Field Notes from The Headwaters Report
By: Daniel CordalisJuly 22, 2026Published as part of The Headwaters Report
A Bad Week for Tribal Nations
What a bad week last week was. Despite an ongoing cacophony of
Tribes React as Michigan Approves Line 5 Tunnel Permits
State regulators authorize Enbridge to build an oil tunnel below the Straits of Mackinac
On July 15, 2026, Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy
Trump Administration Continues Attacks on Tribal Homelands and Sacred Places at Bears Ears National Monument
Advocacy for sacred lands continues, as the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and the Pueblo of Zuni...
FEATURE: A Trailblazer for Tribal Sovereignty
NRDC Board member John Echohawk, a member of the Pawnee Nation and Executive Director of the Native American Rights Fund, has devoted his career to asserting the legal and civil rights of Native Americans.
Supreme Court Protects Native Voters Who Rely on Mail Voting
Native voters are disproportionately affected by a dearth of voter services and postal delays beyond their control. On June 29, 2026, the Supreme Court upheld voters’ rights by allowing cast on time to be counted after Election Day.
Water Resources at the National Indian Law Library
The National Indian Law Library is dedicated to federal Indian and Tribal law. As part of NARF, the library serves both NARF attorneys and the public by maintaining a unique and valuable collection of Indian law resources and providing specialized research assistance on Indian Law topics.
Most recent Legal Review features the Tribal Supreme Court Project 25th Anniversary
The NARF Legal Review is published semi-annually and provides updates on NARF’s work and other timely Indian Law topics.
Eighth Circuit Dismisses Jurisdictional Challenge to White Earth Nation Permitting Process
This article provides a case review and discussion of a growing conflict between Tribal Nations and non‑Indian landowners over who has the authority to regulate water use on non-Indian fee land within reservation boundaries—Tribes or states.
The Implementation Project at the 25th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
The Implementation Project (TIP) attended the 25th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues from April 20 to May 1, 2026, to support Tribal leaders in ensuring attention to Indigenous Peoples’ issues arising in the United States and abroad. The theme of the 25th Session was “Ensuring Indigenous Peoples’ health, including in the context of conflict.”
Reflecting on Katie John Day: Supreme Court victory secures Alaska Native subsistence fishing fights
The Native American Rights Fund (NARF) celebrates a historic victory for our clients and Alaska Native communities as the United States Supreme Court announced on January
