Indian Law Bulletins Updated 7/9/2025

Federal Courts Bulletin

• Matthew v. Palomares, et al. (Color of Tribal Law; Section 1983)
• Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, et al. v. Howe, et al. (Voting Rights Act (VRA); Section 1983; Rehearing En Banc)
• United States v. Baugh (Felling A Tree in a Prohibited Area; Treaty Rights)
• Dixon v. Gatzke, et al. (Tribal Lending; Necessary Party; Tribal Sovereign Immunity)

Tribal Courts Bulletin

• Grandbois v. Herald (Marital Property; Equitable Principles Findings)

State Courts Bulletin

• Adoption of Breck (Indian Child Welfare Act)

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin

• S.2211 - A bill to reauthorize the Special Diabetes Program for Type 1 Diabetes and the Special Diabetes Program for Indians.
• H.R.4276 - To amend the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act to authorize grants to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations, and for other purposes.

Passed legislation:

• Alaska Native Settlement Trust Eligibility Act / To amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to exclude certain payments to aged, blind, or disabled Alaska Natives or descendants of Alaska Natives from being used to determine eligibility for certain programs, and for other purposes became Public Law No. 119-22 on 7/7/2025.
• Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025 / To amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to provide that Village Corporations shall not be required to convey land in trust to the State of Alaska for the establishment of Municipal Corporations, and for other purposes became Public Law No. 119-23 on 7/7/2025.

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin
Contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article.

• Addressing inequities to maternal and fetal health outcomes for Native American women.
• The cartographic court.
• Don't throw the book: Customary Tribal laws can heal rather than punish addiction.
• Fulfilling an obligated duty to the Diné by incorporating and defining a core principle, Tó’eí’iiná até (water is life) into the Navajo Nation Tribal Water Code: Making a connection to the Diné in the “checkerboard” area.
• Self-determination in the implementation of treaty reserved rights.
• Stop killing the Klamath: Rights of nature protections with Tribal law, the National Historic Preservation Act, and collaborative management strategies for a Tribe on the front lines of climate change.
• Understanding federal recognition: A study of the procedural pathways and the Chinook Indian Nation.

News Bulletin

This week, in brief:

• Appeals court rules against North Dakota Tribes in voting rights case that could go to Supreme Court
• ‘The money won't bring anybody back’ | Payments will increase for radiation victims, but compensation still falls short
• Native American Rights Fund criticizes U.S. Department of Education over mascot ban ruling
• Unearthed bones, land swap, expedited review: Enbridge Line 5 tunnel review leaves Tribes behind
• University of Montana preserves legal history of Montana's Tribes

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 7/2/2025

U.S. Supreme Court Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/sct/2024-2025update.html

One petition for certiorari was denied 6/30/2025:

• South Point Energy Center v. Arizona Department of Revenue (24-952) (State Taxation of Non-Indian Entity)

Federal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/federal/2025.html

• Holl, et al. v. Avery, et al. (Tribal Sovereign Immunity; Federal Recognition; Indian Gaming)
• United States v. Parisien (Federal Jurisdiction; Indian Country)

Tribal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/tribal/2025.html

• George, et al. v. Sam, et al. (Incorporate State Statute; Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO))
• George v. Jursek, et al. (Sovereign Immunity; Separation of Powers)
• Moses v. George and Rivas (Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA))

State Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/state/2025.html

• In the matter of the income tax protest of Alicia Stroble v. Oklahoma Tax Commission (Tribal Citizen Income Tax Immunity; McGirt v. Oklahoma)
• In the matter of: I.R.S. and M.W.A.H., youths in need of care (Indian Child Welfare Act)
• Muscogee (Creek) Nation v. City of Tulsa (Criminal Jurisdiction)

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/legislation/119_uslegislation.html

• S.2160 - A bill to reaffirm and clarify the Federal relationships of the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians of Michigan as a federally recognized Indian Tribe, and for other purposes.
• H.R.4147 - To reaffirm the applicability of the Indian Reorganization Act to the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, and for other purposes.
• H.R.4258 - To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand the definition of critical access hospital under the Medicare program to include certain hospitals on Indian reservations.

U.S. Regulatory Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/regulatory/2025.html

• Rescission of Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing; Voter Registration Notic (HUD)
• Notice of Adoption of Categorical Exclusion Under Section 109 of the National Environmental Policy Act (Interior)

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin (contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article)
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/lawreviews/currentlr.html

• Abandoning the iron horse: Railroad rights-of-way and the implied Doctrine of Reverter on Indian reservations.
• Ho‘oku‘ikahi: Reconciling land dispossession, culture, history, and law in Hawai‘i.
• A most essential power: The case for restoring comprehensive land use authority in Indian Country.
• Treaty justice: Charles Wilkinson's homage to the Boldt Decision.
• Water knows no boundaries: Tribal jurisdiction over non-Indians' off-reservation conduct that threatens on-reservation Tribal water resources. (written by NARF Staff Attorney Wesley J. Furlong)

News Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/news/currentnews.html

This week, in brief:

• Wisconsin’s Brothertown Indian Nation is fighting for federal acknowledgement
• Coeur d’Alene Tribe celebrates the renaming of Camp Larson to ch ułts’e’l
• Tribal Nations band together to denounce 'Alligator Alcatraz' on Florida ancestral homelands
• Indigenous leaders at UNPFII underscore the need for genuine consent
• Oklahoma Supreme Court rules 'McGirt' precedent doesn't apply in state income tax protest

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 6/25/2025

Federal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/federal/2025.html

• State of Alaska v. Department of the Interior et al. (Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA); Motion to Transfer)
• Rosales, et al. v. Roman Catholic Bishop of San Diego, et al. (Federal Jurisdiction; Required Party; Sanctions)
• Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation v. Morse (Tribal Sovereignty; Injunctive Relief)
• Weidley, et al. v. Aaniiih Nakoda Finance LLC, et al. (Tribal Lending; Tribal Sovereign Immunity; Necessary Party)

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/legislation/119_uslegislation.html

• S.2140 - A bill to establish Haskell Indian Nations University as a federally chartered educational institution to fulfill the treaty and trust responsibility of the Federal Government to Indians, and for other purposes.
• H.R.4085 - To establish Haskell Indian Nations University as a federally chartered educational institution to fulfill the treaty and trust responsibility of the Federal Government to Indians, and for other purposes.

U.S. Regulatory Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/regulatory/2025.html

• Employment and Training (ETA) Program Year (PY) 2025 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Section 166, Indian and Native American Programs Grantee Allotments (Labor)

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin (contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article)
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/lawreviews/currentlr.html

• The “arm” that saves you might also strangle you: The impact of sovereign immunity on economic arms of Tribes and how it could affect others’ willingness to contract with them.
• Case law on American Indians: September 2023-August 2024.
• Development and practice of Tribal community planning: Ensuring Indigeneity in the planning process.
• Indigenous perspective to climate and environment.
• Institutions and economic development.
• Into the jurisdictionverse: How tangled jurisdictional lines around Indian Country thwart attempts to end the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.
• Is this land your land? Or is this land my land?: The ongoing boundary dispute between Mille Lacs County and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
• Landback as federal policy.
• The Native fight for hunting rights: The Crow Tribe and Herrera v. Wyoming.
• The need for law in federal Indian law: A response to Maggie Blackhawk in light of the Supreme Court’s troubling term for Tribal sovereignty.
• The Onondaga Nation's land claim: Rights without a remedy?
• Tribal authority to issue search warrants to non-Tribal entities or on non-Indian land within reservation boundaries.

News Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/news/currentnews.html

This week, in brief:

• Kansas federal lawmakers want Haskell Indian Nations University to control itself
• A guide to the federal review of the Line 5 tunnel
• Apache Stronghold files another petition asking U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider its case
• Montana law faces challenge over impact on Indigenous voting rights
• Interview with John Echohawk highlights decades-long focus on Tribal water rights

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 6/18/2025

Federal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/federal/2025.html

• Chinook Indian Nation, et al. v. Burgum, et al. (Federal Recognition; Political Question)
• Hardwick, et al. v. United States, et al. (California Rancheria Act (CRA); Federal Recognition)
• Center for Biological Diversity v. United States Bureau of Land Management (National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act)
• Orutsararmiut Native Council, et al. v. United States Army Corps of Engineers, et al. (National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); Environmental Impact)

Tribal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/tribal/2025.html

• Estate of Charlotte T. Conde (Estate Property; Custom and Tradition; Personal Representative)
• Estate of Elizabeth Siquieros (Estate Property; Custom and Tradition; Oral Wills)

State Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/state/2025.html

• Perez v. City of San Antonio (Cultural Resources/Property; Texas Religious Services Clause)

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/legislation/119_uslegislation.html

• S.2022 - A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to treat Indian Tribal Governments in the same manner as State governments for certain Federal tax purposes, and for other purposes.
• S.2098 - A bill to provide for the conveyance of certain property to the Southcentral Foundation located in Anchorage, Alaska, and for other purposes.
• H.R.3903 - Chugach Alaska Land Exchange Oil Spill Recovery Act of 2025 / To exchange non-Federal land held by the Chugach Alaska Corporation for certain Federal Land in the Chugach Region, and for other purposes.
• H.R.3925 - Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation Land Exchange Act / To provide for a land exchange in San Bernardino County, California, and for other purposes.
• H.R.3956 - To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into self-determination contracts and self-governance agreements with Indian entities to administer the food distribution program on Indian reservations.
• H.R.3957 - To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the President to provide certain fire management assistance to Indian Tribal Governments, and for other purposes.
• S.Con.Res.14 - A concurrent resolution urging the establishment of a United States Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation.

U.S. Regulatory Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/regulatory/2025.html

• Approval of Clean Air Act General Permit Request for Coverage for New Minor Source Gasoline Dispensing Facility in Indian Country Within California for Tejon Gas Station (EPA)

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin (contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article)
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/lawreviews/currentlr.html

• Challenging the Indian Child Welfare Act: Colorblind racism, whiteness as property, and the legal architecture of settler colonialism.
• Conservation easements and bison restoration on the Wind River Indian Reservation: Exploring opportunities, challenges, and alternatives.
• Is saying "I'm sorry" enough? A primer on how attorneys & judges can act justly in Tribal disputes.
• The moral complacency of federal Indian law.
• The return of reparative treatymaking? Legal norms, Native Nations, & the United States.
• The utmost rights & interests of the Indians: Tribal law interpretations of the Indian Civil Rights Act.

News Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/news/currentnews.html

This week, in brief:

• Judge denies latest attempt to dismiss Enbridge’s suit against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
• The president just unraveled years of work on Tribal rights, salmon and clean energy. So what happens next?
• Feds release final environmental impact statement on Oak Flat mine
• Lawmakers cut a Tribal liaison with prisons from the budget. Tribes say they think it would help.
• New law will make it easier to vote on reservations in Nevada

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 6/11/2025

U.S. Supreme Court Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/sct/2024-2025update.html

One petition for certiorari was filed 6/2/2025:

• Unkechaug Indian Nation v. Lefton (24-1240) (Treaty Rights)

Federal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/federal/2025.html

• Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians, et al. v. Burgum, et al. (Land Into Trust; Indian Gaming)
• San Carlos Apache Tribe, et al. v. United States Forest Service, et al. (Land Exchange; National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); Preliminary Injunction)
• United States v. Snake (Supervised Release; Sentencing)
• Gardner v. Ute Tribal Court of the Uintah and Ouray Reservavtion (Habeas corpus; Tribal Court Proceedings)

State Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/state/2025.html

• Atencio v. State of New Mexico (Environmental Protection; New Mexico Civil Rights Act)
• United Indian Health Services, Inc. / Tribal First v. Workers' Compensation Appeals Board and Deborah Hemstead (Tribal Sovereign Immunity)

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/legislation/119_uslegislation.html

• S.1967 - A bill to amend the Stored Communications Act to include Tribal courts as courts of competent jurisdiction, to amend the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968 to confer Tribal jurisdiction over controlled substances, related offenses, and firearms, and for other purposes.
• S.2015 - A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to encourage and expand the use of prescribed fire on land managed by the Department of the Interior or the Forest Service, with an emphasis on units of the National Forest System in the western and southeastern United States, to acknowledge and support the long-standing use of cultural burning by Indian Tribes and Indigenous practitioners, and for other purposes.
• H.R.3723 - Tribal Gaming Regulatory Compliance Act / To ensure all federally recognized Tribes that are eligible for gaming in the United States are regulated under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, and for other purposes.
• H.R.3773 - To amend the Stored Communications Act to include Tribal courts as courts of competent jurisdiction, to amend the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968 to confer Tribal jurisdiction over controlled substances, related offenses, and firearms, and for other purposes.
• H.R.3889 - To direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to encourage and expand the use of prescribed fire on land managed by the Department of the Interior or the Forest Service, with an emphasis on units of the National Forest System in the western and southeastern United States, to acknowledge and support the long-standing use of cultural burning by Indian Tribes and Indigenous practitioners, and for other purposes.

U.S. Regulatory Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/regulatory/2025.html

• Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustments; Annual Adjustments (Interior)

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin (contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article)
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/lawreviews/currentlr.html

• Becerra v. San Carlos Apache Tribe.
• Planning a new paradigm: Tribal co-stewardship and federal public lands planning.

News Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/news/currentnews.html

This week, in brief:

• NY won’t rescind Native American mascot ban despite Trump threat, may broaden it
• US Justice Department says Trump can cancel national monuments that protect landscapes
• San Carlos Tribe celebrates temporary victory in federal court to save Oak Flat
• California's Yurok Tribe gets back ancestral lands that were taken over 120 years ago
• Settlements & stalemates: Tribal leaders steer Colorado River conversation

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 6/4/25

Federal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/federal/2025.html

• Alaska Department of Fish and Game v. Federal Subsistence Board, et al. (Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA); Improper Delegation)
• Webber, et al. v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, et al. (International Economic Powers Act (IEEPA); Indian Commerce Clause; Jay Treaty of 1794)
• Bird, et al. v. United States, et al. (Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA); Fiduciary Relationship)

Tribal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/tribal/2025.html

• Stone, et al. & Romanelli v. Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Tribal Council, et al. (Tribal Council Budget Authority; Tribal Enterprise)

State Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/state/2025.html

• Matter of P.E.W. (Indian Child Welfare Act)

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/legislation/119_uslegislation.html

• H.R.3609 - Remove the Stain Act / To rescind each Medal of Honor awarded for acts at Wounded Knee Creek on December 29, 1890, and for other purposes.
• H.R.3654 - TERRA Act / Tribal Emergency Response Resources Act / To authorize the integration and administrative streamlining of Federal funding for Indian Tribes that have reservations, other Tribal lands, or ways of life at risk due to environmental impacts and natural disasters, and for other purposes.
• H.R.3670 - IHS Provider Expansion Act / To amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to establish within the Indian Health Service an Office of Graduate Medical Education Programs, and for other purposes.

