The Federal Bar Association’s 2015 Indian Law Conference was held at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona April 9-10. This marked the 40th anniversary of the Indian Law Conference.
The Lawrence R. Baca Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Walter Echo-Hawk, The Walter Echo-Hawk Distinguished Visiting Scholar, Lewis and Clark Law School and also to Arlinda Locklear, formerly with the Native American Rights Fund.
2015 Indian Law Conference
Robert J. Miller, Professor, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University speaking in Plenary 1: 40 Years Later: The Indian Self-Determination Act—Impacts and Challenges
2015 Indian Law Conference
Hon. Ron J. Whitener, Associate Judge, Tulalip Tribal Court; Affiliated Assistant Professor, University of Washington Law School speaking during Breakout 2: Safeguarding the Next Generation: Child Protection and Juvenile Justice in Indian Country
2015 Indian Law Conference
Panelists for Breakout 3: Asserting the Supremacy of Indian Water Rights (left to right: Helen B. Padilla, Director, American Indian Law Center, Inc.; Judith V. Royster, Professor of Law and Co-Director, Native American Law Center, University of Tulsa College of Law; Donald “Del” Laverdure, Strategic Advisor, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld, LLP; Jeanette Wolfley, Assistant Professor, University of New Mexico School of Law; and Thomas P. Schlosser, Attorney, Morisset Schlosser Jozwiak and Somerville
2015 Indian Law Conference
Donald “Del” Laverdure, Strategic Advisor, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld, LLP speaks during Breakout 3: Asserting the Supremacy of Indian Water Rights
2015 Indian Law Conference
Kimberly Varilek, Former Attorney General, Eastern Shoshone Tribe and Attorney, US EPA Region 8 Office of Regional Counsel speaks to the attendees during Breakout 4: The Power of Alternate Dispute Resolution in Indian Country
2015 Indian Law Conference
Speakers from Plenary 1: 40 Years Later: The Indian Self-Determination Act—Impacts and Challenges (from left to right: John Dossett, General Counsel, National Congress of American Indians; Geoffrey D. Strommer, Partner, Hobbs, Straus, Dean and Walker; Dr. Lynn Malerba, Chief of the Mohegan Tribe; Lloyd B. Miller, Partner, Sonosky, Chambers, Sachse, Miller and Munson, LLP (Anchorage, Alaska); and Angelique T. EagleWoman, Professor, University of Idaho College of Law)
2015 Indian Law Conference
Angelique T. EagleWoman, Professor, University of Idaho College of Law addresses the attendees
2015 Indian Law Conference
Lloyd B. Miller, Partner, Sonosky, Chambers, Sachse, Miller and Munson, LLP (Anchorage, Alaska) addresses the attendees
2015 Indian Law Conference
Panelists for Plenary 2: Strength in Numbers: Native Attorneys from Pre-Law to Practice (from left to right: Helen B. Padilla, Director, American Indian Law Center, Inc.; Mary L. Smith, Special Counsel and Estate Trust Officer, Office of the Special Deputy Receiver, and President, National Native American Bar Association; Dr. Arin Reeves, CEO, President, Nextions; Makalika Naholowaa, Attorney, Microsoft Corporation; and Francine M. Jaramillo, Staff Attorney, American Indian Law Center, Inc.)
