Indian Law Bulletins Updated 10/21/2026

U.S. Supreme Court Bulletin

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

• Jones v. United States (26-515) (Fourth Amendment)

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

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

Federal Courts Bulletin

• 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)

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin

• 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.

U.S. Regulatory Bulletin

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

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin

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• Tribal federalism: Expanding the Indian gaming paradigm.

News Bulletin

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

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 10/14/2026

U.S. Supreme Court Bulletin

One petition for certiorari was filed 10/5/26:

• W6LS, Inc., dba WithU and WithU Loans v. Harris (26-467) (Federal Arbitration Act)

Federal Courts Bulletin

• Tohono O'odham Nation v. Mullin, et al. (Tribal property - trespass; Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 62(d))

State Courts Bulletin

• Dash D. v. State of Alaska (Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA))

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin

• H.R.10791 - Italian Heroes and Heritage Act / To prohibit Federal funds from being provided to any State or local government that celebrates Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day, and for other purposes.

U.S. Regulatory Bulletin

• Further Reducing Bureaucracy and Burden From the Administration for Native Americans (HHS)

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin

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• From CARE to compliance: Integrating Indigenous data governance into the NIST AI Risk Management Framework.
• Making sense of federal recognition.
• Tribal labor sovereignty.

News Bulletin

This week, in brief:

• Standing Rock Sioux Tribe files lawsuit to shut down Dakota Access Pipeline
• Line 5 pipeline construction crews breach Wisconsin aquifer
• California water plan threatens Klamath salmon restoration, Tribes, advocates say
• The legal roots of ‘Indian’ and ‘Indian Country’
• Tribal Nations urge Supreme Court to halt prediction market sports betting

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 10/7/2026

U.S. Supreme Court Bulletin

One petition for certiorari was filed 9/24/26:

• King v. United States (26-5700) (Indian status)

Four petitions for certiorari were denied 10/5/26:

• N. R. v. Ellison (25-1287) (Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA); Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act)
• Wilton Rancheria v. Unite Here International Union (26-39) (Tribal law; Federal Arbitration Act)
• Winckler v. South Dakota (25-7600) (reservation diminishment; jurisdiction)
• Winnemucca Indian Colony v. United States (25-1170) (trust breach; resource management)

Federal Courts Bulletin

• Lario Oil and Gas Company v. United States (Tucker Act; Indian Mineral Leasing Act (IMLA))
• Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians v. United States Department of the Interior, et al. (Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA); Administrative Procedure Act (APA))

State Courts Bulletin

• W.M.G. v. R.D.G. (Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA))
• In re J.M. (Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA))

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin

• S.5630 - A bill to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to ensure sufficient bonding and complete and timely reclamation of land and water disturbed by Federal and Indian oil and gas production, and for other purposes.
• S.5649 - A bill to make additional Federal public land available for selection under the Alaska Native Vietnam era veterans land allotment program, and for other purposes.
• H.R.10699 - Dropbox Access Act / To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require States to provide secured drop boxes for voted absentee ballots in an election for Federal office, and for other purposes.
• H.R.10721 - To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to ensure sufficient bonding and complete and timely reclamation of land and water disturbed by Federal and Indian oil and gas production, and for other purposes.
• H.R.10751 - To amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to remove restrictions on the provision of dental therapist services under the Community Health Aide Program, and for other purposes.
• H.R.10753 - To direct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish a program to reallocate vouchers, on a voluntary basis, under the Tribal HUD-VASH program, and for other purposes.
• S.Res.945 - A resolution designating November 7, 2026, as "National Bison Day".

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin

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• Access to justice in Indian Country: Empowering pro se criminal defendants through holistic defense and resource creation.
• Access to justice in Indian Country: Strengthening the ecosystem of law in Native communities.
• Artificial intelligence, Tribal sovereignty, and the criminal justice system.
• Criminal incidence in Indian Country: Evidence from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
• Freedom of Tribal association.
• Increasing access to justice through the use of Indigenous restorative justice and trauma informed practices.
• Innovative sovereignty: California Tribes' use of the nonprofit corporation.
• Pretrial justice in Indian Country and bordertowns - including rural Tribal communities in the bail reform conversation.
• The Tribal wills at USD's Knudson School of Law: A study in mutuality, nimbleness, and persistence.
• A two-pronged approach to addressing unmet legal needs on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
• Under-enforcement of Tribal land use regulations.

News Bulletin

This week, in brief:

• Utah environmentalists sue feds over plan to pave canyon with Native art
• National Archives schedules virtual Tribal consultation meetings
• Supreme Court denies latest challenge to Indian Child Welfare Act
• NARF launches Native Vote Week to highlight Native voting rights ahead of 2026 election
• Native Tribes denied greater say in water decisions with Newsom veto

Announcements

• The Native American Rights Fund has partnered with ZRG Aspen Leadership Group in the search for a Chief Operating Officer. You may view the position prospectus or submit an application at Aspen Leadership Group's website.