Indigenous, Indian, and Aboriginal Law Commons^™

Foreign-Trade Zones In Indian County: Is A Foreign-Trade Zone Right For Your Tribe?, Jacob Laughlin

American Indian Law Review

No abstract provided.

Silence Is Anything But Golden: Laws Of General Applicability In Indian Country, Bryan R. Lynch

American Indian Law Review

No abstract provided.

Alvarez V. Lopez: The Ninth Circuit Overextends Congress's Intended Use Of Plenary Powers With Its Interpretation Of The Icra Jury Provision, Teddy Webb

American Indian Law Review

No abstract provided.

Lessons From Relocations Past: Climate Change, Tribes, And The Need For Pragmatism In Community Relocation Planning, Eli Keene

American Indian Law Review

No abstract provided.

Beyond A Zero-Sum Federal Trust Responsibility: Lessons From Federal Indian Energy Policy, Monte Mills

Articles

The federal government’s trust relationship with federally recognized Indian tribes is a product of the last two centuries of Federal Indian Law and federal-tribal relations. For approximately the last 50 years, the federal government has sought to promote tribal self-determination as a means to carry out its trust responsibilities to Indian tribes; but the shadows of prior federal policies, based largely on notions of tribal incompetence and federal paternalism, remain. Perhaps no other policy arena better demonstrates the history, evolution, and promise for reform of the federal trust relationship than Federal Indian energy policy, or the range of federal statutes …

The Choctaw Nation Of Oklahoma: History, Influences, And Contemporary Setting Of The Choctaw Legal Structure, Austin C. Megli

Tribal Law Journal

The goal of this tribal profile is to provide an overview of the internal laws of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma; to give a detailed emphasis on the tribe’s historic use of customary law, governance structures, enacted law, case law; and to examine how their internal law changed throughout history. By helping the reader become familiar with the history of Choctaw customary law and the contemporary structure of the Choctaw government, this profile will assist practitioners and academics in understanding the Choctaw Nation. Part I of this paper will describe the customary laws of the Choctaw Nation. Part II of …

If Trees Could Lobby They Would Be People Too: The Environmental And Cultural Benefits Of Granting Legal Personality To Nature, M. Alexis Volner

Tribal Law Journal

In the Western culture today, the environment is perceived as a source for goods and resources. However, this perspective has resulted in serious environmental degradation and a real threat to our species’ survival. To combat these problems there must be a radical shift in the Western culture’s conception of nature.

The first step in this shift is to recognize the environment as a legal person. The United States should grant legal personality to all publicly owned lands containing sites held sacred by Indigenous peoples and establish a collaborative board to manage the sites to recognize Indigenous cultural rights and encourage …

Explaining The Modernized Leasing And Right-Of-Way Regulations For Indian Lands, Kevin Washburn, Jody Cummings

Faculty Scholarship

The Obama Administration enacted significant reforms to the regulatory rules governing federal leasing and right of way approvals across tribal lands in Parts 162 and 169 of the Indian title of the federal regulations. These reforms had many aims. They sought to improve the environment for economic development on Indian reservations by speeding regulatory approvals, increasing predictability (by, in part, narrowing agency discretion), and increasing deference to tribal governmental decisions. The reforms sought to help tribal governments capture economic value that had previously been denied them, for example, by preventing so called "piggybacking" on pre-existing rights of way and clarifying …

Operationalizing Free, Prior, And Informed Consent, Carla F. Fredericks

Publications

The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) has acknowledged varying ways in which international actors can protect, respect and remedy the rights of indigenous peoples. One of these methods is the concept of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) as described in Articles 10, 19, 28 and 29. There has been much debate in the international community over the legal status of the UNDRIP, and member states have done little to implement it. In applied contexts, many entities like extractive industries and conservation groups are aware of risks inherent in not soliciting FPIC and have endeavored to …

They Were Here First: American Indian Tribes, Race, And The Constitutional Minimum, Sarah Krakoff

