{"id":25766,"date":"2022-06-29T18:58:57","date_gmt":"2022-06-29T22:58:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=25766"},"modified":"2022-06-29T19:02:26","modified_gmt":"2022-06-29T23:02:26","slug":"an-attack-on-tribal-sovereignty-tribal-organizations-respond-to-u-s-supreme-court-ruling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/06\/29\/an-attack-on-tribal-sovereignty-tribal-organizations-respond-to-u-s-supreme-court-ruling\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;An attack on tribal sovereignty&#8217;: Tribal organizations respond to U.S. Supreme Court ruling"},"content":{"rendered":"<a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/02\/17\/cronkite-news-tribal-leaders-lay-out-priorities-for-nation-to-nation-engagement\/fawnsharp-5\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-21158\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" data-attachment-id=\"21158\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/02\/17\/cronkite-news-tribal-leaders-lay-out-priorities-for-nation-to-nation-engagement\/fawnsharp-5\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/17\/fawnsharp-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1707\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;ILCE-7M3&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1571852264&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;6400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.004&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Fawn Sharp\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Fawn Sharp serves as president of the National Congress of American Indians, a position she won at the organization&amp;#8217;s annual convention in 2019. She is seen here at that meeting, which took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Photo by &lt;A href=&quot;https:\/\/twitter.com\/Kevin_Abourezk&quot;&gt;Kevin Abourezk&lt;\/A&gt; &lt;A href=&quot;https:\/\/twitter.com\/Kevin_Abourezk&quot;&gt;&lt;I aria-hidden=true class=&quot;fab fa-twitter&quot;&gt;&lt;\/I&gt;&lt;\/A&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/17\/fawnsharp-1024x683.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/17\/fawnsharp-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Fawn Sharp\"   class=\"size-full wp-image-21158\" \/><\/a> <figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Fawn Sharp serves as president of the National Congress of American Indians, a position she won at the organization&#8217;s annual convention in 2019. She is seen here at that meeting, which took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Photo by <A href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Kevin_Abourezk\">Kevin Abourezk<\/A> <A href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Kevin_Abourezk\"><I aria-hidden=true class=\"fab fa-twitter\"><\/I><\/A><\/figcaption>\r\n<div class=\"h3-responsive font-weight-bold\">NARF\/NCAI Joint Statement on Castro-Huerta v. Oklahoma SCOTUS Ruling<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"date\">Wednesday, June 29, 2022<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"source\">Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<em> The following is the text of a  June 29, 2022, news release from the <a href=https:\/\/www.narf.org\/>Native American Rights Fund<\/a> and the <a href=https:\/\/www.ncai.org\/>National Congress of American Indians<\/a>.<\/em>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nWashington &#8212; Today, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, overturned the long-held understanding that states do not have authority to prosecute non-Indians who commit crimes against Indians in Indian country. The Court, in Castro-Huerta v. Oklahoma, held that \u201cthe Federal Government and the State have concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute crimes committed by non-Indians against Indians in Indian country,\u201d which strikes against tribal sovereignty and jurisdiction to protect tribal citizens. The consequences of the decision\u2013for Tribal Nations, the federal government, and states\u2013will take time to unravel.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n\u201cThe Supreme Court\u2019s decision today is an attack on tribal sovereignty and the hard-fought progress of our ancestors to exercise our inherent sovereignty over our own territories,\u201d said <a href=https:\/\/twitter.com\/PresFawnSharp>National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) President Fawn Sharp<\/a>. \u201cIt was only a few months ago that Congress loudly supported tribal sovereignty and tribal criminal jurisdiction with the passage of the Violence Against Women\u2019s Act, reaffirming the right of Tribal Nations to protect their own people and communities, but make no mistake, today, the Supreme Court has dealt a massive blow to tribal sovereignty and Congress must, again, respond.\u201d\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<a href=https:\/\/www.narf.org\/profiles\/john-e-echohawk\/>John Echohawk, Executive Director<\/a> of the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) agreed. \u201cUnauthorized and unconsented intrusions on tribal sovereignty are antithetical to tribal sovereignty and tribal treaty rights.\u201d\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">In a 5-4 decision, the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USSupremeCourt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@USSupremeCourt<\/a> has overturned the long-held understanding that states do not have authority to prosecute non-Indians who commit crimes against Indians in <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/IndianCountry?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#IndianCountry<\/a>.<br><br>\ud83d\udd17 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/OFrC2Bhy9O\">https:\/\/t.co\/OFrC2Bhy9O<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jGuea9Fv7H\">pic.twitter.com\/jGuea9Fv7H<\/a><\/p>&mdash; National Congress of American Indians (@NCAI1944) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NCAI1944\/status\/1542250525579673602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 29, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nThe Castro-Huerta case was a continuation of the <a href=https:\/\/www.narf.org\/mcgirt\/>2020 <em>McGirt<\/em> decision<\/a>, which reaffirmed the reservation lands of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and, in effect, reaffirmed that much of Oklahoma remains Indian country to this day for legal purposes. In response, the state of Oklahoma has filed multiple suits trying to overturn or weaken <a href=https:\/\/sct.narf.org\/caseindexes\/mcgirt_v_ok.html>the <em>McGirt<\/em> decision<\/a>. With today\u2019s decision, Oklahoma has not only weakened a component of the McGirt case, but has fundamentally altered the long-established understanding of how criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians functions with respect to the federal government, state governments, and Tribal Nation governments.