For this episode, I am joined by Peter d’Errico who is a Yale Law graduate and Professor Emeritus at UMass Amherst. Peter has spent much of his career working on issues of indigenous rights, especially with the Navaho people. What really interests me is that Peter doesn’t just accept that the law is what it is, but looks at what the underpinnings of it are and what its broader implications are. We discuss Peter’s new book, Federal Anti-Indian Law, what ‘law’ actually is, what its relationship is to justice (if any), how the law is set up to entrap and dominate indigenous folks, and how that then spills over into other areas of law to increase government domination over all our lives.
In the discussion Peter mentioned listening to a Czech string quartet that incorporates a harmonica player. The album is The Breath Between the Strings and here is a sample. Good stuff.
Peter’s work can found at his Substack, his UMass blog, his personal website, and his YouTube channel. His new book is available at most online bookstores.
Is the Law Just? (with guest Peter d'Errico)