Barely 25 upon his appointment to the Department of the Interior in 1933, Cohen quickly began helping to draft the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 and chaired a committee charged with assisting tribes in organizing their governments in the Indian New Deal. He produced his "Basic Memorandum on Drafting of Tribal Constitutions," a practical guide, late in 1934; it promoted self-rule and urged the tribes to preserve ancient traditions that gave wisdom to those drafting constitutions for Indian nations. Cohen's memorandum sank into obscurity until his papers were released in the 1980s and editor Wilkins (American Indian Studies, U. of Minnesota) provides historical and social contexts along with able annotations for this significant but long neglected document. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)