The international root for Federal Indian law that grew in the United States stems from an agreement between five European countries that crossed the ocean after Columbus to claim land in the "New World". The unwritten agreement stated that whatever land a nation claimed that nation had the right to settle the land rights with the aboriginal inhabitants and define the relationship with the original people. This agreement is known today as the "Rule of Discovery." This paper, a supplement to the DVD, Tribal Nations: The Story of Federal Indian Law and supported by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, is the story about the political relationship between the Federal government and Indian tribes. It covers several historical events, such as the Royal Proclamation of 1763, treaties with the Indians, Marshall Cases (Marshall Trilogy), Wounded Knee, Indian Reorganization Act, the Felix Cohen Handbook (the bible of Federal Indian Law, and Indian civil rights. In addition to these events, the paper presents a brief overview of the early times, the removal of Indians from their homelands, Indian reservations, assimilation policies, Indian self-determination, Indian children, and Indian gaming.