National Indian Law Library

November 4, 2026

The Tribal Supreme Court Project published an Update Memorandum on October 30, 2026.

Provost v. Gant, et al. (voting rights; First Amendment)
Marrowbone, et al. v. Craven, et al. (Tribal membership; Tribal law)
Banley v. Garreau, et al. (Bivens; Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA))
United States, et al. v. FourPoint Resources, LLC, et al. (Tribal law)
Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians v. The Chair of the National Indian Gaming Commission, et al. (Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA); Administrative Procedure Act (APA))
Pueblo of Santa Clara, et al. v. National Park Service, et al. (cultural resources; Religious Freedom and Restoration Act (RFRA))

This week, in brief:

Federal judge rules Native voters can wear “Natives Vote” shirts at South Dakota polling places
Alaska judge finds Bonanza Channel gold mining proposal unlawful
Northern Arapaho Tribe affirms sovereign authority to regulate access and rights-of-way on Tribal lands
Tribal leaders warned border wall construction would disturb Native American remains. They were right.
Blood quantum, lineal descent and beyond: How do Tribes define citizenship?

Loefer v. Craven, et al. (Tribal jurisdiction; Indian Civil Rights Act (ICRA))
Protect the Peninsula's Future, et al. v. Burgum, et al. (Tribal sovereign immunity; subject matter jurisdiction)
California Valley Miwok Tribe, et al. v. Burgum, et al. (federal recognition; Administrative Procedure Act (APA))
Fort Belknap Indian Community of the Fort Belknap Reservation of Montana v. United States of America, et al. (resource management; water rights; trust breach)
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe v. United States (trust breach)
Rodgers v. City of Tahlequah, et al. (criminal jurisdiction; Section 1983; Indian Civil Rights Act (ICRA))

S.H. v. Department of Children and Families (Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA))
State ex rel. Prairie Island Indian Community v. Codispoti (Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA); Tribal jurisdiction)

H.R.10864 - San Carlos Irrigation Project Divestiture Act of 2026 / To provide for the divestiture of certain properties of the San Carlos Irrigation Project in the State of Arizona, and for other purposes.

Becerra v. San Carlos Apache Tribe and the Indian Self Determination & Education Assistance Act: Keeping Indian Health Services responsible in the wake of forced sterilizations.
The Declaration of Independence: "Merciless Indian Savages" . . . and more.
Foreign-trade zones in Indian Country.
In pursuit of federal recognition: A legal and historical analysis of the Duwamish Tribe’s fight for federal Tribal recognition.
Inherent rights, imposed borders: Assessing reform of INA § 289 in a restrictive era.
Native American law explainer.
Native gifts in an electric universe: Exploring Tribal sovereignty through digital data, spectrum, and technological imaginings.
Practicing in a sovereign space: Opportunity and complexity in Tribal transactions.
Tribal civil jurisdiction: Lexington v. Smith and the evolution of the Montana framework.
Traversing personal injury law in Indian Country.
When Tribal sovereign immunity and the Americans with Disabilities Act collide, who wins?

This week, in brief:

Yakima County Superior Court welcomes first Native American judge Bree Black Horse
Diné leaders demand the return of Bears Ears, fully intact
Native inmate files suit against California prison over religious rights
Oklahoma lawmakers give district attorneys $500K for Tulsa, Muscogee Nation jurisdiction fight
'Our vote matters, especially now': Native voters share priorities ahead of midterm elections

The Native American Rights Fund is hiring a Paralegal in the Boulder office. Learn more at our Career Center.

One petition for certiorari was filed 10/12/26:

One petition for certiorari was denied 10/19/26:

New Mexico Trappers Association v. Torrez (26-361) (New Mexico Statute § 17-11-4(H))

Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma v. Zeldin, et al. (SAFETEA § 10211, 119 Stat. 1937; Administrative Procedure Act (APA))
Alegre, et al. v. United States of America, et al. (Tribal membership; Tribal sovereignty)
United States v. Hebert (criminal jurisdiction - Indian status)
City of Buffalo v. Seneca, et al. (subject matter jurisdiction; Tribal property)

H.R.10802 - ASSURE Act / Agency Support for Secure and Universal Registration Enhancement Act / To direct heads of Federal agencies to support increased access to voting, and for other purposes.

Passed legislation:

Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025 / A bill to amend the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 to make improvements to that Act, and for other purposes became Public Law No: 119-122 on 10/15/2026.
Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Project Lands Restoration Act / A bill to take certain Federal land in the State of Washington into trust for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, and for other purposes signed by President on 10/20/2026.
Southcentral Foundation Land Transfer Act of 2025 / A bill to provide for the conveyance of certain property to the Southcentral Foundation located in Anchorage, Alaska, and for other purposes signed by President on 10/20/2026.
Chiricahua National Park Act / To redesignate the Chiricahua National Monument in the State of Arizona as Chiricahua National Park, and for other purposes / To establish the Chiricahua National Park in the State of Arizona as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes signed by President on 10/20/2026.

Notice of Supplemented Documented Petition for Federal Acknowledgment as an American Indian Tribe (Interior)
Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustments; Annual Adjustments (Interior)

This week, in brief:

Who pays when a remote Alaska village can no longer stay?
The Tribal Supreme Court Project
Native organizations demand Tribal consultation over planned National Archives closures
Tohono O’odham brace for conflict; feds to uproot sacred saguaros
Court backs EPA giving Oklahoma authority over environmental rules on Tribal lands