National Indian Law Library : February 2026

February 11, 2026

Avoyelles Water Commission v. Ward 3 Avoyelles Waterworks District (Tribal jurisdiction - Tribal court removal)
Cranford, II, et al. v. U. S. Department of the Interior, et al. (Tribal recognition; Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA))
Meilstrup v. Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, et al. (Tribal jurisdiction; Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA))
Rockboy v. Charles Mix County, et al. (law enforcement jurisdiction)
Vipond v. DeGroat, et al. (Tribal jurisdiction - Tribal court exhaustion)

State of Oklahoma v. Jason Martin Lile (jurisdiction; attorney discipline; conflict of interest)
In the Matter of: S.A. and J.P., Youths in Need of Care (Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA))

H.R.7396 - Native American Entrepreneurial Opportunity Act / To establish an Office of Native American Affairs within the Small Business Administration, and for other purposes.
S.Res.601 - A resolution designating the week beginning February 2, 2026, as "National Tribal Colleges and Universities Week".
H.Res.1045 - Calling on the Secretary of Education to work with stakeholders to immediately eliminate race-based Native logos, mascots, and names from State educational institutions, and calling on State educational institutions and national sports franchises to cease the unsanctioned use of such logos, mascots, and names.

Receipt of Documented Petition for Federal Acknowledgment as an American Indian Tribe (Interior)

Applying the Indian Commerce Clause to Indian commerce.
Indigenous nations and international law: Identifying, sources, and applying Indigenous international law.
Indigenous theories of international law: Reimagining the legal frameworks through a decolonial lens.
Native Nations, noncitizens, and the Supremacy Clause.

This week, in brief:

Gwich’in fight to protect caribou from Alaska oil development
Oregon, Washington and Tribes head back to court after Trump pulls out of deal to recover salmon
Washoe Tribe Completes historic 10,274-acre land return near Lake Tahoe
Fixing one byzantine process would return reservation lands to Tribes and improve landscape health
Feds greenlight $2B renewable energy project on Yakama Nation sacred site

The Native American Rights Fund is hiring a Staff Attorney in the Alaska office. Learn more about the vacancy on our website.

February 4, 2026

Shinnecock Indian Nation v. Hochul, et al. (Tribal property)
Chase, et al. v. Andeavor Logistics, L.P., et al. (Tribal property; Indian Right-of-Way Act (IRWA))
Round Valley Indian Tribes, et al. v. Kendall, et al. (criminal jurisdiction; Tribal sovereignty)
United States v. Ruiz (criminal jurisdiction; Indian status)

S.3767 - A bill to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to elevate the position of Director of the Indian Health Service within the Department of Health and Human Services to Assistant Secretary for Indian Health, and for other purposes.
S.3769 - A bill to amend the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Settlement Act of 1989 to clarify that amounts in the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Settlement Trust Fund may be withdrawn by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, and for other purposes.
H.R.7325 - To establish the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States, and for other purposes.
H.Res.1033 - Expressing support for the designation of the week beginning February 2, 2026, as "National Tribal Colleges and Universities Week".

Indian Entities Recognized by and Eligible To Receive Services From the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs (Interior)
Summit Lake Formula Area Expansion (HUD)

The cloudy future of Alaska's magnificent public lands.
The Michigan Anishinaabeg.
The Mono Basin Project: Remedying environmental injustice through Tribal beneficial use designations.
Native Nations, public lands, and the Trump 2.0 era.
Public lands and the Supreme Court.

This week, in brief:

After scrutiny, Michigan moves to release redacted Native boarding school report
Trump officials ordered removal of history, science signs at national parks, report says
Oklahoma Gov. Stitt calls for limits on Tribal sovereignty, Tribal leaders respond
Court says state cannot prosecute Tribal citizen for cannabis charge on Tribal lands
Attorneys give Tribal citizens guidance on navigating ICE encounters

The Native American Rights Fund is hiring a Staff Attorney in the Alaska office. Learn more about the vacancy on our website.