We seek to facilitate the sharing of resources so that Indian Nations and tribal justice systems have access to cost effective resources which can be adapted to meet the individual needs of their communities. We strive to establish programs which link tribal justice systems with other academic, legal, and judicial resources such as law schools, Indian law clinics, tribal colleges, Native American Studies programs, Indian legal organizations and consultants, tribal legal departments, other tribal courts, and other judicial/legal institutions. Through these collaborative alliances, we are implementing a synergistic approach to the delivery of services to Indian Country - accessing a wealth of talent and resources. We firmly believe that the coming years will see a dramatic change in the traditional mode of the delivery of tribal justice training and technical assistance services. Our staff and consultants are developing training through a variety of modes such as interactive CD-ROM and Internet based distant learning programs.
We are currently delivering a series of programs which include the following:
Project Peacemaker - We are working with the UCLA American Indian Studies Center, Turtle Mountain Community College, and other tribal colleges on Project Peacemaker, a collaborative initiative to develop, pilot, and implement Tribal Legal Studies curricula for tribally controlled colleges. The program is being initially piloted and implemented at Salish Kootenai College, Turtle Mountain Community College, Dine College, and Northwest Indian College and will later be adapted, implemented and offered to all interested tribal colleges. The program is designed to provide a two year course of study to support an A.A. degree in Tribal Justice Systems and (where appropriate) a major in a four year B.A. program, and to strengthen course offerings throughout the tribal colleges. The program is preparing students for employment with tribal governments and tribal court systems as judge, advocate (prosecutor, defender, or civil advocate), paralegal, court administrator, court clerk, probation officer, social service personnel, law enforcement personnel, and other positions related to the administration of justice in Indian country. An initial 8 courses have been developed - including Introduction to Legal Studies, Criminal Law and Procedure, Family and Juvenile Justice Systems, Legal Research and Writing, Civil Law and Procedure, Constitution and Code Development, Trial Skills Development, and Indian Law. Textbooks will soon be available. The initial on-line distance learning course - Legal Research and Writing - is already being pilot tested. Work is underway on additional courses, on-line courses, and textbooks.
Training and Technical Assistance for Children's Justice Act (CJA) Grantees - We provide comprehensive, skills-building training and technical assistance to eligible tribes and tribal organizations that receive funding under the Children's Justice Act program. The goal of the project is to assist Children's Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities (CJA) grantees in meeting the objectives of their grant programs and in improving the handling of child victim cases through the provision of culturally relevant training and technical assistance services. Primary objectives are to create demonstration projects in Indian communities to improve the investigation, prosecution, and handling of child abuse cases, especially cases of child sexual abuse; assist in the identification, explanation, and dissemination of information concerning promising practices that have been developed by these programs in a manner that will allow other Indian communities to replicate the successes of these demonstration programs; and design, develop, and disseminate culturally relevant training and technical assistance resource materials for CJA grantees.
Indian Nations Conference - We successfully designed, developed, and delivered a national conference for Victims of Crime in Indian Country in Palm Springs, California, in December 2002 under a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime.
Tribal Healing to Wellness (Drug) Courts - We have been providing technical assistance for tribal drug courts and developing tribal court specific resource materials. The Institute provided extensive on-site and regional technical assistance under this project. Moreover, the Institute developed six major publications under this project - the publications are available for downloading (see Tribal Drug Court Resources).
Tribal Court CASA - We are working with the National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association (CASA) to provide training and technical assistance for the development and enhancement of tribal court CASA programs (see Tribal CASA Resources).
HUD Tribal Legal Code Program - We have developed a comprehensive Tribal Legal Code Resource to assist Indian Nations in the development of the legal infrastructure needed for housing and community development. The Tribal Legal Code Program includes a revised Tribal Housing Code.
Hopi Appellate Program - We have moved the Hopi Appellate Program from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law to work in conjunction with UCLA's American Indian Studies Center and the Hopi Appellate Court to provide a clinical program which trains and supervises law students to serve as law clerks for the Appellate Court of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona.
Tribal Court Training and Technical Assistance Project - We are working under contracts with individual Indian Tribes and tribal justice systems to provide a broad range of training and technical assistance services, including on-site training sessions, tribal court development, and tribal code development.
NAICJA Administrator - The Institute served as Administrator for the National American Indian Court Judges Association (NAICJA) from May 1998 – December 2000. NAICJA is the national representative membership organization of tribal court judges that has been providing a wide range of training and technical assistance services since its establishment in 1969. In the role of NAICJA Administrator, the Institute provided the lead role in all NAICJA activities including the development of the NAICJA website, the design and delivery of NAICJA’s annual conferences, the design and delivery of the NAICJA VAWA grants, and the establishment of the National Tribal Justice Resource Center.
