The tribe is apparently in danger because its lands in Peru and Brazil are sought after by loggers and miners and others.
New Pictures Show “Uncontacted” Tribe “Well and Strong”.
News
Many Pueblos Without Heat in New Mexico
Many Pueblos w/out heat in NM.
https://www.nmgco.com/Emergency_Updates.aspx
http://www.koat.com/news/26732989/detail.html
Arvo Mikkanen Nominated for Federal Bench in Oklahoma
From the White House press release:
Arvo Mikkanen: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma
Arvo Mikkanen serves as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, a position he has held since 1994. From 1988 to 1994, Mikkanen was an associate attorney at Andrews Davis Legg Bixler Milsten & Price. During that same time, he also served as a trial and appellate judge for Court of Indian Offenses and Court of Indian Appeals for the Kiowa, Comanche, Apache, Wichita, Caddo, Delaware, Fort Sill Apache, Ponca, Pawnee, Kaw, Otoe-Missouria, and Tonkawa Tribes. From 1991 to 1994, he served as the Chief Justice of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Supreme Court. From 1987 to 1988, Mikkanen served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert M. Parker of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, and from 1986 to 1987, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Lawrence S. Margolis of the U.S. Claims Court. He received his J.D. in 1986 from Yale Law School and his B.A. in 1983 from Dartmouth College.
Washington State Bar Retains Indian Law on Its Bar Exam
From Gabe Galanda….
Tribal Lawyer Colleagues and Friends:
Last Thursday, the Washington State Bar Association Board of Governors affirmed a 2004 Board decision to add federal Indian jurisdiction to Washington’s bar exam, by adopting a customized version of the Uniform Bar Exam, effective 2013, which will still include Indian law. According to draft Board minutes:
Governor Etengoff moved that the WSBA adopt as the Washington State Bar Exam the UBE, consisting of the Multistate Bar Exam-multiple choice exam (MBE), the Multistate Performance Test (MPT), and the Multistate Essay Exam (MEE), along with a Washington Educational Component Test (WECT), which will include Indian Law and other subjects particular to Washington State, and which consists of an online/course materials and online multiple choice exam, and also adopt the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) as Washington’s’ Professional responsibility exam. . . . Governor Etengoff’s original motion, as amended, passed 11-0-2. Governors Buri and Flood abstained. Governor Lee was not present for the votes on the Washington State Bar Exam.
Us Indian lawyers and bar leaders in Washington State are thrilled that Indian law was specifically preserved on our state’s bar exam, as our bar moves away from an all-essay format and towards the Uniform Bar Exam and a multi-state format for the first time in our history. We were very worried that Indian law, which has been included on the bar exam in Washington since 2007 and which has demonstrably impacted our legal profession and local tribal-state relations in many positive ways, was going to end up on the cutting room floor.
GTB and Coast Guard Sign Historic Agreement
PESHAWBESTOWN, MI – Rear Adm. Michael N. Parks, Ninth U.S. Coast Guard District Commander, will join Derek J. Bailey, Tribal Chairman, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians and Cmdr. Jonathan S. Spaner, Commanding Officer Air Station Traverse City, to formally sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the United States Coast Guard and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians on Saturday, January 29, 2011, at 11am in the Eagle’s Ridge Conference Center (located on the hill overlooking Leelanau Sands Casino.)
The Coast Guard and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians are entering into this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to further enhance cultural, operational, and community coordination. The MOU is a unique opportunity to formalize the nation-to-nation cooperation between the USCG and Grand Traverse Band and is intended to solidify an enduring relationship for decades to come. The agreement establishes consensus guidelines necessary to succeed over the long-term and is also intended to serve as a model for cooperation between other sovereign Tribal authorities and Coast Guard leaders.
Sault Tribe Membership Votes Down Romulus Casino; Chairman McCoy Promises Future Proposals
Here is the tribe’s press release. An excerpt:
The other referendum sought to repeal Resolution 2010-249, “Pursuit of Settlement of a Land Claim with respect to property in the Romulus, Michigan Metropolitan Area.”
The resolution was approved November 9 by the Sault Tribe board of directors.
The voters decided, by a vote of 1,864 to 2,986, to not approve Resolution 2010-249, thereby overturning the board’s action.
And:
Angela Onwuachi-Willig a Finalist for the Iowa Supreme Court!
Here is the article.
Mashantucket Pequot (Apparently) Will End Per Capita Payments to Members under Age 55
News article here. An excerpt:
Anticipating the end of monthly distributions of gaming profits to tribal members, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council late last year enacted a law to protect the tribe’s older, needy members.
The law provides for up to $50,000 a year in financial assistance for “elders,” who are defined for the purposes of the law as those 60 and older as well as those who were at least 55 as of Dec. 31, 2010. The assistance was to begin Jan. 1, the law states.
It’s estimated that about 80 members of the 850-member tribe are at least 55 years old.
Under the new law, elders are eligible to receive annual assistance equal to a “standard of need,” with the amount of the assistance reduced by “offset income” the elder receives in excess of $25,000.
DOJ Taskforce on Violence against Indian Women Announced
Here:
Attorney General Eric Holder today announced the formation and inaugural meeting of the Violence Against Women Federal and Tribal Prosecution Task Force.
The creation of the Prosecution Task Force fulfills a pledge made by Attorney General Holder at the department’s Tribal Nations Listening Session in October 2009.
“We know too well that tribal communities face unique law enforcement challenges and are struggling to reverse unacceptable rates of violence against women and children,” said Attorney General Holder. “The creation of the Violence Against Women Tribal Prosecution Task Force has been a priority for me since my visit with tribal leaders last year, and I believe it is a critical step in our work to improve public safety and strengthen coordination and collaboration concerning prosecution strategies with tribal communities.”
United States Attorney Deborah Gilg of the District of Nebraska, six Assistant United States Attorneys working in Indian Country, and six representatives from tribal governments comprise the Task Force. They include:
- U.S. Attorney Deborah R. Gilg, District of Nebraska, Chairperson
- Tribal Prosecutor Diane S. Cabrera, Crow Tribe (MT)
- Assistant U.S. Attorney Glynette R. Carson McNabb, District of New Mexico
- Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg S. Peterman, District of South Dakota
- Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Roe, Western District of Washington
- Assistant U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins, District of Utah
- Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcia Hurd, District of Montana
- DOJ’s National Indian Country Training Coordinator Leslie A. Hagen
- Deputy Attorney General M. Brent Leonhard, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (OR)
- Chief Judge Theresa M. Pouley, Tulalip Tribal Court (WA)
- Chief Prosecutor Sheri Freemont, Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian (AZ)
- Tribal Attorney Michelle Rivard Parks, Spirit Lake Tribe (ND)
- Staff Attorney Joshua Breedlove, Mississippi Choctow (MS)
UN Expert to visit Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to study the epidemic of violence against Native women in the United States
Press Release from Indian Law Resource Center and the Easter Band of Cherokee Indians:
January 21, 2011
CHEROKEE, N.C. — A United Nations expert on women’s human rights is investigating why Native women face the highest rates of sexual and physical assault of any group in the United States.
Ms. Rashida Manjoo, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, will visit the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in Cherokee, North Carolina on January 27-28, 2011. Manjoo will meet with tribal leaders and advocacy organizations to learn more about the epidemic of violence against Indian women and what the United States can do to safeguard the human rights of Indian women.
According to U.S. Department of Justice statistics, one out of three Native women will be raped in her lifetime, and three out of four will be physically assaulted. Indian women are stalked at a rate more than double that of any other population. These statistics are linked to legal barriers that prevent Indian nations from adequately responding to crimes.
Turtle Talk 
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