Publications

In American law, Native nations (denominated in the Constitution and elsewhere as “tribes”) are sovereigns with a direct relationship with the federal government. Tribes’ governmental status situates them differently from other minority groups for many legal purposes, including equal protection analysis. Under current equal protection doctrine, classifications that further the federal government’s unique relationship with tribes and their members are subject to rationality review. Yet this deferential approach has recently been subject to criticism and is currently being challenged in the courts. Swept up in the larger drift toward colorblind or race-neutral understandings of the Constitution, advocates and commentators are …

Foreword: A ‘Coyote Warrior’ And The ‘Great Paradoxes,’ The Scholarship Of Professor Raymond Cross, Monte Mills

Articles

This Foreword to the Public Land and Resources Law Review special issue republishing and celebrating the scholarship of Professor Raymond Cross provides a context and framework for understanding and appreciating the issue's articles. The Foreword reviews Professor Cross' legacy of work as a tribal attorney on behalf of the Three Affiliated Tribes (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara) of the Fort Berthold Reservation and discusses the important contributions his scholarly work continue to make to the field of Federal Indian Law. As noted at the conclusion of the Foreword, "[i]t is a true honor to introduce and present some of his important …

United States V. Washington, Kirsa Shelkey

Public Land & Resources Law Review

Pacific Northwest Treaties, now known as the Stevens Treaties, were negotiated in the 1850’s between the U.S. and Indian tribes, including the Suquamish Indian Tribe, Jamestown S'Klallam, Lower Elwha Band of Klallams, Port Gamble Clallam, Nisqually Indian Tribe, Nooksack Tribe, Sauk-Suiattle Tribe, Skokomish Indian Tribe, Squaxin Island Tribe, Stillaguamish Tribe, Upper Skagit Tribe, Tulalip Tribes, Lummi Indian Nation, Quinault Indian Nation, Puyallup Tribe, Hoh Tribe, Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Indian Nation, Quileute Indian Tribe, Makah Indian Tribe, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe (“Tribes”). The Stevens Treaties stated that “the right of taking fish, …

Interior Department And Army Corps Announce Restoration Of Tribal Lands For The Three Affiliated Tribes Of The Fort Berthold Reservation; Transfer Restores Nearly 25,000 Acres Of Tribal Homelands Lost To The Garrison Dam Project, Department Of The Interior, Assistant Secretary Of The Army For Civil Works

US Government Documents Related to Indigenous Nations

This news release, dated December 20, 2016, from the United States (US) Department of the Interior and the US Assistant Secretary of the Army announces the return of 24,959 acres of land on the Fort Berthold Reservation to the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation. The returned land was part of the 153,000 acres of land taken by the United States Government for construction of the Garrison Dam. The authority of this transfer is granted by the Fort Berthold Mineral Restoration Act of 1984 (Public Law 98-602). This press release provides some background on the Garrison Dam Project …

San Luis Rey Settlement Agreement Implementation Act Of 2016, Settlement Parties, United States 114th Congress

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Congressional approval and ratification of the San Luis Rey Settlement Agreement.

Pechanga Band Of Luiseño Mission Indians Water Rights Settlement Act, United States 114th Congress

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Federal Legislation: Pechanga Band of Luiseño Mission Indians Water Rights Settlement Act (WIIN Act of 2016, Title III - Natural Resource, Subtitle D). Parties: Pechanga Band of Luiseño Mission Indians, United States. The lead agency for environmental compliance is the Bureau of Reclamation. The Act confirms the Tribal water right as The Act designates that 1) the rights of allottees are protected; 2) a Tribal Water Right of up to 4,994 acre-feet of water per year is confirmed in accordance with Interlocutory Judgement No. 41 as affirmed by the Fallbrook Decree; 3)water right can be used for any purpose; 4) …

