Indian Law Resource Center

What happened

The Indian Law Resource Center says it is "a non-profit law and advocacy organization established and directed by Indigenous peoples." It was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Helena, Montana, according to its own timeline, which notes it opened that headquarters in 1990. ProPublica lists it under EIN 52-1121079, with tax exemption issued in July 1978. Its staff page lists Chris Foley (Cherokee) as executive director.

The Center says it provides legal assistance to Indigenous peoples in the Americas and internationally who are working to protect their lands, resources, human rights, environment and cultural heritage. It is funded, it says, by grants and contributions from individuals, foundations and Indian nations, and it holds consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

Its own timeline lists concrete cases. They include helping secure the 1985 Supreme Court decision upholding the right of Indian tribes to sue to recover lands (the Oneida case), winning a precedent-setting 2001 Inter-American Court decision on the Awas Tingni community's land rights in Nicaragua, and a 2002 Inter-American Commission finding for Western Shoshone sisters Mary and Carrie Dann. It also lists a 2003 land protection effort covering 2,500 acres in Florida for the Independent Traditional Seminole Nation.

The timeline is the Center's own account.

Good to know. Case results come from the Center's own timeline; it says it helped secure the 1985 Oneida Supreme Court decision together with others.

Summarized with AI assistance from 5 sources and checked against their words; not yet reviewed by historians or by the nations. Report an error