18 U.S.C. § 1151 - Indian country defined

• Cite as: 18 U.S.C. § 1151

Except as otherwise provided in sections 1154 and 1156 of this title, the term "Indian country", as used in this chapter, means (a) all land within the limits of any Indian reservation under the jurisdiction of the United States Government, notwithstanding the issuance of any patent, and, including rights-of-way running through the reservation, (b) all dependent Indian communities within the borders of the United States whether within the original or subsequently acquired territory thereof, and whether within or without the limits of a state, and (c) all Indian allotments, the Indian titles to which have not been extinguished, including rights-of-way running through the same.

Cite as 18 U.S.C. § 1151

Source: June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 757; May 24, 1949, ch. 139, §25, 63 Stat. 94.

Notes from the Office of Law Revision Counsel

current through 5/22/2023

HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES

1948 ACT

Based on sections 548 and 549 of title 18, and sections 212, 213, 215, 217, 218 of title 25, Indians, U.S. Code, 1940 ed. (R.S. §§2142, 2143, 2144, 2145, 2146; Feb. 18, 1875, ch. 80, §1, 18 Stat. 318; Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, §§328, 329, 35 Stat. 1151; Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, §291, 36 Stat. 1167; June 28, 1932, ch. 284, 47 Stat. 337).

This section consolidates numerous conflicting and inconsistent provisions of law into a concise statement of the applicable law.

R.S. §§2145, 2146 (U.S.C., title 25, §§217, 218) extended to the Indian country with notable exceptions the criminal laws of the United States applicable to places within the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States. Crimes of Indians against Indians, and crimes punishable by tribal law were excluded.

The confusion was not lessened by the cases of U.S. v. McBratney, 104 U.S. 622 and Draper v. U.S., 17 S.Ct. 107, holding that crimes in Indian country by persons not Indians are not cognizable by Federal courts in absence of reservation or cession of exclusive jurisdiction applicable to places within the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States. Because of numerous statutes applicable only to Indians and prescribing punishment for crimes committed by Indians against Indians, "Indian country" was defined but once. (See act June 30, 1834, ch. 161, §1, 4, Stat. 729, which was later repealed.)