"Throughout American history, 'public lands' have been the subject of controversy, from homesteaders settling the American west to ranchers who use the open range to promote free enterprise to wilderness activists who see these lands as wild places. This book shows how these controversies intersect with critical issues of American history"--

"The lands the United States claims sovereignty over by right of the Doctrine of Discovery are home to more than five hundred Indian nations, each with its own distinct culture, religion, language, and history. Yet these Indians, and federal Indian law, rarely factor into the decisions of the country{u2019}s governing class - as recent battles over national monuments on tribal sites have made painfully clear. A much-needed intervention, 'Many Nations...