Holding Court: A Discussion with Judges from Native American Tribal Courts

In conjunction with the National Native American Bar Association, IILP is proud to present a round table, round robin discussion among judges from Native American tribal courts. Most Americans, including many lawyers, have no knowledge that tribal courts exist or what authority they have. Over whom do they have jurisdiction and what types of cases come before them? Who better to discuss these and other issues than American Indian tribal Judges?

Native Americans are the only racial or ethnic group in America specifically mentioned in the United States Constitution by race. Indians are mentioned in the Commerce Clause where Congress is assigned the power to regulate commerce “among the States, with foreign Nations and with the Indian tribes.” In the enumerations clause the census count includes all “excepting Indians not taxed.” And the Fourteenth Amendment repeats the “Indians not taxed” language.

Therefore, it’s important to remember that there are three separate sovereignties mentioned in the Federal Constitution: States, the federal government and Indian Tribes. Indian nations and Indian governments are not created by the federal Constitution; they pre-existed the US Constitution for thousands of years. Tribes have lands and governments. They also have justice systems.

The judges we are bringing together in this webinar will tell you their stories and the stories of their courts.

Speakers:

Hon. Greg Bigler, Tribal Judge, Sac and Fox Nation and the Seminole Nation

Jared Crum (moderator), Board Member, National Native American Bar Association

Hon. Travis Trueblood, Chief Judge, Catawba Nation, and Associate Justice - Supreme Court, Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi

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