The State of Alaska (the “State” or “Alaska”) is asking a D.C. federal judge to bar an Alaska Native tribe from operating a gaming hall in Anchorage while the State challenges federal authorization for the facility. The State...more
In a momentous legal development, U.S. District Court Judge Sharon L. Gleason has vacated and remanded a decision by the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to place a 787-square-foot parcel of land in downtown Juneau into...more
In a significant legal development, the Alaska Supreme Court recently expanded tribal sovereign immunity to include tribal consortiums, overturning a precedent set two decades ago. The groundbreaking decision of Ito v. Copper...more
In the complex landscape of Indigenous rights and jurisdiction, the question of tribal authority over Alaska Native allotments has long been a subject of legal debate. The recent Opinion known as Partial Withdrawal of...more
On June 25, in a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court held that Alaska Native Corporations (“ANCs”), are entitled to COVID-19 relief funds; solidifying that ANCs qualify as tribes. The ruling in Yellen v. Confederated Tribes of...more
Last week, the Department of the Interior issued Memorandum M-37069 regarding the Secretary of the Interior’s land into trust authority in Alaska, in keeping with the current administration’s expressed priority of recognizing...more