 |
|
E-Mail Newsletter
December 2016 Volume 2, Number 8
|
|
September 23, 2016: California Indian Legal Services sponsored the reception for a special performance of "Something Inside Is Broken" after the Native American Day celebration at the State Capitol in Sacramento. The
Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians and the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians sponsored the performance at Sac City Theater.
This is the first Native American produced Rock Opera Musical depicting pre-gold rush California. It was truly a spiritually transforming experience.
Pictured: Anecita Agustinez, Tishmall Turner, Jackie Campadonica, Nicole Scott, Mark Romero, Dennis Hendricks, Chris Gallardo, and Bo Mazzetti at the reception for "Something Inside Is Broken".
|
|
|
November 29, 2016:
CILS and Redding Rancheria co-hosted a one-day conference on Public Law 280 and working solutions between tribes and local/state partners.
The presentation was well attended by local government leaders, law enforcement, and tribal representatives in the Northern CA region. The conference provided valuable information on Public Law 280, as well as, the operation of tribal justice systems, and cooperative relationships between tribal and non-tribal communities.
|
|
|
October 26, 2016: CILS is pleased to announce a Public Interest Legal Fellowship Grant from the California Bar Foundation, in support of our Tribal Court development program in our Bishop Office. This program provides training for tribes in the Bishop service area.
The California Bar Foundation Public Interest Legal Fellowship Program funds diverse law students and attorneys to serve low-income clients in rural communities. The grant objective was to build a pipeline of diverse attorneys for rural legal aid agencies in California. This fellowship program addresses CalBar Foundation's top priorities: improving access to justice for all Californians, and supporting diverse recent law graduates and law students who are committed to becoming public interest attorneys.
CalBar funded our summer fellow, Laura Neacato, for our Bishop Office and now has partnered with CILS again for a one year fellow. One of the primary projects the fellow will be focused on is Tribal Court development. Currently, the Bishop Paiute Tribe is the only tribe in the Owens Valley area that has a Tribal Court.
Jasmine Andreas, Directing Attorney of the CILS Bishop Office, stated, "our core area of practice is federal Indian law. Our Bishop Office not only houses our Indian law program but also provides basic field non-Indian legal services to low-income and elderly clients. The Bishop Office is located in a remote area of the Eastern Sierra, Inyo County, which creates its own challenges to clients in need of legal assistance."
"Having been in existence for almost 50 years demonstrates CILS' commitment to a diverse, inclusive staff and work environment," said Dorothy Alther, CILS Executive Director. "Numerous attorneys at CILS came to us through an internship or fellowship program. Because of our unique and special legal service population (Indian law) and that our work will take attorneys into extremely remote and isolated communities, it is imperative for new attorneys to have some prior experience with who we are, who we serve and where they will be meeting their clients."
|
|
|
BISHOP: Jasmine Andreas, Directing Attorney, hosted an legal fellow funded by the California Bar Foundation Public Interest Legal Fellowship Program, Laura Neacato for 10 weeks this fall. Laura assisted in cases involving issues of Indian law.
ESCONDIDO: Mark Radoff, Senior Attorney, presented an ICWA Overview at Arizona State University on September 23rd. Dorothy Alther, Executive Director, gave a presentation on Public Law 280 for the Indian Collect at Morongo Casino Resort on September 27th. Mark Vezzola, Directing Attorney, did an American Indian Probate Reform Act (AIPRA) and Estate Planning presentation for the Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians on October 24th.
EUREKA: Delia Parr, Eureka Directing Attorney gave a Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) training for scial services through the U.C. Davis Regional Academy in Marysville, Yuba County on November 17th.
SACRAMENTO: Jedd Parr, Directing Attorney, and Blake Atkerson, Staff Attorney, hosted a CILS booth at the Native American Day celebration at the Capitol in Sacramento on October 27th.
|
|
|
|
CILS Seeks Community Representatives
for Board of Trustees - All Regions
|
|
The Board of Trustees of California Indian Legal Services (CILS) is currently accepting applications for appointments to the Board for Community Representatives from the southern region of California (for regional representation information, see list of counties covered in "Qualifications" section below). Members of the Board of Trustees play an active and significant role in shaping CILS. Serving on our Board of Trustees is both rewarding and challenging, and it offers a significant opportunity to impact the future of this organization that is so vital to California Indian individuals, families, communities and tribes.
|
|
CILS is pleased to announce its recent hire of Tamara Honrado, who will join the CILS team as a Staff Attorney working in the Eureka office. Honrado will provide legal assistance to tribes and Indian organizations in the Eureka service territory.
"I was attracted by CILS' mission to protect and advance Indian rights," Honrado said. "I believe in Tribal Sovereignty and governance as well as promotion of the Indian Child Welfare Act. CILS is a strong advocate for all of these issues."
As an enrolled member of Six Nations Mohawk in Canada, she is passionate about tribal rights and Federal Indian Law, and is excited to put her passion to work with CILS. In 2015, she graduated from Southwestern Law School's accelerated two year program. During law school, she externed at the Children's Court in Monterey Park and assisted with updating ICWA related educational materials for court members. In addition, she was selected as an advocate for the Trial Advocacy Honors program and competed with other law schools representing both plaintiff and defense in civil actions. After graduation, she earned a certificate in Contemporary Native Nations from UCLA and was a fellow with the American Board of Trial Attorneys.
|
|
CILS and the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians filed an amicus brief in support of the Pauma Band of Mission Indians at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on November 7th. This issue before the court is whether the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) applies to tribal gaming facilities on Indians lands. We raised the same arguments that we presented in our amicus brief to the U. S. Supreme Court in the Little River Band and Soaring Eagle cases.
|
|
SUPPORT COMES IN MANY WAYS.
We encourage you to think about CILS while you are shopping on Amazon. Give us a big smile because you are making a difference for California Indians that needs low cost and no cost legal aid. We are here to provide this legal assistance and with your help, we can.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
