Native American Law Blog

Resource: National American Indian Housing Council Releases Revised 2010 Indian Housing Development Handbook

I was just forwarded this and thought I would pass it along.

WASHINGTON—July 8, 2010—The National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC), the only national Indian organization solely advocating on behalf of tribal housing issues, released its 2010 revised edition of the Indian Housing Development Handbook, which will serve as a valuable guide for tribal housing programs, federal and state government agencies, lenders, contractors, investors, attorneys and other housing professionals.

“Our goal is that this handbook will serve as a primary resource for tribal housing issues not only for our membership but also for the agencies and institutions that work with tribes to meet Indian Country’s acute need for decent and affordable housing,” said NAIHC Chairperson Cheryl A. Causley. “The handbook is intended as a supplement to our technical assistance and training activities. As this is the second edition of the handbook, we welcome comments and suggestions for improvement.”

 

The handbook was first published in early 2009, shortly after Congress enacted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The 2010 edition updates the statutory and regulatory references and provides current information relating to federal budgets for tribal housing.

The author of the handbook, Brian Pierson, leads the Godfrey & Kahn’s Indian Nations Law Team in Milwaukee. Mr. Pierson has nearly 20 years of experience representing tribes. His practice today focuses on housing, development of tribal legal infrastructure and Indian Country economic development.

 

An online version of the handbook can be found on the NAIHC website – www.naihc.net. Please contact the NAIHC office to order a hardcopy of the handbook – 202.789.1754.

 

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The National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC) was founded in 1974 as a 501(c)(3) corporation. NAIHC is the only national organization representing housing interests of Native people who reside in Indian communities, Alaska Native Villages and on native Hawaiian Home Lands.

 

-CMD

If you're in the vicinity of Pablo, Montana....

....this should be good:

Daniel F. Decker, noted attorney and member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, returns to the Salish Kootenai College campus to offer a free lecture to explore water rights of American Indian tribes. Decker will provide a general background and then focus on particular water issues on the Flathead Indian Reservation.

This event is open to the public and will be held at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 5 at the Salish Kootenai College campus’ Johnny Arlee and Victor Charlo Theatre.

Water rights continue to be a complex and sometimes contentious issue. Ownership and control of water has dramatic impacts on individual landowners, municipalities, and both state and tribal governments. This lecture will explore the historic context of water rights and provide information on the fundamental aspects of water ownership and control.

For more information, contact the HeartLines Project at (406) 275-4794.

twp

35,000 "hits" on the blog......

.....as of today.

Our thanks to all of our readers, and MY thanks to Carolyn Drouin and Deena DeGenova, the best blog co-editors a person could have.

TWP

Indigenous Law Journal - Call for Submissions

The Indigenous Law Journal

Volume 10

Call for Submissions

Deadline September 30, 2010

 

The Indigenous Law Journal is dedicated to developing dialogue and scholarship in the

field of Indigenous legal issues, both in Canada and internationally. Our central

concerns are Indigenous legal systems and the interaction of other legal systems with

Indigenous peoples. We are the only legal periodical in Canada with this focus.

We welcome the addition of your voice to the discussion.

 

For full details on the submissions process and student awards, please see:

www.indigenouslawjournal.org or send submissions to: submissions.ilj@utoronto.ca

 

Please address questions to Eric Chamney & Liora Zimmerman, co-Editors-in-Chief: indiglaw.journal@utoronto.ca

 

-CMD

Recognition of tribal sovereignty beyond US borders under challenge

British officials have refused to recognize passports issued by the Iroquois confederacy, stating that only US and Canadian passports would be acceptable. The team will not play in its last scheduled game because of their refusal to travel on passports not issued by the Iroquois confederacy. “The rights of Native nations to govern themselves independently has long been recognized by federal treaties, but the extent of that recognition beyond U.S borders is under challenge in a post-Sept. 11 world. . . . The Iroquois, whose members mostly live in New York, Ontario and Quebec, along with the Hopi and Western Shoshone are among the few American Indian nations in which members have had a form of their own passports.”

 

Get the full story here.

