It’s been a long strange trip but we’re down to the final four.
#1 Alaska Native tribes v. #2 Tribal Sovereign Immunity
Alaska Native tribes win again with 55 percent of the vote over Bay Mills Indian Community. The top overall seed defeated the Buena Vista Rancheria, the Omaha Tribe, and the Wisconsin Oneidas before facing Bay Mills.
Tribal sovereign immunity also advances with 74 percent of the vote over ICWA. Immunity knocked out alternative energy, American Indian education, and VAWA before taking out ICWA.
The matchup looks very similar for the Alaska tribal communities. In effect, Bay Mills gets a second chance at the prize, along with all the other tribes that have raised sovereign immunity this year. Westlaw says there are 16 tribal immunity cases from 2014 alone. Of course, there are 229 Alaska Native tribes.
#2 Justice Sotomayor v. #10 Tribal In-House Counsel Association
Justice Sotomayor wins out in the people bracket, narrowly eliminating Judge Humetewa with 54 percent of the vote. She eliminated the McAllen Grace Baptist Church, Frank Pommersheim, and the authors of Structuring Sovereignty before facing Judge Humetewa.
TICA is the big upstart in this inaugural tournament, winners of the groups bracket but the lowest seed remaining. Obviously, I underestimated their staggering power at the beginning. TICA squeaked by NABA and the Tribal Supreme Court Project before gathering steam and completely destroying the Carcieri challengers and the 1491s.
Hmm, this semifinal features one versus many, begging us to ask Spock’s stark question — do the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one?
Turtle Talk 