Book

A law of blood: the primitive law of the Cherokee nation

New York University PressNew York • Published In 1970 • Pages:

By: Reid, John Phillip.

Abstract
This is the first volume in a projected complete legal history of the Cherokee. It is concerned with the Cherokee system of law and government in the historic period prior to the 19th century. The subject coverage of this document is extensive, ranging from discussions of international law and relations to town government and the informal mechanisms of social control and justice at the local level. In addition, the first two chapters provide a discussion of Cherokee cultural geography during the early historic period and the entire monograph provides information on the incidence, character and consequences of European contact. Users are cautioned to read carefully the information from this document since the material is made confusing by the author's approach to the subject matter. For one, the author constantly attempts to force Cherokee customs, behavior and values into 20th century Western legal concepts and categories. In addition, the entire work is a running commentary on the author's source materials, so that locating useful ethnohistorical information on the marked file pages is often tedious. At a more general level, the entire discussion of Cherokee law is couched in ethnocentrism that at times borders on outright racism.
Subjects
Form and rules of government
Community heads
Clans
Informal in-group justice
Offenses against life
Manipulative mobility
Kin relationships
Incorporeal property
Inheritance
External relations
Instigation of war
Acculturation and culture contact
Sociocultural trends
culture
Cherokee
HRAF PubDate
2000
Region
North America
Sub Region
Eastern Woodlands
Document Type
Book
Evaluation
Creator Types
Ethnologist
Historian
Lawyer
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
Analyst
John Beierle ; 1987
Field Date
no date
Coverage Date
1700-1800
Coverage Place
southeastern United States
Notes
John Phillip Reid
Although nearly all of the material in this document predates the historical cut-off date of the Cherokee collection, OCM 175 'HISTORY' is not used.
Includes bibliographical references
LCCN
72090901
LCSH
Cherokee Indians