Native American Rights Fund

The Native American Rights Fund (NARF) is a non-profit organization that uses existing laws and treaties to ensure that U.S. state governments and the U.S. federal government live up to their legal obligations. NARF also "provides legal representation and technical assistance to Indian tribes, organizations and individuals nationwide."^[1]

Background

The Native American Rights Fund was co-founded in 1970 by David Risling and John Echohawk (Pawnee).^[1] Echohawk currently serves as Executive Director.^[2] NARF is governed by a volunteer board of directors composed of thirteen Native Americans from different tribes throughout the country with a variety of expertise in Indian matters. A staff of fifteen attorneys handles about fifty major cases at any given time, with most of the cases taking several years to resolve. Cases are accepted on the basis of their breadth and potential importance in setting precedents and establishing important principles of Indian law.^[1]

In September 2001 tribal Leaders met in Washington, D.C., and established the Tribal Supreme Court Project in an effort to "strengthen tribal advocacy before the U.S. Supreme Court by developing new litigation strategies and coordinating tribal legal resources."^[3] The ultimate goal is to improve the win-loss record of Indian tribes in Supreme Court cases. The Project is staffed by attorneys from Native American Rights Fund (NARF) and the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and consists of a Working Group of over 200 attorneys and academics from around the nation who specialize in Indian law and other areas of law that impact Indian cases, including property law, trust law and Supreme Court practice. In addition, an Advisory Board of Tribal Leaders assists the Project by providing the necessary political and tribal perspective to the legal and academic expertise.

Tribal Supreme Court Project

The Tribal Supreme Court Project does the following:

In conjunction with the National Indian Law Library, monitors Indian law cases in the state and federal appellate courts that have the potential to reach the Supreme Court (NILL Indian Law Bulletins)
Maintains an on-line depository of briefs and opinions in all Indian law cases filed with the U.S. Supreme Court and cases being monitored in the U.S. Court of Appeal and State Supreme Courts (Court Documents)
Prepares an Update Memorandum of Cases which provides an overview of Indian law cases pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, cases being monitored and the current work being performed by the Project
Offers assistance to tribal leaders and their attorneys to determine whether to file a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court in cases where they lost in the court below
Offers assistance to attorneys representing Indian tribes to prepare their Brief in Opposition at the Petition Stage in cases where they won in the court below
Coordinates an Amicus Brief writing network and helps to develop litigation strategies at both the Petition Stage and the Merits Stage to ensure that the briefs receive the maximum attention of the Justices
When appropriate, prepares and submits Amicus Briefs on behalf of Indian tribes and Tribal Organizations
Provides other brief writing assistance, including reviewing and editing of the principal briefs, and the performance of additional legal research
Coordinates and conducts Moot Court and Roundtable opportunities for attorneys who are presenting Oral Arguments before the Court
Conducts conference calls and fosters panel discussions among attorneys nationwide about pending Indian law cases and, when necessary, forms small working groups to formulate strategy on specific issues.^[3]

Actions

One of NARF's earliest cases resulted in the 1974 Boldt Decision, in which a U.S. district judge ruled that Washington State must uphold tribal treaty rights, specifically fishing rights.^[4]

NARF has represented Native peoples in the case, Cobell v. Salazar, initiated by Elouise Cobell (Blackfeet) over the U.S. Department of the Interior's mismanagement of trust funds. The historic 13-year case resulted in a $3.4 billion settlement.^[5]^[6]

NARF publishes literature pertaining to Native American rights. They currently are co-publishing a book about tribal employment law.^[7]

