Writing in a style accessible to general readers as well as policymakers and lawyers, Fletcher (director, Indigenous Law and Policy Center, Michigan State U.) surveys the governmental, legal, and political history of the Grand Traverse Band of northwest lower Michigan, with an emphasis on the status of the tribe both as a treaty tribe and as the first tribe recognized by the Department of the Interior. The book begins with a review of the history of the Grand Traverse Band during treaty times, focusing on the 1836 Treaty of Washington and the 1855 Treaty of Detroit. The author then describes the dispossession of the Band's land base following the 1855 Treaty, the eventual federal recognition of the Band, and the Band's treaty rights fight. There is also material on the development of modern tribal law and justice systems and the Grand Traverse Band's gaming operations and related business enterprises. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)