American Indian Oral Tradition Preservation, Protection and Public Domain

United States Law is unclear on the matter of ownership or control of American Indian literary and intellectual patrimony. This dissertation examines current tribal status in relation to rights for protecting tribal members from exploitation of their personal knowledge of their cultural heritage. Specifically, the background and basis of tribal rights are discussed with a review of legislation involving the history of Indian policy and the concept of tribal property, a review of policy concerning sovereignty and cultural and religious rights, an overview of copyright law, and a study of problems resulting from the use of tribal property; model tribal oral heritage projects are included as recommended examples of research technique