• Read more about Attacks on Tribal Sovereignty: An Analysis of Recent Decisions of the United States Supreme Court

Recent Supreme Court decisions are concerning Tribal Nations and those who work in Indian Law. Most notably, Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta 1 has major implications on the legal relationship between Tribes, states, and the federal government. The potential negative impact from these decisions can change Tribal sovereignty as it is commonly understood. One solution is to increase efforts to provide more education and data on Indian Country to ensure that there are accurate representations of Tribal communities and Tribal sovereignty.

• Read more about FCC Data Collection: Broadband Data Collection in Indian Country

Federal and state data collection efforts are flawed and inaccurate when it comes to Tribal communities; moreover, they omit them entirely. This was proven true for healthcare data during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, true for law enforcement data needed to address the MMIP crisis, and also true for broadband connectivity data. Accurate data is crucial to identifying and solving the needs of Tribal communities.

• Read more about POLICY ALERT: Indian Country Fights To Protect ICWA: Haaland v. Brackeen to be heard by SCOTUS on November 9, 2022

On November 9, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) will hear the alarming case, Haaland v. Brackeen. The questions of the case are (1) whether the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) interferes with a State’s power over adoptions and foster care and (2) whether the ICWA unfairly limits adoptions by parents who are not members of the Native child’s tribe.