Indigenous Governance Database
civil rights
NNI Indigenous Leadership Fellow: John Petoskey (Part 2)
In the second of two interviews conducted in conjunction with his tenure as NNI Indigenous Leadership Fellow, John Petoskey, citizen and long-time General Counsel of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB), discusses the legal doctrine of tribal sovereign immunity and…
Walter Echo-Hawk: In the Light of Justice: The Rise of Human Rights in Native America & the U.N. Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Walter Echo-Hawk, legendary civil rights attorney, discusses his latest book In the Light of Justice: The Rise of Human Rights in Native America & the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, stressing the need for Native nations and peoples to band together to mount a campaign to…
Honoring Nations: Lenny Foster: Navajo Nation Corrections Project
Program Supervisor Lenny Foster with the Navajo Nations Corrections Projects discusses how and why the project was created, and it how it is advocating on behalf of Native Americans prisoners across the country to ensure that their civil rights and religious freedom rights are respected.
Robert F. Kennedy's Legacy with First Americans
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy’s address to the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) in Bismarck, North Dakota. I was in high school then. My memories are that of tribal leaders who came together from throughout the nation to discuss key issues of…
Two Spirit/LGBT Rights Toolkit for Tribal Governments Introduced
A first-of-its-kind guide complete with sample legal language is now available for tribal governments to adopt or amend their laws to recognize the rights of all their citizens, including Two Spirit and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people...
Tribal Equity Toolkit: Sample Tribal Resolutions and Codes to Support Two Spirit & LGBT Justice in Indian Country
This Toolkit has been developed to give tribal legislators a brief overview of legal and policy issues that impact the equal treatment of Two Spirit/ LGBT individuals. The Toolkit identifies areas in which existing laws discriminate against Two Spirit/ LGBT individuals, and offers sample resolution…