5th Annual MSU Indigenous Law Conference

October 10-11, 2008 @ MSU Law College

Forty Years of the Indian Civil Rights Act –

History, Tribal Law, and Modern Challenges

The Indian Civil Rights Act will be 40 years old in 2008 – and Santa Clara Pueblo v. Martinez will be 30. We have decided to dedicate our 5th annual conference to the Act and to Martinez. Confirmed speakers already include Kristen Carpenter, Trent Crable, Marty Curry, Gordon Henry, Sonia Katyal, Elizabeth Kronk, Stacy Leeds, Dan Lewerenz, Catharine MacKinnon, Rebecca Miles, Eva Petoskey, Frank Pommersheim, Angela Riley, Mark Rosen, Wenona Singel, Paul Spruhan, Rina Swentzell, Melissa Tatum, Ann Tweedy, Gloria Valencia-Weber, Rose Cuison Villazor, and others.

We are pleased to announce that Lawrence Baca will be the keynote speaker for this conference.

Our vision for this year’s conference is to solicit papers that cover a specific provision in the Indian Civil Rights Act, e.g., free speech, freedom of religion, due process, equal protection, and so on. We want academics, practitioners, tribal judges, tribal leaders – anyone that has something important to say about this very important statute. We will collect the best of these papers into an edited collection for publication with a major university press, co-edited by Kristen A. Carpenter, Matthew L.M. Fletcher, and Angela R. Riley.

A picture of our postcard, with artwork by Sam English, is on our MSU website.

Registration for this event is now available online here.

Additional Information for Conference Participants:

Parking at the Wharton Center lot will be validated for the conference.  Maps of the lot and the law school are available here and here.  The official conference hotel is the East Lansing Marriott at 300 MAC Ave. in East Lansing.  Directions to the All Seasons Bistro from both the Law College and the East Lansing Marriott are available in the conference materials.

Schedule of Events

Friday, October 10, 2008

7:30 – 8:30 a.m. Registration

8:30 – 8:40 a.m. Opening: Asiniins Singers

8:40 – 9:00 a.m. Welcome and Introduction by Dean Joan W. Howarth

9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Keynote Speaker: Lawrence Baca

10:00 – 10:15 a.m. Break

10:15 – 12:15 p.m. Indigenous Women Assess the Indian Civil Rights Act

Moderator: Sheena Oxendine

Rebecca Miles

Eva Petoskey

Rina Swentzell

Gloria Valencia Weber

Francine Hatch

12:15 – 1:15 p.m. Lunch in the Castle Board Room

1:15 – 3:00 p.m. Gender and Race

Moderator: Hannah Bobee

Angela Riley

Ann Tweedy

Sonia Katyal

3:00 – 3:30 p.m. Break

3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Commentary on the Indian Civil Rights Act

Moderator: Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Catharine MacKinnon

6:00 p.m. Appetizers at the All Seasons Bistro

6:45 p.m. Dinner at the All Seasons Bistro

8:00 p.m. Literary Event at the All Seasons Bistro

Frank Pommersheim

Gordon Henry

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Saturday, October 11, 2008

9:00 – 10:30 a.m. Tribal Courts & Due Process

Moderator: Kate Fort

Stacy Leeds

Frank Pommersheim

Paul Spruhan

10:30 – 10:45 a.m. Break

10:45 – 11:45 a.m. Property and Community

Moderator: Sharon Avery

Wenona Singel

Melissa Tatum

11:45 – 1:00 p.m. Lunch in the Castle Board Room

1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Free Speech and Religion

Moderator: Frank Ravitch

Marty Curry

Dan Lewerenz

Kristin Carpenter

2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Criminal Procedure

Moderator: Ezekiel Fletcher

Trent Crable

Elizabeth Kronk

3:30 – 3:40 p.m. Closing: Asiniins Singers