House Resources Committee Chair Letter to AG Holder and ASIA Washburn re Indian Water Rights Settlement Legislation

Here.

PDF.

House and Senate Repeal Alaska Exception (Section 910) of VAWA

Now it’s off to the President for his signature or veto:

Senator Lisa Murkowski and Congressman Don Young today teamed up to make sure that Section 910 of the Violence Against Women Act was repealed. Through numerous conversations with their House and Senate colleagues, the two Alaska lawmakers succeeded in having the provision removed from the law.

In the final days of the 113th Congress, Representative Young worked directly with House leadership – including several interactions with Speaker John Boehner, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and other senior House members – to secure expedited passage of the bill in one of the House’s final actions prior to adjourning.  Meanwhile, Senator Murkowski worked with her Senate colleagues to build support for the action, including a call across Capitol Hill before the vote to Majority Leader McCarthy, encouraging his consent for the move that officially took place after tonight’s final budget vote.

“Alaska tribes asked me to repeal Section 910 of VAWA, and I thank the Alaska Delegation for working with me on their behalf,” said Murkowski.  “But it doesn’t stop today; in the new Congress beginning next month, it will be imperative to ensure that our tribal courts in Alaska receive the funding they need to deliver the justice and protection the need and deserve – not only for training and capacity development, but also for operations.”

“Today I am pleased that the House of Representatives passed S. 1474, a bill which repeals Section 910 of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA).  In the many conversations I have had with Alaska Native leaders and families since the reauthorization of VAWA last year, I heard a consistent, clear, and powerful message: that Section 910 was an error and must be repealed,” said Congressman Young.  “I was proud to work with Lisa in these final moments to ensure that one of the final acts of the House of Representatives in the 113th Congress was to empower Alaska’s tribes and uplift Alaska Native women.”

Link to press release here.

Gun Lake Trust Land Reaffirmation Act Signed

Here are materials from the tribe:

PR New Federal Law Ends Patchak Lawsuit 9.29.14

Bills+Release+9.26.14

GL Trust Land Reaffirmation Act

Gun Lake Trust Land Reaffirmation Act Passed by Congress

House vote was yesterday.

S. 1603 here.

Committee Reports: S. Rept. 113-194; H. Rept. 113-590

Witness List and Written Testimony in July 23 SCIA Hearing on Indian Gaming

Here:

Witnesses:

The Honorable Paul A. Gosar
Representative-United States House of Representatives

The Honorable Raul M. Grijalva
Representative-United States House of Representatives

Panel 1

The Honorable Kevin Washburn
Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs-United States Department of the Interior
View Testimony

Mr. Jonodev Osceola Chaudhuri
Vice Chairman-National Indian Gaming Commission
View Testimony

Ms. Anne-Marie Fennell
Director-Natural Resources and Environment-United States Government Accountability Office
View Testimony

Panel 2

The Honorable A.T. Stafne
Representative-United States House of Representatives
View Testimony

The Honorable Michell Hicks
Principal Chief-Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
View Testimony

Mr. Ernest L. Stevens, Jr.
Chairman-National Indian Gaming Association
View Testimony

Panel 3

The Honorable Diane Enos
Chairman-Assiniboine & Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation
View Testimony

The Honorable Ned Norris, Jr.
Chairman-Tohono O’odham Nation of Arizona
View Testimony

The Honorable Jerry Weiers
Mayor-City of Glendale
View Testimony

Additional Written Testimony from Indian Law and Order Commission to SCIA

Here:

2014 0715 ILOC Ltr to Hon J Tester

SCIA-Ellis-Response-July15-2014

House Subcommittee Hearing on the Indian Trust Asset Reform Act

Here is the link to the page. The archived video of the hearing should be up on that page sometime today.

Witnesses and Testimony:

PANEL I

The Honorable Mike Simpson (H.R. 409)
Member of Congress

PANEL II

Mr. Michael Black (H.R. 409 and H.R. 4350)
Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs
U.S. Department of the Interior

Mr. Llevando “Cowboy” Fisher (H.R. 4350)
President
Northern Cheyenne Tribe

Mr. Ernie Stensgar (H.R. 409)
Vice Chairman, Coeur d’Alene Tribe
Member, Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Mr. David Mullon (H.R. 409)
Chief Counsel
National Congress of American Indians
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Senate Indian Affairs Hearing Today on Land into Trust at 2:30pm

Here.
Witnesses:
Panel 1
The Honorable Jerry Moran
Senator-United States Senate

Panel 2
The Honorable Kevin Washburn
Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs-Department of the Interior

Panel 3
The Honorable Brian Cladoosby
President-National Congress of American Indians

The Honorable Nathan Small
Chairman-Shoshone-Bannock Tribes

The Honorable Elwood Lowery
Chairman-Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe

The Honorable David “D.K.” Sprague
Chairman-Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan

Article on Birth Mother in Adoptive Couple Case Dropping Federal Suit

Here.

In a statement Tuesday, Cherokee Nation Assistant Attorney General Chrissi Ross Nimmo said officials did not actively follow the suit because they were never served with a complaint, meaning they were unaware the case was closed until last week.

“We are pleased Ms. Maldonado and the unnamed plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed the suit,” she said. “We never believed the suit had any merit, and we’re prepared to actively defend the suit had we ever been served.”

Kirsten Carlson Awarded National Science Foundation to Study Congress and Indian Law Legislation

Here.

Amazing news for Professor Carlson! Her project is titled, “Legal Mobilization, Rights Claims, and Federal Indian Policy Reforms.”