treaty rights – Turtle Talk

Wisconsin Sues Lac du Flambeau Band over Nonmember Fishing

April 30, 2026ilpc

Here is the complaint in State of Wisconsin v. Johnson (W.D. Wis.):

1 Complaint.pdf Download

New Scholarship on Bordertowns and the Bad Men Clauses

April 20, 2026Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Taylor Graham has published “Bad Men in the Bordertown” in the New Mexico Law Review.

Here is the abstract:

In nine treaties signed by Tribal Nations and the United States between 1867 and 1868, the United States promised redress to Native Americans for wrongs committed against them by “bad men among the whites.” Today, Native Americans are more likely to be killed by police than any other group, with much of this violence concentrated near the borders of Tribal Nations. Although claims brought under the “bad men” treaty clauses offer an avenue for combatting this epidemic of violence, courts have begun interpreting the clauses to apply only when “wrongs” occur within Tribal boundaries. This article argues that the territoriality of the bad men clauses should be read broadly to encompass violence committed outside of Tribal boundaries to address the disproportionate police violence against Native Americans that occurs there.

Living with Treaties Day 2, Morning Sessions

April 10, 2026Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Jay Cook, Jonathon Quint, Gabrielle Ione Hickman, Michael Witgen

Ned Blackhawk, Jon Parmenter, Mary Mount Pleasant

UM Inclusive History Project Symposium “Living with Treaties” Opening Events

April 10, 2026April 10, 2026Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Yesterday evening. . . .

Opening talk show guests: Fletcher, Michael Witgen, Greg Dowd, and Ned Blackhawk (Maggie Blackhawk arrived later)

Conference details here.

Bar River Ojibwe Sues Army Corps over Enbridge Line 5 Reroute

April 9, 2026Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here is the complaint in Bad River Band of Lake Superior of Chippewa v. United States Army Corps of Engineers (D.D.C.):

1 Complaint.pdf Download

MSU ILPC Conference — Treaty Waters at Risk: Tribal Sovereignty and the Line 5 Challenge in the Great Lakes — April 17, 2026

March 29, 2026April 20, 2026Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Registration here.

Join us at MSU Law for Treaty Waters at Risk: Tribal Sovereignty and the Line 5 Challenge in the Great Lakes, a one-day conference on Friday, April 17, 2026, examining the legal and environmental stakes of energy infrastructure in treaty-protected waters.

Featuring a keynote by Whitney Gravelle, MSU Law and ILPC alumna and President of the Bay Mills Indian Community, the program brings together leading voices to discuss treaty rights, co-management, and the ongoing Line 5 conflicts at Bad River and the Straits of Mackinac.

Native America Calling Show on Line 5 TODAY

March 23, 2026Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here:

Tribes in Michigan oppose Enbridge the Line 5 oil pipeline replacement plan, arguing the environmental risks to their traditional waters far outweigh any benefits. The proposal to replace the 70-year-old pipeline that currently runs through Michigan and Wisconsin has faced many legal challenges over the years. Now, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether the state or federal government should have say over how the project proceeds. The decision could set a precedent on how much power tribes and states have in regulating fossil fuel development. We’ll speak with tribal leaders, Native legal scholars, and others about what’s next for the ongoing Line 5 pipeline legal battle.

GUESTS

Wenona Singel (Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa), associate professor of law at Michigan State University College of Law and associate director of the Indigenous Law and Policy Center

Elizabeth Arbuckle (Bad River), chairwoman of the Bad River Tribe

Melissa Kay, Tribal Water Institute fellow at the Native American Rights Fund