Bringing together property rights theory, organizational sociology, and Indigenous theory, this review article examines the limits of conventional property governance when applied to culturally embedded intangible assets.
Using Native imagery as an illustrative case, the authors show how authority, asset boundaries, and value can become difficult to define when meaning, spirituality, and community relationships are integral to the asset itself. The article extends property rights theory by incorporating collective guardianship, community consent, sacred and relational inalienability constraints, and multi-sovereign enforcement.
Authors and affiliations:
● Terry R. Adler (University of Oklahoma)
● Thomas G. Pittz (University of Tampa)
● Carma M. Claw (Fort Lewis College)