Blackfeet Water Rights Settlement Act Of 2016, United States 114th Congress

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Federal Legislation: Blackfeet Water Rights Settlement Act of 2016, in Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, Title III, Subtitle G. PL 114-322, ** Stat. *** (Dec. 16, 2016). This Act authorizes, ratifies, and confirms the water rights compact between the Blackfeet Nation and Montana dated April 15, 2009, as modified to be consistent with this subtitle. The Act relates to the Blackfeet Nation’s water rights in the Milk River, Milk River Project, St. Mary River, instream flow rights, and rights in Lake Elwell and any water rights arising out of MT state law. The legislation authorized $422 million in …

Choctaw Nation Of Oklahoma And The Chickasaw Nation Water Settlement, United States 114th Congress

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Federal Legislation; Parties: Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Chickasaw Nation, City of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. Purposes, pp 169-170; Definitions, pp. 170-2; Approval of Settlement Agreement, pp. 172-3; Approval of Amended Storage Contract & 1974 Storage Contract, pp.173-5; Settlement Area Waters, pp. 175-7; City Permit for Appropriation of Surface Water from the Kiamichi River, p. 177; Settlement Commission, pp. 177-8; Waivers and Releases of Claims, pp. 178-183; Enforceability Date, pp. 183-5; Jurisdiction, Waivers of Immunity for Interpretation and Enforcement, pp. 185-6; Disclaimers, pp. 186-7. [Source: Government Printing Office http://www.gpo.gov]

Co-Developing Drugs With Indigenous Communities: Lessons From Peruvian Law And The Ayahuasca Patent Dispute, Daniel S. Sem

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

This paper will examine the issues surrounding the codevelopment of drugs derived from traditional medicines used by indigenous peoples in Amazonia, with a focus on Peru. In particular, this paper will explore what national, regional and international legal structures are in place to protect the interests of indigenous peoples, while at the same time providing medical benefit to the world. This issue is explored in the context of Peruvian, U.S., and international treaties – especially the TRIPS agreement, the Andean Community, sui generis protections, and the US-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement.

Blackfeet Housing V. Armc Risk Management Corp., 15-Ap-09 (Blkft. Tr. Ct. App., Nov. 7, 2016), Blackfeet Appellate Court

Court Decisions

In the Blackfeet Tribal Court of Appeals, the Court considered whether appellant, ARMC, was subject to the jurisdiction in the Blackfeet Tribal Court. The lower court erred in finding that it had jurisdiction in this matter under the arm of the tribe analysis it applied. The “arm of the tribe” analysis would have been more appropriate if ARMC was a section 16 entity. Rather, ARMC is a Section 17 Charter, which demands an analysis of whether the Charter was properly granted and ratified. ARMC does enjoy a congressional grant of sovereign immunity under 25 U.S.C. 477, but ARMC’s immunity defense …

Oral Tradition And The Kennewick Man, Cathay Y. N. Smith

Faculty Law Review Articles

No abstract provided.

Getches-Wilkinson Center Newsletter, Fall 2016, University Of Colorado Boulder. Getches-Wilkinson Center For Natural Resources, Energy, And The Environment

Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment Newsletter (2013-)

No abstract provided.

College Of Law Committed To Native Law Program, Mark Adams

Articles

No abstract provided.

Aboriginal Consultation In Canadian Water Negotiations:The Mackenzie Bilateral Water Management Agreements, Andrea Beck

Dalhousie Law Journal

Due to constitutional protection of Aboriginal water rights, the Canadian government has a duty to consult Aboriginal peoples in water-related decision making. In 2015, Alberta and the Northwest Territories signed an agreement for managing their shared waters in the Mackenzie River Basin. In light of Canada's record, observers have praised the preceding negotiation process as pathbreaking due to its high level of Aboriginal involvement. To evaluate such claims, this paper analyzes Aboriginal consultations in the 2011-2015 NWT-Alberta transboundary water negotiation. The comparative case study reaches the following conclusions. In their bilateral water negotiation, the two jurisdictions differed markedly in terns …

