The U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico has preliminarily approved a final settlement for the parties in Ramah Navajo Chapter et al. v. Jewell, a class action against the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI)...more
A ruling by an administrative law judge punches a hole through the FAA's ban on the unlicensed use of commercial drones. The decision may be significant for ongoing discussions in Congress and in Indian Country about drone...more
The civilian use of unmanned aerial technology — UAVs, UASs or drones — is inevitable, and right now, the government is sorting through regulatory, aviation, telecommunications, First Amendment and privacy issues. Given the...more
This week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released its first detailed plan for commercial use of drones in the United States. This could mean that relatively inexpensive aerial tools may become available in the...more
Domestic use of drones by Native American Indian tribal governments for resource management and public safety may be grounded before takeoff, at least for a while, by fiscal dogfights and privacy concerns that will play out...more
On April 24 at 9:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., and on April 25 at 9:30 p.m., the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies will hold three separate American Indian and Alaska Native Public and...more