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nIn the dissent, Justice Gorsuch stated: \u201cWhere this Court once stood firm, today it wilts. After the Cherokee\u2019s exile to what became Oklahoma, the federal government promised the Tribe that it would remain forever free from interference by state authorities. Only the Tribe or the federal government could punish crimes by or against tribal members on tribal lands. At various points in its history, Oklahoma has chafed at this limitation\u2026.Where our predecessors refused to participate in one State\u2019s unlawful power grab at the expense of the Cherokee, today\u2019s Court accedes to another\u2019s.\u201d\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nRead the Opinion: <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/29\/21-429_8o6a.pdf\">indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/29\/21-429_8o6a.pdf<\/a>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">Tribal Leader Virtual Roundtable: July 7<\/div>\r\nNARF and NCAI will continue to analyze the decision and its consequences. NARF and NCAI will hold a tribal leader virtual roundtable on Thursday, July 7, 2022, at 2 p.m. EDT to discuss the ramifications of the case and potential next steps to defend tribal sovereignty.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<div><strong>\r\nAbout the National Congress of American Indians<\/strong><\/div>\r\nFounded in 1944, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is the oldest, largest, and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization in the United States. NCAI advocates on behalf of tribal governments and communities, promoting strong tribal-federal government-to-government policies. NCAI promotes an understanding among the general public regarding American Indian and Alaska Native governments, people, and rights. For more information, visit <a href=https:\/\/www.ncai.org>ncai.org<\/a>.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<div><strong>\r\nAbout the Native American Rights Fund (NARF)<\/strong><\/div>\r\nNARF is a non-profit 501c(3) organization focused on applying existing laws and treaties to guarantee that federal and state governments live up to their legal obligations to Native Americans. Since 1970, the <a href=https:\/\/www.narf.org\/>Native American Rights Fund<\/a> (NARF) has provided specialized legal assistance to Indian tribes, organizations, and individuals nationwide to assert and defended the most important Native rights. In hundreds of major cases, and NARF has achieved significant results in critical areas such as tribal sovereignty, treaty rights, natural resource protection, voting rights, and Indian education. Like us on <a href=https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/NativeAmericanRightsFund\/>Facebook<\/a> and follow us <a href=https:\/\/twitter.com\/NDNrights>Twitter @NDNrights<\/a> to learn about the latest fights to promote justice and protect Native American rights.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">U.S. Supreme Court Decision in <em>Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta<\/em><\/div>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/29\/21-429_8o6a-syllabus.pdf\">Syllabus<\/a> |\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/29\/21-429_8o6a-opinion.pdf\">Opinion [Kavanaugh]<\/a> |\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/29\/21-429_8o6a-dissent.pdf\">Dissent [Gorsuch]<\/a> |\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/29\/21-429_8o6a.pdf\">Complete Document<\/a>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">U.S. Supreme Court Documents in <em>Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta<\/em><\/div>\r\n<a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/29\/21-00429qp.pdf>Questions Presented<\/a>  | \r\n<a href=https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/Search.aspx?FileName=\/docket\/docketfiles\/html\/public%5C21-429.html>Docket Sheet: No. 21-429<\/a> | \r\n<a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/29\/21-429_3e04.pdf>Oral Argument Transcript<\/a> |\r\n<a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/26\/SupremeCourtDayCall042722.pdf>Day Call<\/a>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=row><div class=col-10>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">Syllabus &#8211; <em>Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta<\/em><\/div>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/29\/21-429_8o6a-syllabus.pdf\" class=\"pdfemb-viewer\" style=\"\" data-width=\"max\" data-height=\"max\" data-toolbar=\"both\" data-toolbar-fixed=\"on\">21-429_8o6a-syllabus<\/a> \r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n<p><\/P>\r\n<div class=row><div class=col-10>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">Opinion [Kavanaugh] &#8211; <em>Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta<\/em><\/div>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/29\/21-429_8o6a-opinion.pdf\" class=\"pdfemb-viewer\" style=\"\" data-width=\"max\" data-height=\"max\" data-toolbar=\"both\" data-toolbar-fixed=\"on\">21-429_8o6a-opinion<\/a> \r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n<p><\/P>\r\n<div class=row><div class=col-10>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">Dissent [Gorsuch] &#8211; <em>Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta<\/em><\/div>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/29\/21-429_8o6a-dissent.pdf\" class=\"pdfemb-viewer\" style=\"\" data-width=\"max\" data-height=\"max\" data-toolbar=\"both\" data-toolbar-fixed=\"on\">21-429_8o6a-dissent<\/a> \r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n<p><\/P>\r\n<div class=row><div class=col-10>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">Full Document &#8211; <em>Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta<\/em><\/div>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/29\/21-429_8o6a.pdf\" class=\"pdfemb-viewer\" style=\"\" data-width=\"max\" data-height=\"max\" data-toolbar=\"both\" data-toolbar-fixed=\"on\">21-429_8o6a<\/a> \r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"h4-responsive\">Related Stories<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"related-story\"><a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/06\/29\/u-s-supreme-court-decision-in-oklahoma-v-castro-huerta\/\" title=\"U.S. Supreme Court decision in Oklahoma v. 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