Response Brief Of Appellee Navajo Nation, Paul Spruhan

Faculty Scholarship

This appeal concerns the claimed authority of private utility companies to unilaterally force an easement over allotments that include a sovereign Indian nation among its owners. The four certified questions before the Court implicate congressional policy concerning allotments as well as the sovereign interests of the Navajo Nation (“Nation”). Appellants PNM and Transwestern assert that 25 U.S.C. § 357 (Section 357) applies beyond allotments wholly owned by individual allottees to also allow condemnation of the allotment interests of sovereign tribal nations. However, as discussed below, the application of Section 357 to a tribal nation’s property would unduly impair a tribal …

“The Lands…Belonged To Them, Once By The Indian Title, Twice For Having Defended Them…And Thrice For Having Built And Lived On Them”: The Law And Politics Of Métis Title, Karen Drake, Adam Gaudry

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

To predict what is on the horizon of the Métis legal landscape, we can look to jurisprudence on First Nations’ rights, given that Métis rights cases are typically ten to fifteen years behind those of First Nations. With the release of the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Tsilhqot’in, the next big issue in Métis law may be Métis title. Scholars have doubted the ability of Métis to establish Aboriginal title in Canada for two reasons: first, Métis were too mobile, and second, Métis were too immobile. This paper critically analyzes these positions and argues that the case for Métis …

Pursuing A Reconciliatory Administrative Law: Aboriginal Consultation And The National Energy Board, Matthew J. Hodgson

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

Environmental assessment within the process of regulatory review is recognized as the preferred means for carrying out the duty to consult and accommodate Aboriginal rights in administrative decisions over proposed resource development. Recent evidence suggests that integrating the duty to consult into National Energy Board (NEB) proceedings and subsuming the law of Aboriginal consultation under principles of administrative justice have not advanced the goal of reconciliation. This article considers whether the statutory mandate of the National Energy Board requires it to have sufficient regard to Aboriginal rights in a manner consistent with the adjudication of constitutional issues in administrative law. …

Federal Treaty And Trust Obligations, And Ocean Acidification, Robert T. Anderson

Washington Journal of Environmental Law & Policy

Ocean acidification will have profound effects on the entire human population and natural resources that depend in any way upon Earth’s oceans and lakes. In turn, those effects will be even greater, and potentially catastrophic, for indigenous populations who rely on the seas for physical, cultural, and spiritual sustenance. While most research on carbon dioxide absorption from the atmosphere has focused on oceans and the resulting acidification, many believe that acidification levels also will also increase in the Great Lakes. Indian tribes in the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes regions share reliance on marine and freshwater resources, and many …

High Court Denies Rights Of Natives, Barbara L. Creel, John Lavelle

Faculty Scholarship

June 13 of this year marked a milestone in constitutional law. Fifty years earlier, in 1966, the Supreme Court decided Miranda v. Arizona, requiring officers to notify individuals in police custody of their “Miranda rights,” including their right to a court-appointed lawyer if unable to afford one.

In United States v. Bryant, this nation’s highest court condoned the use of prior “uncounseled” tribal court convictions to charge and convict an Indian as a federal habitual domestic violence offender.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who wrote Bryant, denigrates Indian people’s civil rights, citing the need to protect Native women from domestic violence. …

Emulsified Property, Jessica A. Shoemaker

Pepperdine Law Review

The typical American Indian reservation is often described as a “checkerboard” of different real property ownership forms. Individual parcels of reservation land may be held in either a special federal Indian trust status or in fee, by either Indian or non-Indian owners. The general jurisdictional framework provides that federal and sometimes tribal law sets the rights and responsibilities of trust owners, while fee owners are subject to a peculiar mix of state and tribal law. Many scholars have analyzed the challenges created by this checkerboard pattern of property and jurisdiction. This Article, however, reveals an even more complicated issue that …

Slides: Drought In The Murray Darling Basin: A 100 Year Perspective, Daniel Connell

Coping with Water Scarcity in River Basins Worldwide: Lessons Learned from Shared Experiences (Martz Summer Conference, June 9-10)

Presenter: Daniel Connell, Australian National University

22 slides