The Daily Spark

Murkowski Takes Leadership as Senate Indian Affairs Committee Chair

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs has finalized its leadership and membership for the 119th Congress. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) will serve as Chair, with Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) as Vice Chair.

The bipartisan committee, which oversees issues related to Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities, includes the following members:

Majority (Republican):

• Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Chair
• Senator John Hoeven (R-North Dakota)
• Senator Steve Daines (R-Montana)
• Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)
• Senator Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota)
• Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kansas)

Minority (Democratic):

• Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Vice Chair
• Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Washington)
• Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada)
• Senator Tina Smith (D-Minnesota)
• Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)

Chair Murkowski has indicated her leadership will focus on advancing economic development, healthcare, and education initiatives within Indigenous communities.

Interior Department Approves Coquille Tribe’s Medford Casino Project

The U.S. Department of the Interior has granted final approval for the Coquille Indian Tribe's plan to establish a Class II gaming facility in Medford, Oregon, marking the state's first off-reservation casino. This decision concludes a nearly 13-year process, allowing the tribe to convert a former bowling alley into a gaming venue.

The project has faced opposition from neighboring tribes, including the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, the Karuk Tribe, and the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, who have expressed concerns about potential impacts on their gaming operations.

Minnesota Tribal Casino Executives Seek Dismissal of Federal Lawsuit

Executives of two Minnesota tribal casinos, Grand Casino Hinckley and Grand Casino Mille Lacs, are urging a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the commercial casino Running Aces. The lawsuit alleges violations of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and state gambling laws, claiming the tribal casinos’ Class III gaming activities provide an unfair competitive advantage.

The tribal executives argue sovereign immunity shields the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, which owns the casinos, from being joined in the lawsuit. They cite a recent Ninth Circuit ruling in a similar case as precedent for dismissal.

Oral arguments on the motion are scheduled for Jan. 28 in U.S. District Court in Minnesota.

Native Americans Face Higher Traffic Stop Rates in Washington State

Native Americans in Washington state are stopped by law enforcement at disproportionately higher rates than other racial groups, according to an investigation by Investigate Midwest. The report analyzed traffic policing data, revealing significant racial disparities.

BIA Awards Tribal Resilience Grants to Tribes in South Dakota

The Bureau of Indian Affairs announced funding awards under the FY24 Tribal Community Resilience Program on January 8. Recipients include several tribes and organizations in the South Dakota:

• The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe received $250,000 to update its Tribal Water Code and implement GIS mapping for climate resilience.
• The Yankton Sioux Tribe was awarded $240,100 to develop a drought vulnerability assessment and adaptation plan.
• The Great Plains Tribal Water Alliance was granted $246,750 to create a Tribal Climate Adaptation Plan focused on water resource management.

Modoc Nation and Partners Challenge Counterclaims in Federal Court

This week, the Modoc Nation and its associated enterprises filed a reply brief in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, seeking dismissal or a stay of counterclaims against them. The case centers on disputes involving tribal businesses, raising significant questions about the application of federal and state laws to tribal entities.

The Modoc Nation’s filing underscores broader concerns across Indian Country about the balance of tribal sovereignty and external legal challenges, especially regarding the jurisdictional overlap between state and federal courts in tribal matters.