Dear friends and community members –
Although we are all now engaged in distance learning, UCLA law school students have returned to their studies, and classes are in full swing. We are delighted that this fall we welcomed a large and vibrant class of Native first year law students to UCLA School of Law, one of our biggest ever. Here at the Native Nations Law and Policy Center, we have moved our highly-anticipated Red Rising: Native Nations and Political Participation Conference into an on-line Speaker’s Series. We’ve already hosted two engaging and successful events, which you can read more about below. We hope you will save the dates on your calendar for the remainder of our fall programming.
As you may be aware, the President of the United States and the Office of Management and Budget have recently banned any training related to “Critical Race Theory”. The Native Nations Law and Policy Center commends the Deans of the five University of California law schools, including UCLA, for their joint statement regarding the value of Critical Race Theory and opposing the new policy. You can read the Deans’ joint statement below.
These are trying times for many in our communities, tribes, and networks. We send our best to you all and hope this finds you happy and well. We hope to “see” you at one of our upcoming events.
Megwetch (thank you),
Sincerely,
Angela R. Riley (Citizen Potawatomi Nation)
Professor of Law and Director, Native Nations Law and Policy Center
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In a joint letter issued September 11, 2020, the deans said that critical race theory—in which culture and society is examined through the lens of race and power—is a valuable and necessary tool to better understand our country, legislation, and the courts.
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TRIBAL LEGAL DEVELOPMENT CLINIC |
Twelve students are working on projects including clerking for the Ho Chunk Supreme Court, policy work for the Los Angeles City/County Native American Indian Commission, and code work for the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians and the Yurok Tribe.
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LAUREN VAN SCHILFGAARDE HONORED FOR ACHIEVEMENTS IN INDIAN LAW
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Red Rising: Indigenous Peoples and
Political Participation Series
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Red Rising: Indigenous Peoples and Political Participation Series
In light of the upcoming November election, Red Rising will most prominently feature a series of discussions and lectures with internationally and nationally renowned scholars, leaders, academics, and politicians, around the theme of
Indigenous Peoples and Political Participation.
Please click on the links for more information and to register for the remaining events:
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McGirt v. Oklahoma A Mvskoke Triumph
September 9, 2020
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On July 9, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma, holding that the reservation boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, as articulated in its treaties with the United States, remained intact. While the decision was a simple application of the rule of law, it rocked a century of jurisdictional encroachment.
The Native Nations Law and Policy Center, along with Co-Sponsor UCLA School of Law Critical Race Studies held a Zoom event on September 9, 2020. Moderated by Professor Angela R. Riley and joined by Ambassador Jonodev Chaudhuri, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Professor Sarah Deer, University of Kansas, and Dean Stacy Leeds, Dean Emeritus and Professor of Law at the University of Arkansas, this panel explored the decision and its legal reasoning, and importantly, what a post-McGirt future entails for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and all of Indian country.
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The Execution of Lezmond Mitchell: Disdain for Life and Sovereignty September 17, 2020
On August 19, 2020, the federal government executed Lezmond Mitchell, the only American Indian under a federal death penalty sentence. Under the Federal Death Penalty Act, the federal government promised that it would not seek the death penalty against American Indians who committed crimes against other American Indians on tribal land unless the tribe agreed. The Navajo Nation did not agree.
The Native Nations Law and Policy Center, along with Co-Sponsor UCLA School of Law Critical Race Studies held a Zoom event on September 17, 2020. Moderated by Professor Angela R. Riley and joined Jennifer Denetdale, Professor of American Studies, University of New Mexico, Matthew L.M. Fletcher, Professor of Law, Michigan State University College of Law, Addie C. Rolnick, Professor of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Carl Slater, Navajo Nation Council Delegate, this panel explored the legal issues surrounding this case, including tribal sovereignty, criminal jurisdiction, and the role of the death penalty within American Indian communities.
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October 2, 2020
The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Declaration) is a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly which recognizes that indigenous peoples have fundamental collective human rights in many areas, including self-determination, spirituality, lands, and natural resources. The Declaration demonstrates how recognized human rights should be interpreted and applied in the indigenous context, and thus speeds and strengthens their crystallization into norms. This workshop will examine the development of the Declaration and how tribes within the U.S. are using it to push for more expansive indigenous rights.
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October 15, 2020
Representation is a core remedy for invisibility. This notably all-female panel will explore the barriers facing indigenous women and political office, and the hope and tangible change that comes with piercing the representation ceiling. Representatives from both state and national offices will explore how their presence has impacted the offices they hold, and how, despite their constituency, they are called to represent all of Indian country.
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October 29, 2020
Representation is a core remedy for invisibility. This notably all-female panel will explore the barriers facing indigenous women and political office, and the hope and tangible change that comes with piercing the representation ceiling. Representatives from both state and national offices will explore how their presence has impacted the offices they hold, and how, despite their constituency, they are called to represent all of Indian country.
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November 12, 2020-
Despite gaining U.S. citizenship in 1924, Native Americans could largely not participate in U.S. elections until 1948. Today, meaningful access to the ballot box continues to be a tremendous challenge, with numerous issues that are unique to Indian country, such as requirements for a physical address or the acceptability of a Tribal identification card. This panel will highlight those issues and opportunities for increasing indigenous enfranchisement
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