References

1 2 3 Native American Rights Fund. (retrieved on 13 Feb 2010)
↑ "UNM Today." University of New Mexico. 4 Feb 2010 (retrieved 13 Feb 2010)
1 2 "Tribal Supreme Court Project Home." (retrieved on 13 Feb 2010)
↑ Echohawk, John. "Echohawk: Using their law and their history to protect our rights." 6 Jan 2006 (retrieved on 13 Feb 2010)
↑ Coleman, Travis. "Blackfeet woman’s battle for trust accounting a long one." News from Indian Country. Jan 2010 (retrieved on 13 Feb 2010)
↑ "Obama Admin Strikes $3.4B Deal in Indian Trust Lawsuit." New York Times. 8 December 2009 (retrieved on 13 Feb 2010)
↑ Smith, Jr., Kaighn. "Tribal Work Laws Before It's Too Late." Indian Country Today. 26 Jan 2010 (retrieved on 13 Feb 2010)

External links

Native American Rights Fund

Rights of Native Americans in the United States

Case law	Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl Bryan v. Itasca County Cherokee Nation v. Georgia City of Sherrill v. Oneida Indian Nation of New York Cobell v. Salazar County of Oneida v. Oneida Indian Nation of New York State Ex parte Crow Dog Federal Power Commission v. Tuscarora Indian Nation Fellows v. Blacksmith Hodel v. Irving Idaho v. Coeur d'Alene Tribe of Idaho Idaho v. United States Johnson v. M'Intosh Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock McClanahan v. Arizona State Tax Commission Menominee Tribe v. United States Merrion v. Jicarilla Apache Tribe Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians v. Holyfield New York ex rel. Cutler v. Dibble Oneida Indian Nation of New York v. County of Oneida Seneca Nation of Indians v. Christy Solem v. Bartlett South Carolina v. Catawba Indian Tribe, Inc. Standing Bear v. Crook Talton v. Mayes Tee-Hit-Ton Indians v. United States United States v. Lara United States v. Santa Fe Pacific Railroad Co. Williams v. Lee Worcester v. Georgia

Legislation	Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act American Indian Religious Freedom Act Burke Act Civilization Act Curtis Act Dawes Act Diminishment Indian Arts and Crafts Act Indian Child Welfare Act Indian Citizenship Act Indian Civil Rights Act Indian Gaming Regulatory Act Indian Removal Act Indian Reorganization Act Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act Nationality Act Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act Native American Languages Act Nonintercourse Act Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act

Related	Aboriginal title Bureau of Indian Affairs Cherokee Commission Dawes Rolls Eagle feather law Eagle-bone whistle Federal recognition of Native Hawaiians Legal status of Hawaii Hunting license In the Courts of the Conqueror National Indian Gaming Commission Native American gaming Native American Rights Fund Public Law 280 Recognition of sacred sites State recognized tribes Treaty rights Tribal sovereignty Federally recognized tribes

Indigenous and minority rights

Rights	Ancestral domain Free, prior and informed consent Intellectual property Land rights Language Self-determination Traditional knowledge Treaty rights

Governmental organizations	African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights Arctic Council Bureau of Indian Affairs Council of Indigenous Peoples Fundação Nacional do Índio Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (Philippines) United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

Non-governmental and political organizations	Amazon Watch Assembly of First Nations Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador Congress of Aboriginal Peoples Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon River Basin Cultural Survival Friends of Peoples Close to Nature Indigenous Environmental Network Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs National Indigenous Organization of Colombia Native American Rights Fund Survival International Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization Zapatista Army of National Liberation (more ...)

Issues	Civilizing mission Colonialism Internal colonialism Settler colonialism Cultural appropriation Sports mascots Redface Dakota Access Pipeline protests Discovery doctrine Homeland Lands inhabited by indigenous peoples Bantustan American Indian reservation Indian reserve Ranchería Manifest destiny Plastic shaman Rainbow Warriors Two-Spirit

Legal representation	Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2007

Historical cases	2009 Peruvian political crisis Chiapas conflict Depopulation of Diego Garcia High Arctic relocation Indian removal Mapuche conflict Oka Crisis Residential Schools Canada New Zealand South Africa United States Rubber boom San controversy Stolen Generations

Human Rights Indigenous rights • Minority rights

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