Legislation

New Scholarship: Five Year Review of the American Indian Probate Reform Act

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Diane K. Lautt has published “The American Indian Probate Reform Act: A Five-Year Review” in the Washburn Law Journal.

Oregon Department of Education Considers Mascot Issue

Adrea Korthase3 Comments

The Oregon Department of Education is taking public testimony on the issue of American Indian mascots in public schools on March 8th and 9th. There are several newspaper articles on the topic including ones here, here, here, and here.

The Topic Summary for tomorrow’s discussion is here.

NYT/AP Coverage of Tribal Advocacy in Favor of the SAVE Native Women Act

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here.

Alex Skibine on the Implications of Internet Gaming on Indian Country

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Alexander Tallchief Skibine has posted his testimony before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Opinion on Indian Gaming: What Is at Stake for Tribes?. It is available on SSRN.

Testimony in House Resources Committee Hearing on Tribal Empowerment Act (This is about Alaskan oil, right?)

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here:

Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs Legislative Hearing on H.R. 3973          Wednesday, February 15, 2012 2:00 PM

SUBCOMMITTEE ON INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE AFFAIRS 1324 Longworth House Office Building Wednesday, February 15, 2012 2:00 p.m.

LEGISLATIVE HEARING ON:

  • H.R. 3973 (Young-AK), To facilitate the development of energy on Indian lands by reducing Federal regulations that impede tribal development of Indian lands, and for other purposes.

OPENING STATEMENT:

The Honorable Paul GosarActing Committee Chairman

WITNESSES AND TESTIMONY: Continue reading →

State of Washington Legislature Considers Retrocession Bill

Adrea Korthase

AP Story in the Seattle Times

SCIA: Internet Gaming Panel Prepared Testimony

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here:

Panel #  1

The Honorable Robert Odawi Porter
President
Seneca Nation of Indians, Salamanca, NY

Testimony

Panel #  2

Mr. Kevin K. Washburn
Dean, School of Law Administration
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM

Testimony

Mr. I. Nelson Rose
Senior Professor
Whittier Law School, Encino, CA

Testimony

Mr. Alex Skibine
Professor, S.J. Quinney College of Law
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT

Testimony

Panel #  3

Mr. Patrick Fleming
Litigation Support Director
Poker Players Alliance, Washington, DC

Testimony

Mr. Glenn Feldman
Attorney
Mariscal, Weeks, McIntyre & Friedlander, Phoenix, AZ

Testimony

National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act’s Threat to Tribal Land

Adrea Korthase

The bill’s (H.R. 1505) purpose is “To prohibit the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture from taking action on public lands which impede border security on such lands, and for other purposes.” Information on (and link to) the bill can be found here.

ICT has an article by Montana Senator John Tester here, which discusses the threat to tribal land in Montana, including sacred sites.

House Passes Bill to Provide the Quileute Tribe with Higher Ground

trentcrable

Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed a bill that provides the Quileute Tribe an additional 785 acres of land, including land currently part of the Olympic National Park. Presumably the two key purposes of the bill are to (1) help get the Tribe out of tsunami and flood zones (most if not all of the Tribe’s current land is low-lying coastal land), and (2) secure a waiver from the Tribe regarding some long standing land claims the Tribe has.

Local news story here.

Legislation here.

Prepared Statements in House Indian Affairs Subcommittee Meeting on Tribal Empowerment Act

Matthew L.M. Fletcher2 Comments

Here (the bill is here):

OPENING STATEMENT:

The Honorable Don Young
Chairman

WITNESSES AND TESTIMONY:

Panel I

Donald “Del” Laverdure
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs
U.S. Department of the Interior
Washington, DC

Panel II

The Honorable Robert Porter
President
Seneca Nation of Indians
Salamanca, NY

The Honorable W. Ron Allen
Tribal Chairman, CEO
Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe
Sequim, WA

The Honorable Walter Dasheno
Governor
Santa Clara Pueblo
Espanola, NM

Robert T. Coulter
Executive Director
Indian Law Resource Center
Helena, MT