"In 2007, I departed big firm life to start my own law firm, and the journey and my experiences with my tribal clients now run deeper and are much more personal. Over the years, in the pursuit of tribal justice I have come to deeply appreciate the tribal way of life, its customs, traditions and holistic decision-making, one that focuses on the whole community as opposed to individual parts. It is not to say that I have completely agreed with some of the decisions my clients have made, but it is the way they make them that I have come to deeply respect.

That is why when my mother traced my ancestry to Ysleta Pueblo, I welled up with a sense of pride knowing that perhaps that trip some twenty years ago and my experiences representing tribal clients over the years, are part of a continually evolving life long journey, a journey whose conclusion has yet to be revealed.

It was an ironic moment for me also when I received mom’s call, because I had been tracking H.R. 1560, the bill to amend the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Restoration Act which seeks to remove U.S. Government control over Ysleta’s tribal enrollment, for my own intellectual curiosity. With my recent knowledge of Ysleta affiliation comes the responsibility of advocating for the United State government’s relinquishment of control over the Pueblo’s enrollment, which has been closed since the early 1980’s, under the terms and conditions of the Pueblo’s Restoration Act. It’s the right thing to do."

Get the Story:
Jack Duran: Attorney Representing Indian Country Now Advocates for His Own Tribal Heritage (Indian Country Today 3/27)

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