Several Indian law cert petitions are set for discussion today at the Supreme Court’s conference (which is their fancy way of saying they’re meeting as a group of 9 to discuss pending cases; where they decide whether or not to accept a cert petition). Here’s a list:
Grand River Six Nations Enterprises Ltd. v. Boughton
Several of the McGirt-related petitions
The fun keeps going next week:
Klickitat County v. Yakama Nation Cert Petition
And the week after that:
NY Times Coverage here
The Canadian government announced Tuesday that it had reached what it called the largest settlement in Canada’s history, paying $31.5 billion to fix the nation’s discriminatory child welfare system and compensate the Indigenous people harmed by it.
Agreement in principle/press release here
For those who were following this case, it involves the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, which is led by Cindy Blackstock. The settlement attempts to reform Child and Family Services and address Jordan’s Principle. This is a major settlement and significant milestone for Native children and families in Canada.
Here. An excerpt describing the holding:
This appeal marks the latest chapter in a long-running contract dispute between the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation (the Tribe) and Lynn Becker, a non-Indian. The contract concerned Becker’s work marketing and developing the Tribe’s mineral resources on the Ute reservation. Almost seven years ago, Becker sued the Tribe in Utah state court for allegedly breaching the contract by failing to pay him a percentage of certain revenue the Tribe received from its mineral holdings. Later, the Tribe filed this lawsuit, challenging the state court’s subject matter jurisdiction under federal law. The district court denied the Tribe’s motion for a preliminary injunction against the state-court proceedings, and the Tribe appeals.
We reverse and hold that the Tribe is entitled to injunctive relief. The district court’s factual findings establish that Becker’s state-court claims arose on the reservation because no substantial part of the conduct supporting them occurred elsewhere. And because the claims arose on the reservation, the state court lacks subject-matter jurisdiction absent congressional authorization.
Briefs here.
Applications being accepted now for a cohort starting in August 2022
Full funding & living support for Native Americans to earn their California K-12 teaching credential & MA in Education in as little as 12 months.
Post-graduation mentorship while CNA Fellow is meeting payback obligation by teaching in a school that serves a high population of Indian students.
Core online program works in conjunction with hands-on learning while CNA Fellow works in a school under guidance of a mentor teacher. Program can be completed from one’s home community.
See CNA Fellowship Program’s website or contact Melanie.Kerr@cgu.edu for more information.
Here is the complaint in Yakama Nation Tribal Council v. Sheridan Vineyard (E.D. Wash.):
Here:
Lower court materials here.
The dispute involves waters somewhere in . . . here:
Answer Briefs here:
Here are the relevant materials in United States v. Portillo (W.D. Okla.):
Highly recommended!
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For further information, please visit https://law.wisc.edu/grad/hastie/index.html. Applications are due February 1, 2021.
Prior Native Hastie fellows now teaching in law schools (clockwise from upper left, Stacy Leeds, Richard Monette, and Mike Oeser).
Turtle Talk 
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