In the Courts of the Conqueror

A Decisive Critique of American Jurisprudence | A Path Toward Legal Justice

In the Courts of the Conqueror is a groundbreaking examination of the legal history that has shaped the lives of Native Americans. Renowned attorney and activist Walter R. Echo-Hawk identifies ten pivotal Supreme Court cases—the "worst" in his estimation—that have systematically undermined Indigenous sovereignty, land rights, and religious freedoms. Echo-Hawk provides a meticulous analysis of how these legal precedents were established and the devastating, long-lasting impact they have had on Native nations and the American legal system as a whole.

This book is not only a historical indictment but also a call for reform. Echo-Hawk argues that these "conqueror" laws are inconsistent with modern human rights standards and must be dismantled to achieve true justice. By bringing these obscure yet influential cases to light, he offers a vital resource for legal scholars, historians, and anyone interested in the intersection of human rights, morality, and the law. In the Courts of the Conqueror is a profound meditation on how a nation's laws can be used as tools of both oppression and, potentially, liberation.

Walter R. Echo-Hawk (Pawnee) is of counsel to the Crowe and Dunlevy law firm of Oklahoma. As a staff attorney for the Native American Rights Fund for thirty-five years, he represented tribes and Native Americans on significant legal issues during the modern era of federal Indian law. In addition to litigation, he worked on major legislation, such as the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and federal religious freedom legislation. He is a prolific writer whose books include the award-winning Battlefields and Burial Grounds.