2015 Indian Law Conference
Francine M. Jaramillo, Staff Attorney, American Indian Law Center, Inc. addresses the attendees
2015 Indian Law Conference
An attendee asks a question of the panel during Plenary 3: Strengthening and Enhancing Tribal Courts
2015 Indian Law Conference
Plenary 3: Strengthening and Enhancing Tribal Courts Panelists (from left to right: Moderator Helen B. Padilla, Director, American Indian Law Center, Inc.; Sarah Deer, Professor of Law and Co-Director, Indian Law Program, William Mitchell College of Law; M. Brent Leonhard, Attorney, Office of Legal Counsel, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation; Justice Jill Elizabeth Tompkins, President, Board of Directors, National American Indian Court Judges Association; and Gloria Valencia-Weber, Professor, University of New Mexico School of Law; Director, Legal Services Corporation)
2015 Indian Law Conference
Justice Jill Elizabeth Tompkins, President, Board of Directors, National American Indian Court Judges Association addreses the attendees
2015 Indian Law Conference
An attendee asks a question of the panel during Plenary 3: Strengthening and Enhancing Tribal Courts
2015 Indian Law Conference
Sarah Deer, Professor of Law and Co-Director, Indian Law Program, William Mitchell College of Law addresses the attendees
2015 Indian Law Conference
Heather Kendall-Miller, Senior Attorney, Native American Rights Fund addresses the attendees during Plenary 4: Active Tribal Stewardship Addressing Climate Change
2015 Indian Law Conference
Jeff Keel, Business Manager, Chickasaw Nation Industries, Inc. serves as moderator for Plenary 4: Active Tribal Stewardship Addressing Climate Change
2015 Indian Law Conference
Elizabeth A. Kronk Warner, Associate Professor and Director, Tribal Law and Government Center, University of Kansas School of Law addresses the attendees during Plenary 4: Active Tribal Stewardship Addressing Climate Change
2015 Indian Law Conference
Plenary 5: Sustaining Tribal Agricultural Sovereignty speakers (from left to right: Patrice H. Kunesh, Deputy Under Secretary-–Rural Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Janie Simms Hipp, Director, Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative, University of Arkansas School of Law; Dan Cornelius, Technical Assistance Specialist, Intertribal Agriculture Council; and Hankie P. Ortiz, Deputy Bureau Director, Indian Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior – not pictured: Rebecca Tsosie, Regent’s Professor of Law, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University)
2015 Indian Law Conference
Dan Cornelius, Technical Assistance Specialist, Intertribal Agriculture Council addresses the attendees
2015 Indian Law Conference
Hankie P. Ortiz introduces the speakers for Plenary 5: Sustaining Tribal Agricultural Sovereignty
2015 Indian Law Conference
Patrice H. Kunesh, Deputy Under Secretary-–Rural Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture addresses the attendees during Plenary 5: Sustaining Tribal Agricultural Sovereignty
2015 Indian Law Conference
Sean Reed, General Counsel, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan addresses the attendees during Plenary 6: Standing Strong: Inherent Tribal Governmental Status
2015 Indian Law Conference
Walter Echo-Hawk, The Walter Echo-Hawk Distinguished Visiting Scholar, Lewis and Clark Law School addresses the attendees during Plenary 7: Advancing Indian Self-Determination and Indigenous Rights
2015 Indian Law Conference
Diane Enos, Former President, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, SRPMIC Legal Services addresses the attendees during Plenary 7: Advancing Indian Self-Determination and Indigenous Rights
2015 Indian Law Conference
William J. Hardacker, Staff Legal Counsel, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community addresses the attendees during Plenary 8: Ethical Considerations in Asserting Tribal Sovereign Immunity
2015 Indian Law Conference
Amanda L. WhiteEagle, Ho-Chunk Nation Attorney General, Ho-Chunk Nation Department of Justice addresses the attendees during Plenary 8: Ethical Considerations in Asserting Tribal Sovereign Immunity
2015 Indian Law Conference
Thursday Luncheon: “Reflections on the 40th Year of the Indian Law Conference” presented by: Lawrence R. Baca (foreground), FBA Indian Law Section Chair Emeritus and Past FBA President and Kevin Gover, Director, National Museum of the American Indian
2015 Indian Law Conference
John Echo-hawk presents the first 2015 Lawrence R. Baca Lifetime Achievement Award
2015 Indian Law Conference
Sheri Freemont, Arizona Native American Bar Association President, gives remarks during lunch
2015 Indian Law Conference
Hon. Diane Humetewa, U.S. District Judge, District of Arizona presents “Journey to the Judiciary” during Friday’s lunch
2015 Indian Law Conference
Hon. Diane Humetewa, U.S. District Judge, District of Arizona with Tracy Toulou, Deputy Chair of the Indian Law Section
2015 Indian Law Conference
Walter Echo-hawk receives the 2015 Lawrence R. Baca Lifetime Achievement Award
2015 Indian Law Conference
D. Michael McBride III, Chair of Crowley & Dunlevy’s Indian Law & Gaming Practice Group, and Walter Echo-hawk, 2015 Lawrence R. Baca Lifetime Achievement Award Winner