Congressional Stalemate Continues on Covid-19 Relief
Heading into the 2020 elections, Congress is not any closer to reaching a deal on the next Covid-19 relief package. After coming back from August recess, the September work session produced several significant events, but each one led to no further action. When...
9th Circuit Affirms Restoration of Endangered Species Act Protections for Grizzly Bears in Greater Yellowstone
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a prior district court order which restored Endangered Species Act protections for grizzly bears around Yellowstone National Park, agreeing with the Appellees—Crow Indian Tribe et. al.—and the lower court’s decision on...
Fort Belknap Indian Community Takes Center Stage with Water Resources Administrator’s Interview in National Magazine
During the past year, the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Tribes of the Fort Belknap Indian Community (FBIC) Water Rights Settlement Act of 2019 was introduced in both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives and currently is awaiting potential hearings in both...
Irrigation Leader Magazine: Water Resources in the Fort Belknap Indian Community
Courtesy of Irrigation Leader Magazine, July/August 2020 issue Montana’s Fort Belknap Indian Community (FBIC), which brings together the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Tribes on the Fort Belknap Reservation, is home to the nation’s oldest federal Indian irrigation...
Patterson Earnhart Real Bird & Wilson LLP Attorneys Named “Best Lawyers in America” for 2021
Best Lawyers has selected Patterson Earnhart Real Bird & Wilson LLP attorneys Thomasina Real Bird, pictured here, and Jeffrey Rasmussen for inclusion in its “Best Lawyers in America” for 2021. The attorneys, both recognized in the practice area of Native American...
Patterson Earnhart Real Bird & Wilson LLP Welcomes New Partner and Law Clerk
Patterson Earnhart Real Bird & Wilson LLP has announced the addition of two new members to its team. Attorney Michael Carter has joined as a partner, and William “Evan” DeWitt is serving as a law clerk. The growing, majority native-owned firm provides a broad...
COVID-19: How to Provide Direct Disaster-Relief Assistance to Qualifying Tribal Members
Aug. 18, 2020 — Uncertainty surrounding the future of COVID-19 and its economic impact continues to grow. As we approach the fall and winter months of 2020, many tribes have further examined and considered the most effective ways to mitigate threats posed by the...
Supreme Court Decision Paves Way for Tribes to Reclaim Jurisdiction over Tribal Lands
Amidst a wave of recent positive developments for Indian country, the U.S. Supreme Court recently issued a landmark decision regarding criminal jurisdiction to the benefit of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in McGirt v. Oklahoma. On July 9, the court held that, for...
Yankton Sioux Tribe Hardens Victory Against U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Dakota Access; DAPL Must Be Drained of All Oil
The Yankton Sioux Tribe and its water protectors stood victorious on Monday, July 6, following a decision from Judge James E. Boasberg, United States District Court for the District of Columbia, upholding the Tribe’s long-held position that the unlawfully permitted...
Partner Alvina Earnhart Serves as Chairperson of the Colorado State Advisory Committee for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is an independent bipartisan, fact-finding agency established by Congress to collect information relating to discrimination or the denial of equal protection of the laws under the Constitution based on race, color, religion, sex,...