JUST RELEASED 2024: Promising Strategies: Tribal-State Intergovernmental Collaborations (2024). On July 26, 2021, the Tribal Law and Policy Institute, in collaboration with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, held the “Promising Strategies in Tribal-State-Local-Federal Intergovernmental Collaboration Virtual Meeting.” The panelists highlighted intergovernmental collaborations in child welfare, bail reform, family wellness courts and community wellness courts from Alaska, California, New York, and Maine. The meeting was well attended by invited stakeholders from various disciplines, including Tribal and State courts and law enforcement. TLPI drafted a short publication based on these and other promising intergovernmental collaborations that build resiliency and provide a new way forward in the process. This publication showcases six intergovernmental collaborations with resulting variations in reimagining justice.
JUST RELEASED 2023: Intergovernmental Collaborations to Heal, Protect, and Find Solutions: Joint Jurisdiction 101 (2023). This publication provides general guidance to assist Tribes in making an informed decision concerning the possibility of developing a Joint Jurisdiction Court. The publication discusses what a Joint Jurisdictional Court is, the different models and approaches that exists, how a community can assess their readiness to implement a Joint Jurisdictional model, and will provide recommendations for design, development, and implementation of Joint Jurisdictional Courts from a practical standpoint. The publication also includes resources and tools used by active joint jurisdictional court practitioners.
Joint Jurisdiction Courts: Needs Assessment Findings and Summary Findings (2022). In September 2019, the Tribal Law and Policy Institute, in collaboration with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, disseminated a needs assessment survey to the joint jurisdiction courts known to be operational. The needs assessment survey responses showed that joint jurisdiction courts share similar characteristics and face similar challenges. The full report provides details on the findings of the needs assessment survey, including an overview of the lessons learned, the effectiveness of joint jurisdiction courts, and the funding needed to support their implementation, sustainability, and growth. The shorter report summarizes key take-aways.
UPDATED for 2020: Tribal-State Court Forums Policy Brief (2020). This brief provides a summary overview of Tribal-State Court Forums and includes a chart that provides an overview of key features of forums, such as membership attributes, information about authorizing documents and key accomplishments.
UPDATED for 2020: Tribal-State Court Forums: An Annotated Directory (2020).This directory includes a detailed listing of the 13 currently operational Tribal -State Court forums around the nation. These forums provide unique collaboration opportunities across jurisdictions and have led to such positive outcomes as: agreements on the transfer of jurisdiction, Indian Child Welfare Act education, tribal court directories, legislation on the enforcement of tribal court orders, judicial relationship building, and many more. Information on each forum includes: membership; funding; structure; organization; key accomplishments and authorizing documentation.
Crossing the Bridge: Tribal-State-Local Collaboration (2019)One of the biggest barriers to successful tribal-state collaboration is taking the first steps toward relationship building. The historical animosities between tribes and local counties/surrounding states can run deep. Strained relations going back many generations and contentious issues such as land, public safety, etc. can make for what may seem like insurmountable problems. This can leave those who see collaboration as a possible solution with little hope. This publication gives practical steps toward initiating discussions across jurisdictions. This publication provides details on “crossing the bridge” to meet jurisdictional peers and begin the relationship building necessary for collaborative endeavors that work toward common goals.
Emerging Strategies in Tribal-State Collaboration: Barriers and Solutions to Enforcing Tribal Protection Orders Meeting Report(2019) Tribally issued protection orders are a crucial means of providing safety and justice in Indian country, particularly given the extremely high rates of violence against Native women. However, for protection orders to be an effective means of providing safety, cross-jurisdictional enforcement is necessary, which can be a challenge. On December 6, 2017, the Tribal Law and Policy Institute, in collaboration with BJA, hosted a day-long meeting to explore the barriers and highlight promising strategies around the enforcement of tribal protection orders. This report details those discussions and summarizes the successful efforts.
California Tribal-State Court Forum E-Updates (Monthly). Beginning in 2012, the California Tribal-State Court Forum has produced monthly “E-Updates.” These newsletters consist of both regional and national information on news, announcements, online resources, events and grant opportunities.
National Convening of Tribal State Court Forums Report (2017). This report summaizes the National Convening of Tribal and State Court Forums on June 2–3, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. The impetus for this meeting was a tribal-state collaboration working-group meeting convened by TLPI and held in 2012, wherein the tribal-state courts forums expressed a strong interest in an in-person meeting to engage in peer-to-peer training and networking. This report provides an overview of the meeting, specifically comments on the focus of TA and the needs of forums.
Michigan’s Judiciary Success Stories: How Tribal, State and Federal Courts are Collaborating to Benefit Michigan Families (2017). This publication highlights the success stories of the Michigan Tribal State Federal Judicial Forum, which was created in 2014 to provide an ongoing venue for judges from all three jurisdictions to convene jointly so that we can improve working relations and communication. This publication spotlights the importance of judicial leadership and collaboration between courts, as well as the positive and lasting impact of these relationships on communities, families, and children across the state.
Joint Jurisdiction Courts: A Manual for Developing Tribal, Local, State & Federal Justice Collaborations, 2nd ed. (June 2018), Jennifer Fahey, JD, MPH, Hon. Korey Wahwassuck, Alison Leof, PhD, Hon. John Smith, Project T.E.A.M., Center for Evidence-Based Policy, Oregon Health & Science University. This manual is a roadmap for tribal and community leaders who want to develop joint jurisdiction courts or initiatives in their own communities. It is intended to be a guide, articulating the process developed in one Minnesota community and adopted by other jurisdictions, as well as providing information on creating new joint jurisdiction initiatives. This manual includes references to supplementary materials which may assist tribes and their partners in establishing and managing joint jurisdiction courts.
Tribal-State Court Collaborations Working Group Report (2013). The Tribal Law and Policy Institute hosted a working group session in December of 2012 to discuss tribal-state court collaborations and the successes and challenges that these partnerships currently face. TLPI drafted a report to the Bureau of Justice Assistance with findings and recommendations. The recommendations extend beyond simply the T/TA needed and provide insights into strategies that could be utilized by governments, agencies, and organizations to support tribal and state court collaborations and the resolutions of challenges faced.
State-Tribal Relations Project: The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), in partnership with the National Congress of American Indians, is involved in a State-Tribal Relations Project that will address several specific, substantive issues between states and tribes. Both organizations believe in the importance of educating states and tribes on the processes that promote cooperation in problem-solving. This joint project hopes to promote state-tribal interaction as a necessity of state policymaking and to show how cooperation and collaboration can achieve the results that advance mutual objectives. The project also maintains a Listing of State Committees and Commissions on Indian Affairs.
NCAI Tribal-State Relationships (2010) Reccommendations emerging from the White House Tribal Nations Summit, 2010.