Native American Rights Fund
NEWS
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NARF NEWS
June 2020

Obstacles at Every Turn: Barriers to Native Political Participation 

In 2017 and 2018, the NARF-founded Native American Voting Rights
Coalition held nine public hearings to better understand how Native
Americans are systemically and culturally kept from fully exercising
their franchise. More than 120 witnesses testified from dozens of
tribes across the country. We released the final report, Obstacles at
Every Turn: Barriers to Political Participation Faced by Native
American Voters, on June 4. It provides detailed evidence that Native
people face obstacles at every turn in the electoral process: from
registering to vote, to casting votes, to having votes
counted. Get the comprehensive final report as well as summary
materials and recommendations at
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Sacred Badger-Two Medicine Area Protected

In some good news, on June 16, the United States Court of Appeals for
the DC Circuit issued a ruling in Solenex v. Bernhardt, a case about
the protection of the Badger-Two Medicine Area, which is an area
sacred to the Blackfeet Nation and where the Tribe possesses
treaty-reserved rights. NARF represented the Blackfeet Nation as an
amicus party at the federal district court and again at the DC
Circuit. Find out more about the Blackfeet Nation's fight to protect
its sacred places at
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Tribes' Senior Water Rights Secured

Klamath Tribes seal

And in more good news, on June 22,  the US Supreme Court
declined to hear the Klamath Project irrigators' Fifth Amendment
water rights takings case Baley v. United States. This is a tremendous
victory for the Klamath Tribes as well as for the other Klamath Basin
tribes, the United States, and environmental groups. In this case, the
Klamath Tribes' treaty water rights were confirmed once again as
the most senior water rights in the basin; rights which are critical
to protect the Tribes' fisheries and traditional way of life for
future generations. Learn more about this lengthy case, which spanned
almost two decades at
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Native American Rights Fund
[email protected]
Anchorage 907-276-0680
Boulder 303-447-8760
Washington 202-785-4166

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