How to Write an Annotation

SAMPLE ABSTRACT

Inequalities Embedded in the Unites States Legal System through the Lens of Tribal Governments

Jessica Arthur Kathleen

ABSTRACT

Through the past 500 years, American Indians have been subjected to inequalities through the United States legal system as a result of the federal government’s jurisdiction in Indian country, thus making tribal governments less powerful in Indian country and further expanding a jurisdictional void. Using scholarly literature accessed through the University of Massachusetts Amherst library database, law reviews, congressional legislation, and Supreme Court holdings this paper examines how the tribal government’s power continues to be chipped away by Congress, through jurisdictional decisions and legislation, which develop in favor of the federal government. The three sovereign entities that have jurisdiction in Indian country are the federal government, tribal governments, and state governments. However, this judicial framework is complex and depends on the following: location, the crime, who committed the crime (the perpetrator), and whom the crime was committed against (the victim). Therefore, due to criminal jurisdiction in Indian country being based on the political status of American Indians it exemplifies inequalities in the United States legal system. In order to preserve and protect the economic, social, and cultural attributes of American Indians, tribal justice systems need to maintain their power. By taking away power from tribal government and allowing federal and state governments to prosecute crimes, it sends a message that tribal governments lack authority and are inferior to handle certain crimes. More importantly, the basic right of allowing tribal governments to maintain law within their reservations is fundamental to their survival as a community.

What is an Annotation?

An annotation is a brief description of a book, article, or other publication, including audio-visual materials. Its purpose is to characterize the publication in such a way that the reader can decide whether or not to read the complete work.

1. Begin with the complete bibliographic entry.

2. Include some or all of the following:

1. Authority and qualifications of the author, unless extremely well known. e.g. "Based on twenty years of study, William A. Smith, professor of history at XYZ University..."
2. Scope and the main purpose of the text. Do not try to summarize the whole work. e.g. "Discusses the positive impact of Medicare on the psychiatric profession."
3. Any bias that you note.
4. Audience and level of reading difficulty. Such a comment warns readers of writings that are too elementary or scholarly for their purposes. e.g. "Swift addressed himself to the scholar, but the concluding chapters will be clear to any informed lay person."
5. The relation, if any, of other works in the field. "This corroborates the findings of George Brown's Revolution."
6. Summary comment. e.g. "A popular account directed at educated adults."

3. Do not repeat the words of the title, give the same information in different phrasing, or offer information that an intelligent person could readily infer from the title.

4. Be concise.

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