Agenda

9:45 a.m. – 9:55 a.m.
Prayer Song
MH Land Acknowledgment
Welcome

 

10:00 – 11:00 a.m. The Impacts of Operation Metro Surge for Tribes and Members
In early 2026, the federal government deployed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and U.S. Customs and Borders agents to the Twin Cities metro area and surrounding towns in Minnesota. With one of the largest urban Native American populations and with 11 Tribal Nations in the state, Operation Metro Surge impacted Tribes and Tribal members with aggressive tactics and the threat of detainment. This session will discuss some of these impacts and the framework for the federal trust responsibility and consultation protocols that were not followed by the U.S. Dept. of Homeland of Security.

Professor Angelique EagleWoman, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate

 

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. The Indian Land Tenure Foundation: Protecting and Strengthening Tribal Homelands
The Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ILTF) is a national, community-based organization working with American Indian nations and people to recover and strengthen control of their rightful homelands. ILTF works to promote education, increase cultural awareness, create economic opportunities, and reform the legal and administrative systems that prevent or hinder Indian people from owning and controlling Indian lands.

Howard Valandra, President, Indian Land Tenure Foundation
Moderator: Professor Angelique EagleWoman

 

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch

 

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Beyond Federal Indian Law: Tribal Sovereignty and International Indigenous Rights in a Changing Legal Landscape
Tribal sovereignty in the United States is most often examined through the doctrines of Federal Indian Law. But Tribal Nations operate in a legal landscape that also includes Tribal law, international Indigenous rights norms, and rapidly developing questions involving technology, cultural heritage, natural resources, and Indigenous data within domestic legal frameworks. This presentation examines what changes when contemporary sovereignty questions are viewed through both domestic and international legal frameworks. Using self-determination, territorial rights, consultation, and free, prior, and informed consent as comparative lenses, the presentation considers both the possibilities and limitations of international Indigenous law as a tool for Tribal governments and advocates confronting modern challenges.

Professor Sherri Thomas, Director, Law and Indigenous Peoples Program, University of New Mexico School of Law

 

2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. Legal Careers Protecting Tribal Sovereignty and Tribal Lands
There are many paths to working on behalf of Tribal Nations as a lawyer. This panel will discuss the multiple roles from a firsthand perspective by the panelists. One of the most important aspects of Tribal sovereignty is maintaining the land base and understanding changes in federal regulations on leasing of Tribal lands. The panelists will discuss updates to 105(l) Leasing that may be beneficial for Tribes.

Leonard Fineday, General Counsel, National Congress of American Indians
Ben Swankier, General Counsel, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe

 

3:15 – 3:30 p.m. Closing Remarks