 

-CMD

Call for papers

Call for Papers

On Feb. 25, 2011 American University Washington College of Law is hosting a conference on “Tribes, Land, and the Environment” in Washington, D.C. Selected papers associated with the conference will be published as chapters in an edited book with the same title to be published by Ashgate Publishing.

Submission Information

Proposals: Please email Sarah.Krakoff@colorado.edu or erosser@wcl.american.edu proposed topics with your tentative title and abstract by Aug. 1, 2010. Selected proposals will be notified on a rolling basis, but by Aug. 15, 2010 at the latest. Topics of interest include everything from federal oversight of tribal environmental decisions to land and environmental institution building by tribal governments. If you have questions, please contact the conference organizers.

You can find more information HERE.

twp

Since they asked nicely.......

....we'll post the following:

The University of Cincinnati College of Law invites applications from entry-level and lateral candidates for as many as two tenure-track or tenured faculty positions in a broad number of areas, including agency/partnership/unincorporated business associations,  civil procedure, commercial law, corporations, criminal law, criminal procedure, employment and labor law, evidence, immigration, international law, property, torts, and wills and trusts.  We also seek applications for visiting faculty positions in those areas.  All applicants should have a distinguished academic background and either great promise or a record of excellence in both scholarship and teaching. The University of Cincinnati is committed to a diverse faculty, staff, and student body.  We encourage applications from women, people of color, persons with disabilities, and others whose background, experience, and viewpoints would contribute to the diversity of our faculty. Contact:  Professor Verna L. Williams, Chair, Faculty Appointments Committee; University of Cincinnati College of Law; P.O. Box 210040; Cincinnati, OH 45221-0040.  

AZ Snowbowl one step closer to blanketing the Peaks with toilet water

Arizona Snowbowl will begin work on new ski trails and artificial snowmaking equipment after the US Department of Agriculture issued a construction permit Friday for a water pipeline.…

Environmentalists and Native Americans took Snowbowl's landlord, the U.S. Forest Service, to federal court in 2006 over the ski area's expansion plans. A federal appeals court ruled in the Forest Service's favor, and in June 2009, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to reconsider.

Read the entire article here. Learn about the Save the Peaks Coalition here.

 

-CMD

Berkeley Law posts Professor Frickey's obit

You can find the full obituary of our colleague Philip Frickey, one of the nation's leading experts on Indian Law, HERE on Berkeley's website now.

Our thoughts and prayers go out for his family, friends and colleagues. 

In the past several days, this blog has literally had hundreds of "hits" from all over the world searching for information on Professor Frickey's passing.  We can pass along that there is a memorial service scheduled for July 31, at 2PM, in his hometown of Oberlin, KS.

One visitor, Judge Steve Leben of the Kansas Court of Appeals, graciously passed on what we've been able to post for you today.  As he was much more closely acquainted with Professor Frickey than your blog editors, I invited him to send along any commentary which he wished to share with all of our users and visitors.  He generously sent the following:

"I became friends with Phil when he first taught as a visiting prof. at
the University of Kansas School of Law.  If you want something for the
site, here goes:

Phil's accomplishments were noted in detail at the Festschrift in his
honor in April 2009. But the truth is that his influence can't be
measured.  He published scholarly works that are certainly highly
influential.  Yet he may have done more by fostering students to take
a real interest in scholarship, encouraging young scholars to take
risks and to address real issues, and connecting students, scholars,
and others in productive collaboration.  So many of those people
will carry on for decades after his death to continue working on the
ideas and issues Phil taught us to care about.

I had the good fortune to be one of his students during the first
semester he taught law, as a visiting professor at the University of
Kansas law school.  Like so many others, I gained a friend and a
source of support for the rest of my career.  Thanks, Phil.

Steve Leben
Judge, Kansas Court of Appeals"

twp

More on our colleague Professor Philip Frickey

This note was posted by the Dean:

"Our Friend and Colleague Phil Frickey

Colleagues,

Our beloved Phil Frickey, the Alexander F. and Mary T. Morrison Professor of Law, died this morning. Mary Ann wrote to say that there will be a memorial service in his Kansas hometown, and we will also do something here at Boalt when the community reassembles in August. I'll share an obituary with you as soon as we have it ready. Mary Ann asks that in lieu of flowers donations be directed to the scholarship fund we've established, the details of which will be included in the obituary.

