TLOA Still Getting Shorted

The White House budget proposal is a real mixed bag for Indian Country law enforcement with some really good news and some news that could be a lot better. I've put together an analysis of what we can expect if the proposed funding goes through as planned for Indian Country Today. Click here to read it, and don't forget to "like" it using the bear claw symbols at the bottom of the article.

Register for our Tribal Jurisdiction Webinar

Here's the announcement, with a link to the registration page, for the upcoming Tribal Jurisdiction webinar.

The Ever-Changing Jurisdictional Maze

A bill is making its way through the Washington state legislature right now that creates a procedure to for tribes to request jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters, including delinquency, truancy and adoption. On the flip side, the New Mexico Supreme Court just restricted tribes' sovereign immunity when it comes to casino liquor sales.

Anyone who has worked in Indian Country justice knows figuring out authority and responsibility in any given case can be a challenge. Often the laws were confusing to begin with and the jurisdictional landscape keeps changing through court and legislative actions. To help you get a grip on who has jurisdiction when, Indian Country Training instructor Joseph Rosen is offering a terrific webinar on April 5th on Criminal Jurisdiction in Indian Country under TLOA. Don't miss this participatory and interactive course- you won't even have to leave your desk to take it.

We Agree that Education is Key

We couldn't help but notice this rebuttal to the New York Times' piece on the Wind River Reservation. Eastern Shoshone member Larry McAdams discusses some of the real problems with crime on the Wind River Reservation and says,

I am not denying the fact that we have drug addiction, violence and alcoholism on this Reservation. What can be done to counteract these problems? I believe that education is the key to begin solving our problems, and that our leaders must set high standards by example. Our Tribal people, both the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes, have to do more to promote education. In this endeavor, we need strong leadership from our elected officials. Our Tribal leaders were elected to lead; we expect them to do what they were elected to do. Lead a “surge” to educate our people!

We couldn't have said it better ourselves!