Case of the Wild Onions: The Impact of Ramps on Cherokee Rights

Finally, the defendant was called to testify. The air went from lighthearted post-lunch chatting to dour and intense. Judging from the sudden solemnity, one might have imagined that this trial was for drug trafficking or a violent crime. But it was about something that had much more profound implications: picking plants—specifically, wild onions."

This article appears in the Summer 2012 issue of So...