Committee on Indian Affairs Holds Nomination Hearing for Newland Appointment
On Wednesday, June 9, 2021, the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held a nomination hearing to consider the appointment of Bryan Todd Newland to serve as assistant secretary for Indian Affairs in the U.S. Department of the Interior. Newland is a tribal citizen...
House Hearing on Indian Country Facilities: Written Testimony Due July 1
On June 17, 2021, the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States — part of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources — held a hearing titled, “Examining Federal Facilities in Indian Country.” The hearing focused on the significant need to improve...
Keystone XL Pipeline Terminated After 13 Years of Tribal Opposition
On June 9, 2021, TC Energy terminated its proposed Keystone XL Pipeline. The decision comes after 13 years of tribal opposition, and after President Biden revoked the cross-border permit on January 20, 2021, the first day of his presidency. Without this permit, the...
Tribes Make Plans to Use ARPA Fiscal Recovery Funds
Over the last couple of weeks, tribal governments have begun receiving their share of the $20 billion in Fiscal Recovery Funds provided under the American Rescue Plan Act. The funds are intended to support the efforts of tribal governments as they respond to the...
U.S. Supreme Court Supports Inherent Tribal Police Power in Cooley Case
On Tuesday, June 1, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in United States v. Cooley holding that tribal police have the “authority to detain temporarily and to search non-Indian persons traveling on public rights-of-way (highways) running through a...
Native Law Group Welcomes New Staff to its Colorado Office
This spring, Native Law Group has welcomed three new members to its staff in Louisville, Colorado: Erin Obray, Jan McMinn, and Savannah Hook. Erin serves as firm administrator and as legal secretary to partner Jeremy Patterson. She has been in the legal field since...
Native Law Group Welcomes Senior Associate Xavier Barraza to its Washington, D.C. Office
Patterson Earnhart Real Bird & Wilson LLP is pleased to announce the addition of a new senior associate to its team in Washington, D.C. Attorney Xavier Barraza officially joined Native Law Group on June 2, 2021. With offices in Louisville, Colorado, and...
Haaland Streamlines Land to Trust Process
On April 27, 2021, the U.S. Department of Interior issued a new Secretarial Order and released a series of legal decisions intended to streamline Interior’s process for taking land into trust on behalf of tribal governments, and also to empower tribes to pursue...
Treasury Announces Plan to Distribute $20 Billion in Covid-19 Recovery Funds for Tribal Governments
On May 10, 2021, the U.S. Department of Treasury announced its distribution plans for $20 billion in Covid-19 Fiscal Recovery Funds for tribal governments. These funds are part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) that was signed into law by...
President Biden Re-establishes White House Council on Native American Affairs
On April 23, 2021, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland will convene the Biden Administration’s first White House Council on Native American Affairs meeting. Secretary Haaland will serve as the council’s chair, and she will be joined by Domestic Policy Advisor Susan...