Violence Against Indian Women Projects - One of the Institute’s responsibilities as Administrator for NAICJA contract was to serve as Project Director for NAICJA’s grant with the Justice Department’s Violence Against Women Office. Under this grant, we developed a computer repository of tribal family violence codes for NAICJA. We remain involved in a wide range of Violence Against Indian Women projects and activities.
NAICJA National Tribal Justice Resource Center (BJA grant) - One of the Institute’s main responsibilities as NAICJA Administrator was to design, develop, and establish the National Tribal Justice Resource Center under Bureau of Justice Assistance grants. Following the establishment of the National Tribal Justice Resource Center, we also designed and developed the initial website for the National Tribal Justice Resource Center, which includes a searchable database of tribal court opinions and a searchable database of tribal codes and constitutions.
We provide a wide range of exceptional training and technical assistance services, including the following:
On-Site Training - We specialize in the design, development, and delivery of on-site training and technical assistance which is a cost effective method for providing training and resource materials designed to meet the specific needs of the individual community. Our on-site training is designed to cover a wide range of possible topics and audiences. Moreover, we are in the process of implementing training methodologies which will enable your staff to continue their training long after the formal training has ended, including interactive CD-ROM resource materials, Internet based distance learning, periodic email updates to our resource materials, and access to restricted areas of the Tribal Court Clearinghouse.
Tribal Court Development - We provide a wide range of tribal court development services, including tribal court development technical assistance services, tribal court development training sessions, tribal court advocate training, tribal bar examination development, traditional/peacemaker court development, tribal appellate court development, policy development assistance, program development/capacity building, tribal code development, and long term planning/development.
Tribal Court Review Services - We provide evaluations of tribal judicial systems (and other tribal governmental institutions) to determine operational strengths and weaknesses and to make recommendations for improvements along with the necessary information and resources to implement these improvements.
Tribal Code Drafting and Revision - We provide tribal code drafting and revision services for tribes and tribal courts. We approach the critical issue of tribal code development by working with the individual community to address the community’s special needs and legal requirements and to develop codes which reflect unique local solutions to local problems.
Grant and Proposal Writing - We provide a range of grant and proposal writing services, including technical assistance with fundraising strategies, grant and proposal writing training sessions, and assistance with drafting of specific proposals.
Tribal Court Website Development - We provide a range of computer and Internet services, including tribal court web site development. Besides developing the Tribal Court Clearinghouse, we have created web sites for the National American Indian Court Judges Association, the National Tribal Justice Resource Center, and are presently developing web sites for the Hopi Nation Tribal and Appellate Courts, and American Indian Development Associates.
Executive Director: Jerry Gardner (Cherokee)
Associate Director: Pat Sekaquaptewa (Hopi)
Staff Attorney: Sarah Deer (Mvskoke Creek)
Children's Justice Specialist: Diane Payne
Program Manager: Elton Naswood (Navaho)
Program Assistant: Mona Evan (Tlingit/Haida/Yupik/Inupiat)
Program Coordinator: Lavern Yanito Dennison (Navajo)
Bookkeeper: Jan Langer
President: Abby Abinanti (Yurok) - California Juvenile Dependency Judge
Vice President: David Raasch (Stockbridge-Munsee) - Chief Judge, Stockbridge-Munsee Tribal Court
Secretary - Treasurer: Margrett Oberly Kelley (Osage/Comanche) - Tribal Court Consultant
Board Member: Emory Sekaquaptewa (Hopi) - Chief Judge, Hopi Appellate Court, and Professor (ASU)
Board Member: Evelyn Stevenson (Salish) - Attorney, Legal Department of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation
Board Member: Ed Reina (Pima/Maricopa) - Chief of Tribal Police Services of the Yavapai-Prescott Tribal Police Department
Robert Cooter - Professor of Law (UC Berkeley School of Law)
Jean Buffalo-Reyes (Chippewa) - Chief Judge, Red Cliff Tribal Court
Duane Champagne (Chippewa) - Director, UCLA American Indian Studies Center
Edythe Chenois (Quinault) - Chief Judge, Quinault Tribal Court
Carole Goldberg - Professor of Law (UCLA)
Kimberly Martus (Cahuilla) - Child Advocacy and Tribal Court Development Consultant
Ada Melton (Jemez Pueblo) - Director, American Indian Development Associates
Daisy Stevens (Athabascan) - Executive Director, Native Village of Fort Yukon
Tom Tso (Navajo) - Retired Chief Justice, Navajo Nation Supreme Court
Mary Wynne (Rosebud Sioux) - Chief Judge, Colville Tribal Court
Robert Yazzie (Navajo) - Chief Justice, Navajo Nation Supreme Court
James Zion - Solicitor, Navajo Nation Supreme Court
For information concerning our training and technical assistance services, we can be reached at:
The Tribal Law & Policy Institute
8235 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 211
West Hollywood, CA 90046
(323) 650-5467 ~ Fax: (323) 650-8149
services@tribal-institute.org