U.S. Regulatory Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/regulatory/2025.html

• Proposed Re-Issuance of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System General Permit for Wastewater Discharges Associated With Drinking Water Production Located in the EPA Region 8 Indian Country and Lands of Exclusive Federal Jurisdiction (EPA)
• Rescinding Regulations Regarding Management Systems Pertaining to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Reservation Roads Program (DOT)

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin (contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article)
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/lawreviews/currentlr.html

• Affording oral tradition evidence due weight before the International Court of Justice.
• Broken promises and unfulfilled obligations.
• Correcting the confidentiality catch-22 of Indigenous knowledge.
• The historic superfund listing of the Lukachukai Mountains mining district.
• Incorporating Indigenous stewardship in land management.
• Indigenous abolition and the third space of Indian child welfare.
• The landback movement.
• Protecting tribal interests in water.
• Reflections of a Wyoming-Navajo lawmaker.
• The Supreme Court's use of historical evidence in recent Indian law cases.

News Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/news/currentnews.html

This week, in brief:

• Montana’s American Indian Caucus touts historic success in 2025 legislative session
• US Dept. of Education declares New York mascot ban discriminatory
• Federal court rules in favor of Tribes against SunZia
• An egregious backlog: Interior Department searches for ways to speed up Native American probate court
• North Dakota Tribes ask circuit judges for rehearing of voting rights case

Announcements

• The Native American Rights Fund is hiring a Staff Attorney in the Alaska office. Learn more about the vacancy at https://www.narf.org/contact-us/join-team.

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 05/28/2025

U.S. Supreme Court Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/sct/2024-2025update.html

Two petitions for certiorari were denied on 5/27/25:

• Apache Stronghold v. United States (24-291) (Religious Freedom)
• Kanam v. Burgum (24-1019) (Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994)

Federal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/federal/2025.html

• Tohono O'odham Nation, et al. v. United States Department of the Interior, et al. (Tribal Consultation; Traditional Cultural Place)
• California v. Del Rosa, et al. (Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act (PACT Act); Contempt of Court)
• Brown v. Rogers (Habeas Corpus; Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta)

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/legislation/119_uslegislation.html

• S.1853 - A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the provision of direct housing loans and medical care from the Department of Veterans Affairs for Native Hawaiians.
• H.R.3610 - To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the provision of direct housing loans and medical care from the Department of Veterans Affairs for Native Hawaiians.

U.S. Regulatory Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/regulatory/2025.html

• Alaska Native Claims Selection (Interior)
• Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review; Proposed Information Collection Activity; Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program: Implementation Plan Guidance and Community Needs and Readiness Assessment Guidance (HHS)

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin (contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article)
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/lawreviews/currentlr.html

• Coercion and control: The need to protect Native Hawaiian women and girls from sex trafficking.
• Drawing lines in the sea: Indigenous sovereignty through the coastal zone.
• Indigenizing international law education.
• Native American veterans: Acknowledging their service, recognizing their needs, and learning from their tribal restorative tradition.
• Robots and (Indian) reservations: A jurisdictional nightmare waiting to happen.
• Standing in the wrong line: Navajo Nation water rights after Arizona v. Navajo Nation.
• United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians revisited: Justice, repair, and land return.
• Unveiling the environmental impact of large language models on Indigenous communities: A call for action and liability.

News Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/news/currentnews.html

This week, in brief:

• Tribes say the US misappropriated funds to pay for Native American boarding schools
• Diné woman confirmed as first Native federal judge in California
• Supreme Court turns down Apaches' bid to block copper mine on sacred site
• Class of 2025 leads the way for Indigenous graduation regalia
• New Oregon law allows Tribes to petition for removal of state control from tribal affairs

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 5/2/2025

U.S. Supreme Court Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/sct/2024-2025update.html

One petition for certiorari was filed on 5/9/25:

• Maverick Gaming LLC v. United States (24-1161) (Rule 19 and Administrative Procedure Act (APA))

Three petitions for certiorari were denied on 5/19/25:

• Lexington Insurance Co. v. Suquamish Tribe (24-884) (Tribal Court Jurisdiction Over Non-Members)
• Lexington Insurance Company v. Mueller (24-906) (Tribal Court Jurisdiction Over Non-Members)
• Cromwell v. United States (24-6364) (Hobbs Act)

Federal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/federal/2025.html

• Kialegee Tribal Town v. United States Department of Interior, et al. (Land into Trust; Cause of Action)
• Donius v. Ramirez, et al. (Tribal Regulatory Jurisdiction; Search and Seizure; Due Process)
• Robinson v. Oglala Sioux Tribe, et al. (Tribal Sovereign Immunity)
• Shoshone Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation v. United States, et al. (Breach of Trust; Settlement Agreement; Treaty Rights)
• Protect the Peninsula's Future, et al. v. Haaland, et al. (Required Party; Public Interest Exception to Joinder; Tribal Economic Development)
• Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, et al. v. Howe, et al. (Voting Rights Act (VRA); Section 1983)

Tribal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/tribal/2025.html

• Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation v. Couillard (Board of Review Authority; Termination of Employee)
• The Tulalip Tribes v. Flores (TTC 2.25.070(7) ("Speedy Trial Statute"))

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/legislation/119_uslegislation.html

• S.1750 - A bill to reaffirm the applicability of the Indian Reorganization Act to the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, and for other purposes.
• H.R.3444 - To direct Federal land management agencies of the Department of the Interior to establish Tribal Co-Management Plans and to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into agreements with Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations for the performance of certain activities of the Forest Service, and for other purposes.
• H.Res.431 - Recognizing the importance of the Arctic Council and reaffirming the commitment of the United States to the Arctic Council.

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin (contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article)
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/lawreviews/currentlr.html

• Abandoned mines, abandoned treaties: The federal government's failure to remediate abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo Nation.
• Addressing the gender wage gap for Native American women.
• AI and tribal court practice.
• The future of the discovery doctrine: One view from outside Indian Country.
• Indianness as property.
• Nanaboozhoo and Derrick Bell go for a walk.
• Rejecting the racialization of Indianness.
• Subject to the jurisdiction thereof: The Indian law context.

News Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/news/currentnews.html

This week, in brief:

• NY governor apologizes for ‘atrocities’ at state boarding school for Native Americans
• Wichita Public Schools cut Native American education staff amid budget struggles
• Wabanaki Tribe reclaims seat in Maine House as relations improve
• Tribal IDs accepted during Real ID requirement
• A federal appeals panel has made enforcing the Voting Rights Act harder in 7 states

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 5/14/2025

Federal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/federal/2025.html

• Lower Brule Sioux Tribe v. United States Department of Interior, et al. (Self-Determination Contract)
• Kadayso v. Mescalero Tribal Council, et al. (Appointment of Counsel; Habeas Petition; Banishment)
• Apache Stronghold v. United States, et al. (Injunction Pending Appeal)

State Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/state/2025.html

• In the Matter of: D.L.L. and J.T.L., Youths in Need of Care (Indian Child Welfare Act)

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/legislation/119_uslegislation.html

• H.R.3255 - To reaffirm and clarify the Federal relationships of the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians of Michigan as a federally recognized Indian tribe, and for other purposes.

