News – Page 102 – Turtle Talk

American Indian tribal members arrested while exercising their treaty fishing rights before 1975 would get the chance to clear their criminal records under a bill headed to Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk.

House Bill 2080 passed the Senate unanimously Wednesday. It passed the House in February.

The measure would allow tribal members to apply to the sentencing court to expunge their related misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor or felony convictions. Family members and tribal officials also could seek a vacated criminal record on behalf of a deceased person. The court would have the discretion to vacate the conviction, unless certain conditions apply, such as if the person was convicted for a violent crime or crime against a person.

via @SmithsonianNMAI

LA Times Article on Yurok Tribal Court Judge Abinanti

March 6, 2014March 5, 2014Kate Fort

Here.

Abby Abinanti squints at her docket. “The court is going to call — the court is going to put on its glasses,” she says dryly, reaching to grab her readers and snatch some candy from a staff member.

As chief judge of the Yurok Tribal Court, Abinanti wears no robe. On this day, she’s in jeans and cowboy boots, her silver hair spilling down the back of a black down vest. In contrast to her longtime role as a San Francisco Superior Court commissioner, she doesn’t perch above those who come before her; she shares a table with them.

http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-yurok-tribal-judge-20140305-dto,0,320867.htmlstory#ixzz2v8BFclZJ

NPR Morning Edition Coverage of Wind River Reservation and EPA Decision

March 5, 2014Kate Fort

Here.

News Coverage of the Suit over the Missing $316K at Chukchansi

February 27, 2014Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here.

Rep. Raúl Grijalva on Obama and the Keystone XL Pipeline

February 27, 2014Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here.

Casper Star-Tribune Editorial on the ILOC Report

February 27, 2014February 26, 2014Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here.

Adoption from a Native Perspective

February 27, 2014February 26, 2014Matthew L.M. Fletcher1 Comment

Here.

An excerpt:

Leland Morrill was estranged from his Navajo lineage for twenty years. Today, as an author, advocate, and speaker, Morrill shares the unique perspective of how adoption is viewed by Native American family and culture, through the eyes of an adult adoptee.

Nooksack Update — Open Letter to BIA and BIA Response (to a different letter)

February 26, 2014Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here is the open letter in the ICT.

And here is the BIA’s response to a prior, official letter:

BIA response letter

TIGA Release on Support Letter from Isle of Man

February 25, 2014Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here:

The Government of the Isle of Man, a recognized world leader in internet gaming, has issued a letter of recognition and support to the Tribal Internet Gaming Alliance (TIGA). The letter can be viewed here. The letter states, in part:

“The Isle of Man (we) are pleased to recognize the treaty organization that is known as the Tribal Internet Gaming Alliance (TIGA). We recognize TIGA’s mission is to facilitate, offer, regulate and promote legal internet gaming on behalf of its member tribes, consistent with the highest standards of security, integrity and accountability and see this as a positive platform from which TIGA members can act together, to facilitate, offer and promote legal internet gaming for the benefit [of] its member tribes.”

The Island’s letter goes on to discuss the possibility of the Isle of Man and TIGA entering into inter-jurisdictional agreements regarding internet gaming: “We understand that the Tribal Internet Gaming Alliance (TIGA) is an inter-governmental treaty organization of sovereign tribes, capable of exercising certain delegated governmental powers on behalf of each member tribe. As such, we would be pleased to engage with TIGA to facilitate the opportunity for TIGA and the Isle of Man jurisdiction to negotiate, enter and/or establish inter-jurisdictional agreements for mutual benefit.”

The TIGA Treaty Council extends its warmest “thank-you” to the Government of the Isle of Man and looks forward to a long and productive international relationship for the mutual benefit of our governments.

TIGA is an inter-tribal treaty organization open to all federally recognized tribes and Alaskan Native Villages. As of February 25, 2014, TIGA has two member tribes that have ratified the TIGA Treaty under tribal law: 1) the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians; and 2) the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

In addition to the Letter of Support from the Isle of Man, TIGA has received a Resolution in Support from the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in Canada.