As I said at a recent party to celebrate his years of service at Berkeley, Phil's legacy at Boalt puts him in our pantheon after only a single decade. Harder to measure are the extraordinary gifts he gave us in contributions of the mind and heart. Holes that will never be filled. "

twp

Passing on of Professor Philip Frickey of Berkeley

We are given to understand from our colleagues over on the Turtletalk blog that our colleague Professor Philip Frickey of Berkeley has succumbed to the cancer he was fighting and has passed on.  At this point, we don't know any more than that, and that is our only source.  We hasten to add that we have never known our colleagues at Turtletalk to be factually incorrect about anything, and so do not doubt the report.  Our condolences and prayers go out to the family and friends of Professor Frickey.

twp

Save the date for another Indian law conference...

The Tribal Judicial Institute, UND School of Law is pleased to announce the 2nd Annual TCAP Tribal

Courts Conference. This year's conference will focus on a variety of issues relating to the administration

of justice and adjudication of cases by Tribal Courts including:

Current State of Tribal Civil Jurisdiction in Indian Country 

Tribal Court Jurisdiction over Suits against Tribal Governments 

When Individual Rights Conflict with Tribal Rights     

The Tribal Law and Order Act and its Impact on Tribal Courts 

Protecting the Rights of Children in Child Welfare and Juvenile Proceedings in Tribal Courts 

Updates on the Indian Civil Rights Act

Separation of Powers and Judicial Independence 

Building Court Capacity through Traditional Dispute Resolution Methodology

Registration information is on our website at www.law.und.edu/tji. There is no registration fee for this

conference. Lodging:

Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, 2400 Mystic Lake Blvd., Prior Lake, MN, 55372

For room reservations, call 800-262-7799. A room block is under Group Code: Tribal Judicial Institute at a rate of $70 per night. Rooms must be booked by Friday, July 30, 2010.

twp

Save the date......

The 2010 National NALSA Job Fair will be held August 26-27, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. The deadline for student registrations is July 30, 2010 at 11:59PM.

You can find the registration HERE.

twp

JOB OPPORTUNITY- KEWENVOYOUMA LAW, PLLC

Kewenvoyouma Law, PLLC is seeking a motivated, self-driven, and ambitious full-time associate. Kewenvoyouma law, PLLC is a small 100% Indian owned law firm providing legal services exclusively to Tribes, tribal entities, tribal agencies, and Individual Indian business owners. Our firm provides services in the area of Indian law, business transactions, economic development, finance, commercial transactions, business formations, government relations, gaming, water rights, and day-to-day general counsel services to Tribe and corporate counsel services to Indian owned businesses.

Requirements:

· J.D. degree from an A.B.A. accredited law school with Bar License in California and/or Arizona (or pending License)

· 0-6 Years of experience

· Demonstrated education or experience in federal Indian law

· Willing to travel

· Strong research, analytical and writing skills

· Strong organizational and communication skills

· transactional law, business law, economic development and gaming experience.

Applicants should submit the following information:

1. Cover Letter

2. Resume

3. Writing Sample

4. Transcripts (if graduated within 0-4 years)

5. Three references

Please submit information via email to debbie@vtklaw.com. Please contact Debbie Kewenvoyouma at 480-705-7550 with any questions. Experience and/or education in transactional work preferred. Native American hiring preference will be provided to qualified attorneys.

twp

A futile wait for insight to Kagan's views of justice in Indian Country...

From Newsmax.com:

"As senators questioned U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, the American Indian community watched with interest, and with a mounting sense of frustration.

While they hoped to glean any insight into Kagan's views of justice issues in Indian Country, some saw the process as a missed opportunity by President Barack Obama to nominate a qualified American Indian lawyer, law professor or tribal jurist to the nation's highest court.

Prior to Kagan's nomination, both the National Native American Bar Association and the National Congress of American Indians sent letters to the White House extolling the qualifications of prominent Natives who they deemed worthy of consideration.

While other ethnic groups and women have made strides in reaching the federal bench, there has never been an American Indian appointed to the Supreme Court or the federal appellate bench, and out of the nation's more than 860 federal judgeships, not one is currently occupied by an American Indian."

You can find the full story HERE.

twp