HAPPY PRIDE FROM CALIFORNIA INDIAN LEGAL SERVICES!
By Mark Vezzola, CILS Escondido office Directing Attorney CILS wishes everyone a happy and safe Pride month! The month-long collection of events, flag-waving, and parade floats is meant to celebrate and honor who we are and show support for our clients, friends, staff, and allies who do not identify with traditional ideas of gender or […]
Mythical Indian Benefits
By Denise H. Bareilles, CILS Eureka office Acting Directing Attorney For the last ten years, I have enjoyed working with tribal communities and assisting Native Americans and tribal governments in advancing Indian rights, fostering Indian self-determination, and facilitating tribal nation building. It has been interesting and surprising when I hear common stereotypes repeated about “Indians” […]
Sacramento CILS Office Highlights
By Jedd Parr, CILS Sacramento office Directing Attorney Here are a few examples of the good work from our Sacramento office: We gave an ICWA training on April 28, 2021, to Butte, Yuba, and Tehama Counties, and several local tribes. About 40 people attended via Zoom. Similar training was given for Tulare County and local […]
“Knowledge is Power”: CILS’ Focus on Tribal Community Education
By Dorothy Alther, CILS Executive Director Federal Indian law is complex and is a highly specialized area of legal practice. Lawyers outside the practice of Indian law, including state and federal court judges, are often as confused as the public at large on the maze of jurisdictional laws and regulations that govern in Indian Country. […]
Supreme Court Ruling Confirms Tribal Inherent Authority and Makes Tribal Communities Safer
By Dorothy Alther, CILS Executive Director On June 1, 2021, the Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, issued its ruling in U.S. v. Cooley finding that tribes have inherent authority to stop non-Indians on a right-of-way within the boundaries of an Indian reservation who are suspected of committing a state or federal crime. Once stopped, […]
Historical Perspective: CILS’ Protection of Tribal Fishing Rights
By Jay Petersen, CILS Sacramento office Senior Staff Attorney Over the years, CILS has played an important role in protecting Tribal fishing rights against large-scale irrigation, hydroelectric power, and surface water storage needs. In the 1980’s, California and the United States mounted numerous prosecutions against Tribal members fishing in the Klamath River under the pretext […]