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin (contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article)
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/lawreviews/currentlr.html

• Modern day colonialism through Hawai'i's quiet title and partition laws.
• An old world discovery for new world justice: The FSIA path to repatriate stolen Native American art.
• There would be food forever: Leveraging the Culvert Case to fight toxic fish contamination in the Columbia River.
• Tribal judicial power.

News Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/news/currentnews.html

This week, in brief:

• EPA terminates $20 million Walker River Paiute Tribe water infrastructure grant
• Actions by Wyoming and the feds could have opposing effects on Indigenous rock art
• Federal judge pauses Oak Flat land swap until a SCOTUS decision
• Consultation doesn’t always equal consent
• NCAI releases landmark Minority & Missing Report highlighting disparities in missing persons cases

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 5/7/2025

Federal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/federal/2025.html

• Webster v. Burgum (Racial Discrimination; Indian Preference)
• Englebright, et al. v. Buhl, et al. (Tribal Sovereign Immunity; Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA))

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/legislation/119_uslegislation.html

• S.1574 - A bill to amend the Stored Communications Act to include Tribal courts as courts of competent jurisdiction.
• S.Res.200 - A resolution expressing support for the designation of May 5, 2025, as the "National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls."
• H.Res.381 - Expressing support for the designation of May 5, 2025, as the "National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls."

U.S. Regulatory Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/regulatory/2025.html

• Notice of Documented Petition for Federal Acknowledgment as an American Indian Tribe (Interior)
• Land Acquisitions; Cherokee Nation, Bartlesville Site, City of Bartlesville, Unincorporated Washington County, Oklahoma (Interior)

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin (contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article)
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/lawreviews/currentlr.html

• Advancing tribal co-management: Lessons learned from international comparisons.
• It's about all relations: Indigenous feminist theory of relational freedom.
• Land-back to move forward? The measurable relationship between land-back movements and economic outcomes in Indigenous communities within the U.S.
• The potential intercontinental railway between Siberia and Alaska and its implications for Alaska Native corporations and federally recognized Tribes.
• Rosalind's refund: The woman, the lawyers, and the time that created McClanahan v. Arizona.
• Sexual assault in tribal appellate courts: Case studies of tribal jurisprudence.
• Strategic litigation in pursuit of Indigenous justice.

News Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/news/currentnews.html

This week, in brief:

• Under settlement, Montana Board of Public Ed vows to improve how state teaches Native American history and culture
• How the feds abandoned reservations to burn
• Oregon lawmakers celebrate 50 years of Native American legislative commission
• Graduation regalia: more Native students get green light to wear tribal regalia this year
• Key reports addressing violence against Indigenous women are gone from federal sites

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 4/30/2025

U.S. Supreme Court Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/sct/2024-2025update.html

One petition for certiorari was denied 4/28/2025:

• Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians v. Burgum (24-622) (Michigan Indian Land Claims Settlement Act)

Federal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/federal/2025.html

• Lozeau v. Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (Criminal Jurisdiction; Tribal Conviction; PL 280)
• United States v. Bear Runner (Criminal Intent; Tribal Policy)
• Muscogee (Creek) Nation v. Tulsa County, Oklahoma, et al. (Criminal Jurisdiction; Tribal Sovereignty; Temporary Restraining Order)
• North Dakota v. United States (Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA); Special Use Permit)
• Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians, et al. v. Burgum, et al. (Land into Trust; Indian Gaming; Standing for Intervention)

State Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/state/2025.html

• Matter of A. R. E. (Indian Child Welfare Act)

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/legislation/119_uslegislation.html

• S.1508 - A bill to confer jurisdiction on the State of Utah with respect to civil causes of action arising on or within the Indian lands of the Shivwits Band of Paiutes, and for other purposes.
• S.1513 - A bill to take certain Federal land in the State of Washington into trust for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, and for other purposes.
• S.1514 - A bill to take certain land in the State of Washington into trust for the benefit of the Quinault Indian Nation, and for other purposes.
• H.R.3073 - To confer jurisdiction on the State of Utah with respect to civil causes of action arising on or within the Indian lands of the Shivwits Band of Paiutes, and for other purposes.

U.S. Regulatory Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/regulatory/2025.html

• Proposed Information Collection Activity; Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Data Report, Tribal Assistance for Needy Families Annual Report, and Tribal Assistance for Needy Families Reasonable Cause/Corrective Action Documentation Process (HHS)

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin (contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article)
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/lawreviews/currentlr.html

• The Indian Child Welfare Act survives for now.
• "It doesn't rise to the level of crisis that other situations would." Indigenous self-determination and gendered violence in Alaska.
• Lexington Insurance Co. v. Smith: Ninth Circuit denies rehearing en banc to consider whether nonmember physical presence on tribal lands is required for tribal adjudicatory jurisdiction.

News Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/news/currentnews.html

This week, in brief:

• New Mexico judge orders remedial plan to improve public education for Native American students
• Why the San Manuel tribe is going back to its original name
• Arizona federal judge will consider Apache Stronghold’s petition to delay pending Oak Flat land swap
• Colorado among growing number of states aiming to strengthen local ICWA laws that protect tribal children and families
• Native American voters turned out big for Wisconsin Supreme Court election

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 4/23/2025

U.S. Supreme Court Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/sct/2024-2025update.html

One petition for certiorari was denied 4/21/2025:

• HCI Distribution, Inc. v. Hilgers (24-615) (State Taxation of Tobacco Product Sales by Tribal Entities)

Federal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/federal/2025.html

• Hackford v. United States Department of the Interior, et al. (Ute Partition Act (UPA); Tribal Membership)
• NDN Collective, et al. v. Retsel Corporation, et al. (Discrimination; Standing; Testers)
• United States of America, et al. v. Iski (McGirt v. Oklahoma; Intervention; Joinder)
• Fuson v. Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation (Navajo and Hopi Indian Land Settlement Act of 1974; Administrative Procedure Act)
• McLean v. United States (Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA); Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA))

Tribal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/tribal/2025.html

• In the Matter of the Constitutionality of NCA 24-077 (Constitutionality of Legislation; Separation of Powers)
• Boria v. Mashantucket Pequot Gaming Enterprise (Premises Liability; Open and Obvious Dangerous Condition)
• Duong v. Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority (Public Policy Considerations; Notice of Defective Condition)

State Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/state/2025.html

• In re L.Q. (Indian Child Welfare Act)

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/legislation/119_uslegislation.html

• H.R.2929 - To extend the full measure of the Federal Government-to-government relationship between the United States and the Haliwa Saponi Indian Tribe of North Carolina.

U.S. Regulatory Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/regulatory/2025.html

• Major Portion Prices and Due Date for Additional Royalty Payments on Gas Produced From Indian Lands in Designated Areas That Are Not Associated With an Index Zone (Interior)

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin (contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article)
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/lawreviews/currentlr.html

• Arizona v. Navajo Nation: The fight for a permanent homeland.
• A cultural property interest: How Indigenous groups can use tort law to repossess their artifacts.
• "Political rather than racial in nature": Strengthening Morton v. Mancari using the Indian Commerce Clause.
• Recognition policies, self-determination, and access to legal redress for Indigenous Peoples in the United States, Australia, and Canada: A comparative study.
• "We stand with the water": Ojibwe treaty rights, the Walleye Wars, and the imminent thread of Enbridge's Line 5.

News Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/news/currentnews.html

This week, in brief:

• Religious funding debate revisits role of Indian boarding schools
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers confirms Line 5 tunnel review to move forward under shortened timeline
• Feds to move ahead on Oak Flat copper mine swap in Arizona, despite pending Supreme Court case 
• Trump FY 2026 budget aims to slash $900 million from Indian Health Service
• What the SAVE Act could mean for Native American voters

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 4/16/2025

U.S. Supreme Court Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/sct/2024-2025update.html

One petition for certiorari was filed 1/17/2025:

• Cromwell v. United States (24-6364) (Hobbs Act)

Federal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/federal/2025.html

• United States of America, et al. v. Ballard (McGirt v. Oklahoma; Intervention; Joinder)
• United States of America v. LaBelle (Aggravating Role Enhancement; Substantively Unreasonable Sentence)
• United States of America, et al. v. Iski (Criminal Jurisdiction; Indian Country; Intervention)
• United States of America, et al. v. Ballard (Criminal Jurisdiction; Indian Country; Intervention)
• Ute Indian Tribe of Uintah and Ouray Reservation v. United States Department of Interior, et al. (Trust Relationship; Land Restoration)

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/legislation/119_uslegislation.html

• S.1468 - A bill to amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to provide that Alexander Creek, Incorporated, is recognized as a Village Corporation under that Act, and for other purposes.
• H.R.2815 - To provide equitable treatment for the people of the Village Corporation established for the Native Village of Saxman, Alaska, and for other purposes.
• H.R.2827 - To provide for the equitable settlement of certain Indian land disputes regarding land in Illinois, and for other purposes.

U.S. Regulatory Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/regulatory/2025.html

• Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; 2025 Pacific Whiting Tribal Allocation and 2025 Incidental Set-Aside (Commerce)

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin (contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article)
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/lawreviews/currentlr.html

• Feed it to the ocean: The federal approach to decommissioning in Alaska Native climate adaptation projects.
• Old habits die hard: How the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act perpetuates settler colonialism and denies Indigenous sovereignty.

News Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/news/currentnews.html

This week, in brief:

• Tribes, North Dakota partner to update 30-year-old textbooks on Native history
• Federal funding freeze halts key infrastructure projects in tribal communities
• Alaska Tribes sue US Army Corps of Engineers over approval of controversial gold mining operation
• Will Native Tribes secure Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument?
• RFK Jr. wants to target chronic disease in US Tribes. A key program to do that was gutted

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 4/9/2025

U.S. Supreme Court Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/sct/2024-2025update.html

One petition for certiorari was filed 9/26/2024:

• Kanam v. Burgum (24-1019) (Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994)

Federal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/federal/2025.html

• United States v. Christy (Indian Country)
• Cayuga Nation v. New York State Gaming Commission, et al. (Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA); Eleventh Amendment Immunity)
• Tsi Akim Maidu of Taylorsville Rancheria v. U.S. Dept. of the Interior (California Rancheria Termination Act; Federal Recognition)
• Indigenous Peoples of Coastal Bend v. United States Army Corps of Engineers (National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); Clean Water Act (CWA); Administrative Procedure Act (APA))
• Zhinin v. Harry, et al. (Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA); Medical Clearance)
• Jones v. Redbird (Tribal Sovereign Immunity)
• Musick v. Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, et al. (Tribal Law Enforcement)
• Standing Rock Sioux Tribe v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, et al. (Administrative Procedure Act (APA); Issue Preclusion)
• Center for Biological Diversity v. United States Forest Service, et al. (National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); Tribal Consultation)
• Massapequa Union Free School District, et al. v. New York State Board of Regents, et al. (Dignity for All Students Act (DASA); Native American Mascots)
• Makah Indian Tribe v. Exxon Mobile Corp., et al., Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe v. Exxon Mobile Corp., et al. (Remand to State Court; State Law Claims Brought by Tribal Sovereign Entities)
• Courte Oreilles Lakes Association Inc., et al. v. Zawistowski (Clean Water Act (CWA); Standing; Irrigated Agriculture)

Tribal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/tribal/2025.html

• Beck v. Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, et al. (Justiciability; Political Question Doctrine)
• Matos v. Mashantucket Pequot Gaming Enterprise (Board of Review; Procedural Due Process)
• Charles v. Boyd (Civil Assault; Civil Actions Law)

State Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/state/2025.html

• In the interest of G.L.W. (Indian Child Welfare Act)
• In re C.J.J.I. (Indian Child Welfare Act)

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/legislation/119_uslegislation.html

• S.1131 - Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve Establishment Act / A bill to establish the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve in the State of Georgia, and for other purposes.
• S.1181 - A bill to amend the Energy Policy Act of 1992 with respect to the Department of Energy Tribal loan guarantee program, and for other purposes.
• S.1301 - A bill to clarify the rights of Indians and Indian Tribes on Indian lands under the National Labor Relations Act.
• H.R.2345 - Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve Establishment Act / To establish the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve in the State of Georgia, and for other purposes.
• H.R.2388 - Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Project Lands Restoration Act / To take certain Federal land in the State of Washington into trust for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, and for other purposes.
• H.R.2389 - Quinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act /To take certain land in the State of Washington into trust for the benefit of the Quinault Indian Nation, and for other purposes.
• H.R.2412 - Indigenous Diplomacy and Engagement Act / To establish an Office for Indigenous Affairs, and for other purposes.
• H.R.2639 - To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to make permanent certain telehealth flexibilities under the Medicare program for telehealth services furnished by Indian health programs.
• S.Res.142 - A resolution recognizing the heritage, culture, and contributions of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women in the United States.
• S.Res.156 - A resolution commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act.
• H.Con.Res.24 - Authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for an event to celebrate the birthday of King Kamehameha I.

U.S. Regulatory Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/regulatory/2025.html

• Migratory Bird Subsistence Harvest in Alaska (Interior)
• Information Collection: Tribal Participation in the Advance Notification Program (Nuclear Regulatory Commission)
• Notice of Final Determination on Expansion of Formula Area for the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria (HUD)

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin (contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article)
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/lawreviews/currentlr.html

• Flowing justice: Quantifying water rights in the wake of Arizona v. Navajo Nation — Navigating the legal oasis for Native American water sovereignty.
• Indigeneity, data genocide, and public health.
• Indigenous communities suffer multi-generational trauma ("susto") from the trafficking and slavery of Native women and children.
• The Ninth Circuit’s RFRA standard of “substantial burden” as applied to Native American sacred sites.
• Structural federal Indian law after Brackeen.

News Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/news/currentnews.html

This week, in brief:

• Haskell, SIPI employees reinstated but ‘doesn't change the fact of what happened’
• Tribes, environmental groups appeal to Michigan Supreme Court to block Line 5 tunnel under Straits
• Federal judge dismisses Standing Rock’s latest lawsuit over Dakota Access Pipeline
• Tribes, long shut out from their own health data, fight for access and sovereignty
• New Mexico becomes 20th state to guarantee students’ right to wear regalia

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 3/26/2025

Federal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/federal/2025.html

• Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority v. U.S. Department of the Interior, et al. (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; Lease Cancellation; Legal Error)
• Roemen, et al. v. United States, et al. (Federal Tort Claims Act; Tribal Office; 638 Contract)
• R.D. Offutt Farms Co. v. White Earth Division of Natural Resources, et al. (Tribal Water Regulation; Tribal Sovereign Immunity; Mootness)
• Kauth v. Manuel (Tribal Sovereign Immunity; Tribal Defendant)
• Village of Dot Lake v. United States Army Corps of Engineers, et al. (Administrative Procedure Act; Tribal Consulation Policy)
• Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians v. Garland, et al. (Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act (PACT Act); State Taxes)

Tribal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/tribal/2025.html

• In re Pabami (Tribal Court Rule Violation; Broadcasting in Court)

State Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/state/2025.html

• Mālama Kakanilua v. Board of Land and Natural Resources and Archaeological Services Hawaii LLC (Cultural Resources/Property)
• In re H.M. (Indian Child Welfare Act)

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/legislation/119_uslegislation.html

• H.R.2252 - To authorize the relinquishment and in lieu selection of land and minerals in the State of North Dakota, to restore land and minerals to Indian Tribes within the State of North Dakota, and for other purposes.
• H.R.2302 - To take certain Federal land in the State of California into trust for the benefit of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, and for other purposes.

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin (contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article)
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/lawreviews/currentlr.html

• Between empire and state: Haudenosaunee sovereignty at the League of Nations.
• Courts of Indian Offenses, courts of Indian resistance.
• David Getches: A jurist at the service of the Indigenous cause.
• Disenrollment as citizenship revocation: Promoting tribal sovereignty by embracing international norms.
• A horse named “stream depletion theory”: The history and negotiation of the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact.
• The Indian Child Welfare Act, exclusive jurisdiction, and the implicit membership requirement in 25 U.S.C. § 1911(A).
• A tribal-state water compact? Exploring tribal and state sovereign authority, with congressional consent, to quantify tribal water claims.
• Water rights and regional equity: the Animas-La Plata Project and its implications for tribal sovereignty in Southwest Colorado.

News Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/news/currentnews.html

This week, in brief:

• Tribal Nations in Michigan withdraw from Line 5 tunnel project discussions
• Billy Frank Jr. statue brings modern representation to U.S. Capitol
• How the Klamath dams came down
• New Mexico Governor signs bill protecting students’ right to wear regalia
• Tribal Nations back Swinomish in legal battle against BNSF Railway Co.

Indian Law Bulletins Updated

U.S. Supreme Court Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/sct/2024-2025update.html

One petition for certiorari was filed 2/24/25:

• Lexington Insurance Company v. Mueller (24-906) (Jurisdiction Over Nonmembers)

Federal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/federal/2025.html

• Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation v. Morse (Regulatory Jurisdiction; Amended Complaint; Futility)
• United States, et al. v. Michigan, et al. (Great Lakes Fishing Decree; Unanimous Consent)
• Erwine v. Churchill County, et al. (Tribal Sovereign Immunity; Tribal Employees)

State Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/state/2025.html

• Matter of Macon J. (Indian Child Welfare Act)
• Koi Nation of Northern California v. City of Clearlake (Cultural Resources/Property; Tribal Consultation)

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/legislation/119_uslegislation.html

• S.1008 - Cape Fox Land Entitlement Finalization Act of 2025 / A bill to provide equitable treatment for the people of the Village Corporation established for the Native Village of Saxman, Alaska, and for other purposes.
• S.1055 - A bill to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to modify the notification requirement for emergency contract health services for certain beneficiaries, and for other purposes.
• S.1084 - A bill to authorize the relinquishment and in lieu selection of land and minerals in the State of North Dakota, to restore land and minerals to Indian Tribes within the State of North Dakota, and for other purposes.
• H.R.2130 - To require the Bureau of Indian Affairs to process and complete all mortgage packages associated with residential and business mortgages on Indian land by certain deadlines, and for other purposes.
• H.R.2236 - To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out a demonstration project to allow Tribal entities to purchase agricultural commodities under the commodity supplemental food program, and for other purposes.

U.S. Regulatory Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/regulatory/2025.html

• Notice of Receipt of the Makah Tribe's Permit Request for a Ceremonial and Subsistence Hunt of Eastern North Pacific Gray Whales (Commerce)

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin (contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article)
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/lawreviews/currentlr.html

• E ola mau ka ʻōlelo Hawaii: Language revitalization, reparations, and the courts.
• Indigenizing the right to a healthy environment.
• Mugshots in Oklahoma: Stigmatizing Native American individuals and communities.
• Our children/our future: Examining how Indigenous Peoples in the US assert self-determination and prioritze child wellbeing.
• Protection or indifference: Why the Arizona v. Navajo Nation decision doesn't hold water.
• TFPA, wildfire mitigation, and advocating for the dissemination of Indigenous knowledge.

News Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/news/currentnews.html

This week, in brief:

• Haskell Indian Nations University student suing Trump administration speaks out, talks impacts of fed layoffs
• Wisconsin Tribes urge support for bills, including tribal regalia in school ceremonies
• Trump Administration rolls back executive order on tribal sovereignty and self-governance
• Judge rules Minnesota can prosecute marijuana crimes on reservations even after legalization
• Arizona delegation pushes largest tribal water rights settlement in US history

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 3/12/2025

U.S. Supreme Court Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/sct/2024-2025update.html

One petition for certiorari was filed 3/3/25:

• South Point Energy Center v. Arizona Department of Revenue (24-952) (State and Local Taxation)

Federal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/federal/2025.html

• United States v. Michigan, et al. (Great Lakes Fisheries Management; Treaty Rights; Amicus Party)
• North Metro Harness Initiative LLC v. Beattie, et al. (Tribal Gaming; Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO); Tribal Sovereign Immunity)
• Association of Village Council Presidents, et al. v. National Marine Fisheries Service, et al. (Federal Management of Fisheries; Administrative Procedure Act (APA))
• Canadian St. Regis Band of Mohawk Indians, et al. v. New York, et al. (Motion to Intervene)
• Vipond v. DeGroat, et al. (Tribal Court Jurisdiction; Exhaustion of Tribal Remedies)
• United States, et al. v. State of Washington, et al. (Treaty Fishing Rights; Usual and Accustomed Fishing Places; Marine Waters)

State Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/state/2025.html

• Marvin Keith Stitt v. The City of Tulsa (McGirt v. Oklahoma; Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta; Criminal Jurisdiction)
• In re J.F. (Indian Child Welfare Act)

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/legislation/119_uslegislation.html

• S.870 - A bill to amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to enhance the longevity, dignity, empowerment, and respect of older individuals who are Native Americans, and for other purposes.
• S.953 - A bill to provide for the settlement of the water rights claims of the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, and for other purposes.
• H.R.504 - Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act / To amend the Miccosukee Reserved Area Act to authorize the expansion of the Miccosukee Reserved Area and to carry out activities to protect structures within the Osceola Camp from flooding, and for other purposes.
• H.R.2025 - To provide for the settlement of the water rights claims of the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, and for other purposes.

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin (contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article)
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/lawreviews/currentlr.html

• Actualizing Indigenous data sovereignty through tribal self-governance.
• The amplified federal obligation: Why Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization amplifies the federal government’s obligation to provide comprehensive reproductive health care in Native American communities.
• Benefit corporation - A tool for economic development and fostering sovereignty in tribal business structures.
• How poor is poor enough? How jurisdictional differences in implementing the right to counsel affect indigent Native Americans.
• Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta - Using sentencing inequities to address the Oliphant in the room.
• A tribal court blueprint for the Choctaw Freedmen: Effect of Cherokee Nation v. Nash.
• Tribal eminent domain: Sovereignty gaps and policy solutions.

News Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/news/currentnews.html

This week, in brief:

• Tribes, Native American students file lawsuit over Bureau of Indian Education firings
• The case for returning U.S. public lands to Indigenous People
• Gov. Stitt's brother loses appeal of $250 speeding ticket in McGirt-related case
• Native groups urge equal teatment for Tribal Nations in U.S. appellate courts
• Senate committee advances ten bills to strengthen tribal water rights and infrastructure

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 3/5/2025

U.S. Supreme Court Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/sct/2024-2025update.html

One petition for certiorari was denied 3/3/25:

• Bibeau v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue (24-804) (Federal Income Tax)

Federal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/federal/2025.html

• United States, et al. v. Osage Wind, LLC, et al. (Trespass; Damages; Stay Judgment Pending Appeal)
• Parrotta v. Island Resort and Casino (Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); Tribal Sovereign Immunity)

Tribal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/tribal/2025.html

• Johnson v. Lozeau (Child Custody; Ex Parte Interviews; Mediation)

State Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/state/2025.html

• Pateras v. Armenta (Indian General Welfare Benefits; Child Support)

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/legislation/119_uslegislation.html

• S.748 - A bill to reaffirm the applicability of the Indian Reorganization Act to the Lytton Rancheria of California, and for other purposes.
• S.757 - A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to recognize Indian tribal governments for purposes of determining under the adoption credit whether a child has special needs.
• S.761 - Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act of 2025 / A bill to establish the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States, and for other purposes.
• S.785 - A bill to extend the Alaska Native Vietnam era Veterans Land Allotment Program.
• H.R.474 - Lumbee Fairness Act / To amend the Lumbee Act of 1956.
• H.R.619 - Nor Rel Muk Wintu Nation Federal Recognition Act / To extend Federal recognition to the Nor Rel Muk Wintu Nation, and for other purposes.
• H.R.1647 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to implement the Climate Ready Tribes Initiative.
• H.R.1723 - To clarify the rights of Indians and Indian Tribes on Indian lands under the National Labor Relations Act.

U.S. Regulatory Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/regulatory/2025.html

• Notice of Intended Disinterment From Carlisle Barracks Post Cemetery (DoD)

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin (contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article)
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/lawreviews/currentlr.html

• Barriers and opportunities in reporting impaired-driving data from Indian Country.
• “Plants don’t have a culture to appropriate”: Accounting for accusations of cultural appropriation of peyote ceremonies.
• Prescribed burns: The traditional cure for a modern problem.
• Sovereign lands.
• Tradition is a trap.
• We know about the right to bear arms, but what about the rights of Bears Ears.

News Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/news/currentnews.html

This week, in brief:

• What cuts to the federal government mean for Native American communities
• University of California Native Americans demand action against scholars claiming Indigenous roots without proof
• Colorado recognizes data sovereignty for Tribes
• ‘Rights of nature’ laws take root in the West
• Pushing for their say: Tribes supporting bill to create Indigenous-language compact schools

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 2/26/2025

Federal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/federal/2025.html

• Rousseau v. Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, et al. (Habeas Corpus; Personal Jurisdiction)
• L.B. v. United States, et al. (Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA); Scope of Employment)
• George v. Colville Confederated Tribes, et al. (Indian Civil Rights Act (ICRA); Tribal Sovereign Immunity)
• United States v. Haack (Indian Arts and Crafts Act (IACA); Identity Theft)
• United States v. Young (Peremptory Challenge on the Basis of Race)
• Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, et al. v. U.S. Department of the Interior, et al. (Land into Trust; Indian Gaming; Economic Harm)
• Perank, et al. v. United States (Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA); Loss of Water)

Tribal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/tribal/2025.html

• Perry v. Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority (Negligence; Ongoing Storm Doctrine)

State Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/state/2025.html

• In re Enbridge Energy to Replace and Relocate Line 5 (Cultural Resources; Michigan Environmental Protection Act)

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/legislation/119_uslegislation.html

• S.572 - A bill to enhance the effectiveness of the Shadow Wolves Program, and for other purposes.
• S.630 - A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to make payments to the Quapaw Nation and certain members of the Quapaw Nation in accordance with the recommendation of the United States Court of Federal Claims, and for other purposes.
• S.632 - A bill to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to allow Indian Health Service scholarship and loan recipients to fulfill service obligations through half-time clinical practice, and for other purposes.
• S.637 - A bill to amend the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act to make improvements to that Act, and for other purposes.
• S.640 - A bill to amend the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to make a technical correction to the Navajo Nation Water Resources Development Trust Fund, to amend the Claims Resolution Act of 2010 to make technical corrections to the Taos Pueblo Water Development Fund and Aamodt Settlement Pueblos' Fund, and for other purposes.
• S.642 - A bill to provide compensation to the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community for the taking without just compensation of land by the United States inside the exterior boundaries of the L'Anse Indian Reservation that were guaranteed to the Community under a treaty signed in 1854, and for other purposes.
• S.643 - A bill to amend the Grand Ronde Reservation Act to address the hunting, fishing, trapping, and animal gathering rights of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community, and for other purposes.
• S.673 - A bill to amend the Miccosukee Reserved Area Act to authorize the expansion of the Miccosukee Reserved Area and to carry out activities to protect structures within the Osceola Camp from flooding, and for other purposes.
• S.689 - A bill to approve the settlement of the water right claims of the Tule River Tribe, and for other purposes.
• S.699 - A bill to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to address liability for payment of charges or costs associated with the provision of purchased/referred care services, and for other purposes.
• S.719 - A bill to amend the Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 to improve that Act, and for other purposes.
• S.723 - A bill to require the Bureau of Indian Affairs to process and complete all mortgage packages associated with residential and business mortgages on Indian land by certain deadlines, and for other purposes.
• H.R.1499 - To amend the Grand Ronde Reservation Act to address the hunting, fishing, trapping, and animal gathering rights of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community, and for other purposes.
• S.Res.83 - A resolution designating February 2025 as "Hawaiian Language Month" or "'Olelo Hawai'i Month".

News Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/news/currentnews.html

This week, in brief:

• Appeals Court upholds MPSC permit for Line 5 tunnel project
• ProPublica updates its database of museums’ and universities’ compliance with federal repatriation law
• Utah bill would disenfranchise rural Native residents, critics warn
• Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes defend Yellowstone bison plan in court
• New bill would transfer ownership of Shawnee Indian Mission to Shawnee Tribe

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 02/19/2025

U.S. Supreme Court Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/sct/2024-2025update.html

One petition for certiorari was filed 2/13/25:

• Lexington Insurance Co. v. Suquamish Tribe (24-884) (Jurisdiction Over Nonmembers)

Federal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/federal/2025.html

• Waukegan Potawatomi Casino, LLC v. City of Waukegan (Equal Protection Clause; Section 1983)
• Navajo Nation, et al. v. United States (Standing; Trust Relationship)
• Sovereign Natchez Nation, et al. v. Riverside County Department of Social Services Children Protective Services, et al. (Indian Child Welfare Act; Recognition)
• United States v. Whipple-Wright (Major Crimes Act (MCA); Miranda Rights; Tribal Enrollment Status)
• Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, et al. v. Madore, et al. (Treaty Rights; Disestablishment; Mootness)
• Montgomery v. Seminole Hard Rock Digital, LLC (Intervention; Sovereign Immunity)

State Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/state/2025.html

• Interest of B.V. (Indian Child Welfare Act)
• Nelson v. Hawaiian Homes Commission (Hawaiian Homes Commission Act; Trust Breach)

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/legislation/119_uslegislation.html

• S.546 - A bill to amend the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to make a technical correction to the water rights settlement for the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, and for other purposes.
• S.550 - A bill to provide for the equitable settlement of certain Indian land disputes regarding land in Illinois, and for other purposes.
• S.562 - A bill to approve the settlement of water rights claims of the Pueblos of Acoma and Laguna in the Rio San Jose Stream System and the Pueblos of Jemez and Zia in the Rio Jemez Stream System in the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes.
• S.563 - A bill to approve the settlement of water rights claims of Ohkay Owingeh in the Rio Chama Stream System, to restore the Bosque on Pueblo Land in the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes.
• S.564 - A bill to approve the settlement of water rights claims of the Zuni Indian Tribe in the Zuni River Stream System in the State of New Mexico, to protect the Zuni Salt Lake, and for other purposes.
• S.565 - A bill to approve the settlement of water rights claims of the Navajo Nation in the Rio San Jose Stream System in the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes.
• S.612 - A bill to amend the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act to authorize grants to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations, and for other purposes.
• S.620 - A bill to provide public health veterinary services to Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations for rabies prevention, and for other purposes.
• S.621 - A bill to accept the request to revoke the charter of incorporation of the Lower Sioux Indian Community in the State of Minnesota at the request of that Community, and for other purposes.
• S.622 - A bill 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.1418 - To amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to address liability for payment of charges or costs associated with provision of purchased/referred care services, and for other purposes.
• H.R.1444 - To approve the settlement of water rights claims of the Zuni Indian Tribe in the Zuni River Stream System in the State of New Mexico, to protect the Zuni Salt Lake, and for other purposes.
• H.Res.136 - Expressing support for the designation of February 2025 as "Hawaiian Language Month" or "'Olelo Hawai'i Month".

U.S. Regulatory Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/regulatory/2025.html

• Federal Acknowledgment of American Indian Tribes (Interior)

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin (contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article)
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/lawreviews/currentlr.html

• Congressional tribal trust responsibility and the opioid MDL: A call to finish the work the judiciary was forced to undertake.
• Ola i ka Malu ʻUlu o Lele: An emerging collective memory of injustice in Maui Komohana as a foundation for recovery from Lahaina’s wildfires and restorative justice for Hawaiʻi.
• A right to living culture: Articulating issues and opportunities for protecting contemporary and emerging Native Hawaiian rights, practices, and resources.
• The role of human rights in advancing justice for Native Hawaiians: Infusing Indigenous human rights with Kanaka Maoli values.

News Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/news/currentnews.html

This week, in brief:

• Buried but not forgotten: a Colorado archeologist describes her work honoring the lives of Indian boarding school students
• Sen. Lisa Murkowski: "it's Denali"; co-sponsors legislation to formally recognize its Native name
• Layoffs at National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service raise concern over sacred lands
• Native organizations' leaders defend tribal sovereignty before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
• Bill to eliminate Native American voting barriers goes before Montana legislature

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 2/12/2025

Federal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/federal/2025.html

• Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation v. Morse, et al. (Civil Jurisdiction; Article III Standing)

Tribal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/tribal/2025.html

• Spirit v. Fort Peck Tribes (Indian Civil Rights Act; Confrontation; Due Process)

State Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/state/2025.html

• In the Matter of the Guardianship of K.D.B. (Indian Child Welfare Act)

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/legislation/119_uslegislation.html

• S.443 - A bill to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to allow Indian tribal governments to directly request fire management assistance declarations and grants, and for other purposes.
• H.R.1010 - To require Federal law enforcement agencies to report on cases of missing or murdered Indians, and for other purposes.
• S.Res.60 - An original resolution authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Indian Affairs.
• H.Res.97 - Expressing support for the designation of the week beginning February 3, 2025, as "National Tribal Colleges and Universities Week."

U.S. Regulatory Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/regulatory/2025.html

• Presidential Memorandum; Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina (Interior)

Law Review & Bar Journal Bulletin (contact us if you need help finding a copy of an article)
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/lawreviews/currentlr.html

• Abdication of power: Arizona v. Navajo Nation and judicial refusal to enforce the federal trust relationship.
• Beyond statutory tango: Native American Tribe's access to bankruptcy relief after Lac Du Flambeau.
• The erosion of trust: Arizona v. Navajo, climate change, and the potential abrogation of tribal water rights.
• Green and proud: Protecting the Antiquities Act as a means of fighting climate change and promoting American patriotism.
• Indigenizing legal republicanism.
• Native reproductive self-determination.
• Opportunities for reconciliation: The legal history of the Leech Lake Indian Reservation and the Chippewa National Forest.
• The parallels in the repatriation of cultural property: How the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act provides a framework for a more effective Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act.
• Teaching at the intersection of federal Indian law and environmental law courses.
• Where do we go from here? Navajo Nation's fight for water.

News Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/news/currentnews.html

This week, in brief:

• Amid wave of executive orders, Native communities worry about ‘collateral damage’ to U.S. treaty obligations
• Billy Kirkland (Navajo) nominated to be Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs by Trump
• ‘Our data is our stories’ | Q+A: Abigail Echo-Hawk on data sovereignty
• Arizona Republicans lose bid to block Grand Canyon monument protections
• Native Americans and immigration enforcement - know your rights

Indian Law Bulletins Updated 2/5/2025

Federal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/federal/2025.html

• United States, et al. v. State of Washington, et al. (Treaty Fishing Rights; Usual and Accustomed Fishing Places; Skagit River)
• Duwamish Tribe, et al. v. Haaland, et al. (Federal Recognition; Voluntary Remand)
• Schmasow v. Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa of Montana (Habeas Corpus; Membership; Exhaustion of Tribal Remedies)

Tribal Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/tribal/2025.html

• Porporino v. Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority (Discovery; Protective Order)

State Courts Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/state/2025.html

• In re Taylor M. (Indian Child Welfare Act)
• Frankel v. Board of Land and Natural Resources (Trust Breach)

U.S. Legislation - 119th Congress Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/legislation/119_uslegislation.html

• S.390 - A bill to require Federal law enforcement agencies to report on cases of missing or murdered Indians, and for other purposes.
• H.R.907 - To provide for the settlement of the water rights claims of the Fort Belknap Indian Community, and for other purposes.
• S.Res.49 - A resolution designating the week beginning February 3, 2025, as "National Tribal Colleges and Universities Week."

U.S. Regulatory Bulletin
http://narf.org/nill/bulletins/regulatory/2025.html

• Federal Recognition of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina (Presidential Memorandum)

News Bulletin
https://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/news/currentnews.html

This week, in brief:

• Native leaders press Trump Admin, Congress to preserve Tribal Nations' political status amid federal changes
• Although flow of federal money is fine for now, Tribes brace for cuts and plan to protect treaty rights
• Uranium ore shipments will resume after Navajo Nation, Energy Fuels reach agreement
• Duwamish Tribe gets another chance at federal recognition
• #LandBack offers common ground for Native Tribes, Trump Administration