On January 13, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the Walen v. Burgum redistricting lawsuit and affirmed the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota decision that preserves North Dakota House District 4A, a subdistrict that gives Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation reservation voters a long-awaited opportunity to elect state representation. The lower court determined that state legislators were endeavoring to comply with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and redistricting best practices by creating an election subdistrict along the boundaries of the MHA reservation as part of 2021 redistricting.
“The MHA Nation is pleased that the Supreme Court has upheld North Dakota’s voter redistricting legislation. The legislation gives the MHA Nation a voice in the state legislature by redrawing fair districting voting lines. This win strengthens the civil rights of every citizen in the state and allows rural and reservation voters an equal opportunity to elect the person they want to represent their community in the state legislature,” said MHA Nation Chairman Mark N. Fox.
While the Indigenous intervenors in the case sided with the state to defend the North Dakota Legislative Assembly’s voting subdistrict 4A, North Dakota abandoned its own win during the appeal to the Supreme Court, failing to advocate for the state legislature’s voting map and citizens’ rights. The Supreme Court’s ruling serves to reject anti-voter sentiments in the state’s legal arguments that would detrimentally impact all voters.
The Native American Rights Fund, Campaign Legal Center, and the Law Office of Bryan L. Sells, LLC, represented the Indigenous parties in the defense of House District 4A. Native voters and Tribal leaders may find Census, redistricting, and voting rights resources at vote.narf.org.
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