News

WaPo: “As salmon vanish in the dry Pacific Northwest, so does Native heritage”

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here.

NYTs: “Native Alaskans Study and Clean Up a Legacy of Pollution”

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here.

Save the Date: Apply to Clerk at NARF by September 25, 2015

Matthew Campbell

Founded in 1970, the Native American Rights Fund (“NARF”) is the oldest and largest nonprofit law firm dedicated to asserting and defending the rights of Indian tribes, organizations, and individuals nationwide. NARF’s practice is concentrated in five key areas: the preservation of tribal existence; the protection of tribal natural resources; the promotion of Native American human rights; the accountability of governments to Native Americans; and the development of Indian law and educating the public about Indian rights, laws, and issues.

Summer Clerkships
NARF is currently seeking candidates for its Summer 2016 Clerkships! Each year, NARF conducts a nation-wide search for law students to participate in its Law Clerk Program. Positions are available in all three of NARF’s offices: Anchorage, AK; Boulder, CO; and Washington, D.C.

Here is the advertisement. The deadline to apply is September 25, 2015.

Alaska Attorney General Publishes Opinion Regarding State Enforcement of Tribal Protection Orders

Victoria Sweet

Link to full press release here  .

Attorney General Craig Richards published a formal Attorney General Opinion today regarding whether state and local law enforcement can enforce a tribal protection order that has not been registered with the court system. The opinion had been requested by Commissioner Folger, Department of Public Safety in order to provide clarity to the State Troopers in carrying out their duties.

This Opinion concludes that a tribal protection order does not need to be registered with the court system before a State trooper or other officer can enforce it. The protection order will be immediately enforceable if it meets the criteria outlined in the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

“This Opinion provides clear direction to officers on the ground as well as the victims they seek to protect,” said Attorney General Richards. “There should now be no doubt that these protection orders must be enforced.

Opinion available here Opinion Alaska Tribal Protection Orders

News coverage here .

News Profile of Michigan Anishinaabe Jiimaan Builders

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here is “Birch bark canoe artists keep Native American tradition afloat” from the Petoskey News-Review.

Medicine Crow-Eid to Alaska Governor: Drop Land-into-Trust Suit

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here is “Gov. Walker can help protect rural Alaskans by dropping land-into-trust suit.”

Eastern Band Cherokee Press Release on Domestic Violence Prosecution under VAWA

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here:

Press Release re John Arkansas 07-22-15

News Profile of Police Violence against Native People

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here is “Native Lives Matter: Police Killing Native Americans at Astounding Rate.”