vermont Law School. She has fifteen years of experience in the field of federal Indian law, representing tribal clients in private practice. Along with teaching and writing on tribal cultural preservation, she has also testified in Congress on a variety of related topics. Monte Mills is Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Margery Hunter Brown Indian Law Clinic at the Alexander Blewett III School of Law, University of Montana. He has sixteen years of experience working for, with, and on behalf of Indian tribes as general and in-house counsel.