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...
COVID-19 Relief In-Depth: The State Small Business Credit Initiative for Tribal Governments
The American Recovery Plan Act also re-establishes the State Small Business Credit Initiative, and it includes a set-aside for Indian tribes. In this article, we provide an overview of the 2021 SSBCI and its tribal set-aside. The SSBCI was originally introduced in...
Covid-19 Relief In-Depth: Restaurant Revitalization Funds for Tribal Businesses
The American Recovery Plan Act provides $1.9 trillion to address the continued impact of Covid-19 on the economy, public health, state and local governments, individuals, and businesses. In this article, we go in-depth to examine the ARPA’s $28.6 billion Restaurant...
President Biden’s Budget Request Proposes Significant Increases for Tribal Programs
On April 9, 2021, President Biden released his $1.52 trillion budget request for the 2022 fiscal year, and in Congress, appropriations season is underway. Like other major actions during his first 100 days, the president’s budget request is focused on addressing four...
Haaland Confirmed as Interior Secretary
Native Law Group joins Indian Country in celebrating the historic confirmation of Rep. Deb Haaland as the 54th Secretary of the Interior and the first Native American Cabinet secretary. Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on...