BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — The State Law Library of Montana plans to unveil what it claims will be the nation's first comprehensive Internet portal on statewide Indian law by January.
State Law Librarian Judy Meadows says the Web site will include access and links to legal information from all American Indian reservations across Montana.
Meadows told a recent gathering at Montana State University that the site will allow people searching for information to gather it online, rather than traveling to one of the reservations spread out across the state.
She says the portal should be of particular benefit to teachers, members of the legal profession and tribes.
Site Meant to Explain Tribal, Legal Differences
The information is expected to include tribal constitutions, charters, treaties, proclamations, articles of agreement, law and order codes, tribal council resolutions, trust records from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, appellate judicial decisions, fishing and hunting regulations, tribal histories, water and gaming compacts and interactive maps.
"We hope this material will mean less prejudice and a better understanding of legal and cultural differences," Meadows said.
She also hopes Montana teachers will use it for curriculum development.
Planning Began About 2 Years Ago
Plans for the Web site began about two years ago when Denise Juneau, now Montana's superintendent of public instruction, was the office's director of Indian education.
Juneau asked Meadows to look into starting a Web site on American Indian law.
The project received about $100,000 in funding from the Office of Public Instruction.
Other collaborators on the project include the Montana Historical Society, the University of Montana Law School, the governor's office, the state's Information Technology Services Division and the Helena-based Indian Law Resource Center.
The state law library will maintain the portal.