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

Contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article.

• 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.

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 9/30/2026

Federal Courts Bulletin

• Arizona Mining Reform Coalition, et al. v. United States Forest Service, et al. (cultural property; religious practices; Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act)
• Luger, et al. v. United States, et al. (Tribal jurisdiction; Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA))
• In the Matter of William Ulysses McClamary, II (Tribal jurisdiction; subject matter jurisdiction)
• Cayuga Nation v. New York State Liquor Authority, et al. (sovereign immunity; Indian liquor laws)
• Shoshone Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation v. United States, et al. (trust breach; Tribal property)

State Courts Bulletin

• Monroe County v. T.L.B. (Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA))
• Monroe County v. G.L.B. (Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA); Tribal jurisdiction)
• In re A.H. (Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA))

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin

• S.5483 - Seneca Nation Law Enforcement Efficiency Act / A bill to nullify the applicability of the Act of July 2, 1948, with respect to the territory of the Seneca Nation of Indians in New York, and for other purposes.
• H.R.10576 - To amend the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation Restoration Act to provide for the transfer of additional Federal land to the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, and for other purposes.
• H.R.10623 - To reaffirm the applicability of the Indian Reorganization Act to the Lytton Rancheria of California, and for other purposes.
• S.Res.900 - A resolution expressing support for the designation of the second Monday in October 2026 as "Indigenous Peoples' Day" to celebrate and honor Indigenous Peoples and their shared history and culture.
• S.Res.909 - A resolution designating September 2026 as "Hawaiian History Month" to recognize the history, culture, and contributions of Native Hawaiians and reaffirm the United States Federal trust responsibility to the Native Hawaiian Community to support their well-being.
• H.Res.1576 - Recognizing the week of September 27 through October 3, 2026, as "National Orange Shirt Week" or "National Week of Remembrance", which aims to honor those who were forced to attend Indian boarding schools, and to recognize the experience of Indian boarding school victims and survivors.
• H.Res.1590 - Expressing support for the designation of September 2026 as "Hawaiian History Month" to recognize the history, culture, and contributions of Native Hawaiians and reaffirm the United States Federal trust responsibility to the Native Hawaiian Community to support their well-being.

Passed legislation:

• To reauthorize the Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System Act of 2000 became Public Law No: 119-113 on 9/25/2026.
• A bill to provide for the equitable settlement of certain Indian land disputes regarding land in Illinois, and for other purposes became Public Law No: 119-114 on 9/25/2026.

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin

Contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article.

• Rethinking nature's rights.
• Tariffs, treaties, trade zones, Tribes ... and tropics? Rethinking U.S. customs territory, trade policy, and onshoring via Indian Country.

News Bulletin

This week, in brief:

• ‘Patient, gentle and brave’: An unexpected clue leads to family for an Alaska Native student who died at the Carlisle school
• Montanans are demanding better Indian education, setting an example for other Western states
• Indigenous language revivals in the U.S. and Ireland
• Eleven Ninth Circuit judges urge Supreme Court to protect Oak Flat
• A focus on maintenance and administrative fixes would improve Tribal water service, report says

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.

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 9/23/2026

U.S. Supreme Court Bulletin

One petition for certiorari was filed 9/10/26:

• Aubol v. Andeavor Logistics, L.P. (26-388) (Federal common law trespass cause of action)

One petition for certiorari was filed 9/8/26:

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

Federal Courts Bulletin

• Cherokee Nation, et al. v. United States Department of the Interior, et al. (Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA); Administrative Procedure Act (APA))
• Gage v. Nelson, et al. (Indian Civil Rights Act (ICRA); Tribal sovereign immunity)
• Blue Lake Rancheria, et al. v. Kalshi, Inc., et al. (Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA); Commodity Exchange Act (CEA))
• Cayuga Nation v. Parker, et al. (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO))

Tribal Courts Bulletin

• Interest of [Redacted] (Tribal law; Hocąk Nation Children & Family Act; Tribal jurisdiction)

State Courts Bulletin

• Columbia Riverkeeper and Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation v. State of Washington Pollution Control Hearings Board (resource management; Clean Water Act (CWA); State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA))

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin

• S.5440 - A bill to transfer certain Federal land into trust for the benefit of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, and for other purposes.
• H.R.10307 - Anaktuvuk Pass Food Security Access Act / To clarify surface transportation for subsistence users of Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.
• H.R.10435 - Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas Recognition Act / To extend Federal recognition to the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas.
• H.R.10458 - To transfer certain Federal land into trust for the benefit of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, and for other purposes.

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin

Contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article.

• Returning looted cultural heritage.

News Bulletin

This week, in brief:

• Line 5 returns to service after 1.3 million-gallon spill in Wisconsin, but scrutiny of Great Lakes pipeline plan intensifies
• To keep using the ‘Utes’ name, the University of Utah just agreed to these major changes
• California Tribes win protections for sacred sites and ceremonies
• US appeals court blocks Kalshi from offering event contracts on Native American lands
• Colorado River Indian Tribes reaches agreement with Central Arizona Water Conservation District on Colorado River water

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.