{"id":20381,"date":"2022-01-25T18:10:33","date_gmt":"2022-01-25T23:10:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=20381"},"modified":"2022-01-25T18:30:23","modified_gmt":"2022-01-25T23:30:23","slug":"gabe-galanda-biden-administration-takes-a-stand-on-indian-civil-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/01\/25\/gabe-galanda-biden-administration-takes-a-stand-on-indian-civil-rights\/","title":{"rendered":"Gabe Galanda: Biden administration takes a stand on Indian civil rights"},"content":{"rendered":" \"Bryan<\/a>
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland ceremonially swears in Bryan Newland to serve as the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior on September 8, 2021. Photo: U.S. Department of the Interior<\/a><\/figcaption>
In Historic Statement, BIA Pledges to Safeguard Indigenous Individuals’ Rights<\/div>\r\n
Tuesday, January 25, 2022<\/div>\r\n
By Gabe Galanda<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThis post originally appeared on the blog of the Galanda Broadman law firm<\/a>.<\/em>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nA weekend USA Today news feature<\/a> regarding the United States\u2019 recent intercession in the Nooksack housing rights calamity [PDF<\/a>] includes the following historic statement from the Bureau of Indian Affairs: \r\n

<\/p>\r\n

\r\nThe federal government must protect the rights of individuals under federal law, including the Indian Civil Rights Act… BIA respects tribal sovereignty and supports tribal self-determination. Accordingly, we seek to work closely with our tribal partners to safeguard the rights of both tribes and individuals.<\/em>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe BIA\u2019s statement marks the second time the Biden administration has professed a commitment to protecting Indigenous individuals\u2019 human rights from violation by Tribal governments, and a break from modern administrations that focused almost exclusively on supporting Tribal self-determination rights. \r\n

<\/p>\r\n

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\"X\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t
\n\t\t\n\t\t\tX \/ ?\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
\n\t\t\"twitter.com\"\t\ttwitter.com\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nUSA Today also highlights HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge’s October statement encouraging four Oklahoma tribes to accept descendants of Freedmen who once had been enslaved by the tribes<\/a>. Secretary Fudge consulted with Interior before making that statement.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nNeither statement would have been issued without the guidance and support of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland or Assistant Secretary\u2014Indian Affairs Bryan Newland. Indigenous representation does matter.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nBoth the BIA and HUD statements represent historic commitments by the United States to protect Indigenous individuals from domestic human rights abuse by Tribal governments. Both statements reflect the Trustee\u2019s common-law moral trust responsibility to Tribal citizens and descendants. Both statements recognize that in the context of Indigenous human rights, Tribal sovereignty and self-determination are not absolute.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/ins>