University of Richmond student builds one-of-a-kind Native American research database

During his first semester on campus, Jack Sheldon, ’28, took an elective course that left him hungry to learn more.

The course, “Law, Native Sovereignty, and Treaty Rights,” taught by David Wilkins in the Jepson School of Leadership Studies, explores U.S. domestic policy and federal law as it pertains to Native American tribal nations and their citizens.

“I absolutely loved the work we did, and I really respect Dr. Wilkins as an academic – he’s the greatest professor I’ve had so far,” Sheldon said. “At the end of the semester, I emailed him and asked if there was any way I could assist him with his research.”

Wilkins, who is an E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Professor in Leadership Studies and a citizen of the Lumbee Nation of North Carolina, had the perfect project in mind. Over the years, Wilkins has collected more than 400 Native tribal constitutions, each one detailing the tribe’s governmental framework and outlining its fundamental laws. The database he used to store the documents, however, was no longer functional.

“I told Jack I needed a searchable digital database that I could use to easily find data as I’m doing comparative research,” Wilkins said. “Luckily, he had experience in building databases. We knew he would need some extra support, though, so we contacted [Visual Resources Librarian] Dr. Jeannine Keefer. She was more than happy to help.”

Sheldon led the work with Keefer’s assistance over the course of nine months, completing the project last fall. Using the digital library tool Stewardship (formerly JSTOR Forum), he created a customized database that is organized and highly accessible via keyword search.

“This project was unique because it was based on specific research needs and not standard data,” Keefer said. “So, we chose a platform that could display the information however we wanted. The data can also be exported and migrated to other platforms.”

The database also lists specific variables that Wilkins requested to inform his upcoming research: constitutional clauses on tribal disenrollment (the formal removal of individuals from Native citizenship) and blood quantum (a controversial practice that measures the amount of “Native blood” an individual possesses to define their identity).

“I want to do a study that focuses on how tribal constitutions are constructed and how they can help citizens better understand their rights so they can engage with state and federal governments,” Wilkins said. “Jack’s efforts are going to be very helpful with this.”

The database includes 437 constitutions – for reference, there are 575 federally recognized Native tribal nations in the U.S. About 70 of those have chosen not to create constitutions; instead, they operate under tribal codes, charters, or articles of association, or follow customary traditions.

“The remaining tribes are not willing to share their constitutions for privacy reasons,” Sheldon said. “But we are still proud to have 437 represented.”

Keefer believes the database may be the most comprehensive collection of Native constitutions.

“There are some existing databases out there, but none as extensive as this,” she said. “Currently, our database is private for Dr. Wilkins’ research purposes, but there is the option to grant access to collaborators and open it up to the public if desired.”

Sheldon, who is double majoring in Leadership Studies and Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law, was so inspired by the project that he is using Richmond Guarantee funding this summer to conduct research on the Cornish, a Celtic ethnic minority group native to Cornwall, U.K., that is seeking recognition as a distinct nation with its own parliament.

“I’m really interested in ethnic groups and their efforts to gain sovereignty throughout history,” he said. “I’ve definitely been inspired by learning from Dr. Wilkins and working with him one-on-one, and I’m excited to continue down this path.”