Obstacles at Every Turn: Barriers to Political Participation Faced by Native American Voters
In 2017 and 2018, the Native American Voting Rights Coalition—founded by the Native American Rights Fund—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.
The final report, Obstacles at Every Turn: Barriers to Political Participation Faced by Native American Voters, was released in 2020 and 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.
Two updates to the Obstacles report were released in October 2021:
Trigger Points: Current State of Research on History, Impacts, and Healing Related to the United States’ Indian Industrial/Boarding School Policy
This review gathers existing research about the purposes and human rights abuses of US American Indian boarding school policies, why they matter still today, and—most importantly—how recovery can and is being accomplished. Special thanks the Tzó-Nah Fund for supporting this project and NARF over the years.
Download a PDF copy for educational or research purposes.
A Practical Guide to the Indian Child Welfare Act
See the online version of the Guide at the National Indian Law Library website for the most up-to-date information.
Download a PDF copy for educational or research purposes.
Tribal Constitution Handbook:
Tribal Constitution Handbook:A Guide to Writing and Revising Tribal Constitutions, by Mark C. Tilden
Order a copy from NARF’s online store.
Labor and Employment Law in Indian Country
2022 edition coming soon. A comprehensive overview of the law governing labor and employment relations in Indian country, a growing, controversial, and complex area of law.
Order the book from Drummond Woodsum, NARF’s partner-publisher.
Landmark Indian Law Cases
Fifty-three groundbreaking decisions made by the U.S. Supreme Ct. (2002)
Order the book from William S. Hein & Co., Inc. publishers.
Decision Making Guide: Options for Tribal Education Departments to Enhance the Tribal Role in Select Federal K-12 Education Programs
This guide is intended to help accomplish that goal by providing tribes and Tribal Education Agencies (TEA) with select K‐12 federal programs in which TEAs can potentially participate; thereby provide ways for tribes to enhance their role in Native education. (2013)
Download a PDF copy of this publication.
Wearing Eagle Feathers at Graduation
The Tribal Education Department National Assembly and NARF are proud to distribute two flyers to assist students and families in their quests to wear eagle feathers at their graduation ceremonies. The first trifold flyer is for students and families and serves to provide guidance on working with school districts to make the request. The second trifold flyer is an informational flyer for school districts, to inform them about the significance and importance of the eagle feather to graduating students. (2015)
A Manual for Chief State School Officers and State Education Agencies
On American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Sovereignty, Federal Education Programs for Tribal Students, and Tribal Education Departments. Prepared by the Tribal Education Departments National Assembly (TEDNA) with assistance from the Native American Rights Fund. (2006)
Download a PDF copy of this publication.
Tribalizing Indian Education Series by Melody McCoy
1. Draft Materials for Tribal Governance in Education (1994)
2. Presentation/Workshop Materials (1997)
3. Cooperative Agreements in Indian Education (1998)
4. Federal and State Laws Regarding Tribal Education Departments (1984-1999) (1999)
5. Federal Indian Law and Policy Affecting American Indian and Alaska Native Education (2000)
6. An Historical Analysis of Requests for Direct Federal Funding for Tribal Education Departments for Fiscal Years 1989-2004 (2003)
7. A Compilation of Federal and State Education Laws regarding Native Language in Curriculum and Certification of Teachers of Native Languages (2003)
8. Major Federal Programs for American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Education: What Are They and How Do They Involve Tribes? Part II: Programs Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Titles VII (Indian Education Act); VIII (Impact Aid); and, X (Bureau of Indian Affairs) (2004)
9. The Evolution of Tribal Sovereignty Over Education in Federal Law Since 1965 (2005)
10. Compilation of State Indian Education Laws (2005)
Download PDF copies of the publications.
Older Publications by NARF:
- Protections for Native Spiritual Practices in Prison (March 2014)
- Indian Claims Commission Decisions: 1946-1978 and the Index to Indian Claims Commission Decisions (learn more at the ICC research page available on the National Indian Law Library website)
- A Brief Historical Survey of the Expropriation of American Indian Remains
- Dispelling the myths about Indian gaming
- External Evaluation Final Report, Rosebud Sioux Tribal Education Department & Tribal Education Code
- A Manual on Tribal Regulatory Systems
- Model Tribal Notice Law Project Materials (April 2000)
- Study of Native American Prisoner Issues
- Tribal-State Partnerships: Cooperating to Improve Indian Education
