The Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund (STCCF) has played a pivotal role in supporting NARF’s law clerk program, which is crucial for nurturing new legal talent dedicated to advocating for Indian Country. With STCCF’s support, we train a new generation of attorneys, each equipped to tackle the complex legal challenges facing Tribal Nations and to work toward a brighter future for all tribal communities.
We are thrilled to share that this year’s recipient of the prestigious Siletz Grant is Andrew Druart. Andrew, a proud Chickasaw Nation citizen and rising third-year student at the University of Michigan Law School, is a Summer Law Clerk at NARF’s Boulder, CO, office. Andrew served as the University of Michigan (UN) Native American Law Student Association (NALSA) Vice President and is the current UM NALSA Alumni Relations Officer and the Vice President of the UM Cultural Heritage Law Society. Prior to law school, he received his B.A. in History from the University of North Texas and worked on researching and transcribing primary source documents to aid in creating lesson plans for Texas history teachers as a member of the Texas History for Teachers Project.
Andrew chose to pursue a summer clerkship with NARF because he has seen the organization’s unwavering dedication to honoring Native history and traditions and using legal mechanisms to pursue justice for Tribal Nations and Native people. With more than 50 years of experience and service to Indian country, Andrew recognizes NARF’s unique position to successfully assert and defend the most important rights of Native people and Tribes in hundreds of major cases. He believes that working on NARF issues provides him with the critical skills and experience needed for a future of protecting important rights and advocating for justice at the highest levels.
In his career , Andrew is dedicated to using his legal skills to benefit Indian country, particularly Tribal sovereignty. He has demonstrated this interest by taking classes in federal Indian law, Tribal law, peacemaking, and litigating Indian law cases in the Supreme Court. Among his interests are working with the Native American Graves Protection Act, child welfare issues, cultural heritage and sacred places, and traditional Tribal practices of peacemaking. After graduating with his Juris Doctor degree, Andrew plans to work in a position that will allow him to give back to Indian country and advocate for upholding treaty rights, expanding Tribal sovereignty, and supporting Tribal communities through the law.
He is extremely proud to be working in this role and expresses an immense gratitude to NARF and the Siletz Charitable Contribution Fund for enabling him to pursue his goals.
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