{"id":17053,"date":"2021-10-19T21:34:22","date_gmt":"2021-10-20T01:34:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=17053"},"modified":"2022-04-28T12:34:41","modified_gmt":"2022-04-28T16:34:41","slug":"supreme-court-takes-up-indian-law-cases-as-tribes-face-new-unknown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/10\/19\/supreme-court-takes-up-indian-law-cases-as-tribes-face-new-unknown\/","title":{"rendered":"Supreme Court takes up Indian law cases as tribes face new \u2018unknown\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":" \"Speaking<\/a>
The Speaking Rock Entertainment Center is owned and operated by the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, also known as the Tigua Tribe, in El Paso, Texas. Photo: Speaking Rock Entertainment Center<\/figcaption>\r\n
Supreme Court takes up Indian law cases as tribes face new \u2018unknown\u2019<\/div>\r\n
Tuesday, October 19, 2021<\/div>\r\n
By Acee Agoyo<\/div>\r\n
Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. — The nation’s highest court is back in session amid COVID-19<\/a> and it’s shaping up to be a busy one for tribes and their advocates.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nIn an order list<\/a> on Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court<\/a> added only two new cases to the docket for its October 2021 term<\/a>. The action was notable in and of of itself, since both cases happen to come from Indian Country.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nBut the granting of the petitions in Denezpi v. United States<\/em><\/a> and Ysleta del Sur Pueblo v. Texas<\/em><\/a> presents new challenges for the tribal legal community. That’s because there’s a new member of the high court, one who doesn’t have much of a record when it comes to Indian Country’s interests.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cWe have one unknown,\u201d John Echohawk, the longtime executive director of the Native American Rights Fund<\/a>, told tribal leaders last week. \u201cThere’s a new justice on the court, Amy Coney Barrett<\/a>.\u201d\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cWe’re really not sure how she’s going to be ruling on our federal Indian law issues,\u201d added \r\nEchohawk, who is a citizen of the Pawnee Nation. \r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cSo that’s one of the things that we’re watching,\u201d Echohawk said on the final day of the 78th annual convention of the National Congress of American Indians<\/a> last Thursday.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nBarrett was nominated to the Supreme Court by Republican former president Donald Trump, whose executive policy actions frequently went against Indian Country. His pick, as part of the judicial brach of the U.S. government, will now be ruling on cases impacting two major issues: tribal sovereignty and tribal gaming.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n