CILS Brackeen News Flash
On April 6, 2021, an en banc panel of the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal decided Brackeen v. Haaland, a case challenging the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). Read the full decision here. The good news is (1) this decision does not apply in California nor in any state in the […]
TRIBAL ALERT – Tribes Disqualified from ARP Public Safety and Justice Funding
To All Tribal Leaders; The BIA is proposing to set aside $772.5 million dollars of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) appropriation for “public safety and justice (PSJ)”. This set aside will be distributed “based on the existing allocation of base (reoccurring annual) funding level for OJS-funded, tribally operated, programs.” This means the funding will be […]
When Does the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Apply?
By Kia Murdoch, CILS Sacramento office Staff Attorney ICWA provides protections for Indian children in State Court “Child Custody Proceedings.” The ICWA is a federal law that provides procedures to protect “the best interests of Indian children and promote the stability and security of Indian tribes and families” in certain child custody proceedings.[i] Protecting children’s […]
Efforts at Justice for Missing and Murdered Native Women
By Jedd Parr, CILS Sacramento office Directing Attorney Over the last several years, the prevalence of violence suffered by Native Americans, particularly at the hands of non-Indian perpetrators, has finally become more widely acknowledged. Violence affects both men and women, but especially women. Although the data can be incomplete, it has been reported that Native […]
Changes To CILS Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Legal Services During COVID
By Susan Dalati, CILS Escondido office Staff Attorney The CILS Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault (“DV/SA”) Legal Advocacy Program is housed CILS’ Escondido office and is comprised of an attorney and legal advocate. Due to the pandemic, the DV/SA Program staff began providing virtual legal services in March 2020. To date, their services are still being provided […]
Community Education
By Mark Vezzola, CILS Escondido office Directing Attorney This blog entry is devoted to a concept rather than a specific issue. California Indian Legal Services has made community education a priority since its creation in 1967. In addition to representing and advocating on behalf of Native American individuals, tribes, and organizations, CILS is committed to […]
