msu nalsa newsletter - turtle talk · 2010 and achieved partner status in january of 2012 and is...

MSU NALSA NEWSLETTER FALL 2014 – SPRING 2015

MSU NALSA NEWSLETTER

Administrative Committee Chair: Elise McGowan

Community Outreach and Programing Chair: Zeinab Saad

Finance and Fundraising Committee Chair: Mike Hollowell

Resource Coordinating Committee Chair: Leah Jurss

Alumni Committee Chair: Whitney Gravelle

April 23, 2015

Congratulations

Graduating 3Ls! The MSU Native American Law Student Association would like

to extend congratulations to our graduating 3Ls this year:

Leah Jurss

Stephen Raslich

Amy Foerster

Tamera Begay

Martha Scarpellino

Christopher Chavis

On March 30, the ILPC hosted Chris Coppin, Tom Gede, Sam Deloria, and

Dean Nell Newton to discuss their work with the Deskbook of American

Indian Law and the Cohen Handbook of Federal Indian Law.

[Pictured 1L Lydia Locklear and Julia Menka with Sam Deloria]

Year End Events

May 14th

May 15th

MSU NALSA Graduation

Party 11AM – 2PM @

MSU College of Law

Castle Board Room, 3rd

Floor. Please RSVP to

Kate Fort @

[email protected]

MSU College of Law

Graduation Ceremony @

11 A.M. at the Jack Breslin

Events Center

Indigenous Law & Policy Center : Guiding Indian Law

MSU NALSA NEWSLETTER Fall 2014 – Spring 2015

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MSU NALSA EVENTS

On November 5th, 2014, MSU

NALSA hosted Navajo Storyteller

Sunny Dooley as a kick off event in

celebration of Indigenous Heritage

Month. Sunny Dooley is a

storyteller, folklorist, and cultural

consultant that has dedicated her

career to collecting, learning, and

retelling the oral tradition of the

Diné Hozohojii Hané - Navajo

Navajo Storyteller

Sunny Dooley

Blessinway stories. These stories

present the worldview of the Diné

people and details their relationship

with their surroundings. These stories

incorporate real life situations and

present many of the challenges one

might face in their daily life. Sunny has

also shared her stories with the

Indigenous Youth and Empowerment

Program (IYEP). The IYEP is a

program for all indigenous youth of

Ingham County. The IYEP focuses on

building community through

traditional knowledge, empowering

Indigenous youth through cultural

awareness, and emphasizing the

importance of academics.

[Sunny and IYEP Pictured Below]

On February 19th, 2015 MSU

NALSA in consortium with

Diversity Services hosted the event

Unmasking Mascots: The

Washington Redskins. The event

featured a conversation surrounding

the history and present day influence

of Native American mascots, the

history of Michigan boarding

schools, and how Native American

imagery impacts Indigenous youth.

On November 29th, 2014 MSU

continued the celebration of Indigenous

Heritage Month with a screening of

Navajo writer and director Sydney

Freeland’s movie DrunkTown’s Finest. DrunkTown’s Finest follow three young Native Americans – an adopted

Christian girl, a rebellious father to be,

and a promiscuous transsexual – as they

strive to escape the hardships of life on

an Indian reservation.

The event included the esteemed

speakers: Dr. Patrick LeBeau, Dr.

Suzanne Cross, Dr. Estrelle Torrez,

and Emmy Scott. The event attracted

a large crowd from the MSU

community, including professors, law

students, practicing attorneys,

graduate students, and community

leaders. At the end of the event, a

petition was passed around that was

signed by the guests at the event and

Unmasking Mascots: The Washington Redskins

Movie Screening: DrunkTown’s Finest

Indigenous Heritage Month

mailed to all of the public schools in

the State of Michigan that currently

use Native American imagery and

mascots at their schools.


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This year MSU NALSA attended the 2015 National NALSA

Moot Court Competition in Tucson, Arizona. The Moot Court

competition is an annual event hosted by the National Native

American Law Student Association that attracts local chapter

teams from across the United States. The Moot Court

competition concentrates on issues of tribal law, federal Indian

law, and international indigenous law. MSU was represented this

year by Team Anishinaabe. NALSA members Stephen Raslich

and Amy Foerster received awards for third place in the best brief

competition, and made it to the Sweet 16 of the oral competition.

NALSA members Mike Hollowell and Whitney Gravelle made it

to the Elite Eight of the oral competition. Elise McGowan and

Leah Jurss also competed in the competition, which included over

seventy teams from around the country, and was the largest

NNALSA Moot Court Competition in history. This year’s rankings are the highest MSU COL NALSA has achieved in its

history. Congratulations to all of the teams that competed, MSU

NALSA is very proud!

NATIONAL NALSA EVENTS

2016 Moot Court Competition

MSU COL Hosts NNALSA Mid-Year

National NALSA members from across

the country flew to East Lansing this

school year for Mid-Year meetings.

The NNALSA Board Members worked

for two days, holding meetings and

conferences, working towards the many

endeavors NNALSA is involved in

throughout the year. Thank you to the

ILPC, MSU NALSA and NNALSA

members for helping make this event

possible.


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40th Annual Indian Law Conference

This year MSU NALSA and the Indigenous

Law and Policy Center (ILPC) attended the

40th Annual Indian Law Conference in

Phoenix, Arizona. At the Conference,

MSU NALSA ran for several positions in

the National NALSA elections. Elise

McGowan was elected as Vice President,

Mike Hollowell was elected as Treasurer,

Lydia Locklear was elected as Area 5

Representative, and Dayna Johansen was

elected as Area 4 Representative. The theme

of this year’s conference was “40 Years Strong: The Indian Self-Determination Era

Strengthening Tribal Sovereignty,” which

focused on the significant changes that have

occurred in the relationship between Tribal

Nations and the United States in the last

four decades.

2016 NNALSA Moot Court Competition

Pictured above is MSU NALSA and the ILPC. From left to right:

Elise McGowan, Dayna Johansen, Matthew Fletcher, Wenona

Singel, Emmy Scott, Lydia Locklear, and Mike Hollowell.

MSU NALSA is proud to announce MSU

COL will be hosting the 2016 National

NALSA Moot Court Competition. This

will be MSU COL’s first time hosting the competition. The National NALSA Moot

Court Competition attracts students from

around the United States and tests them on

their knowledge regarding tribal law, federal

Indian law, and international indigenous

law. Please contact Elise McGowan at

[email protected] for

questions regarding the competition.

Announcements and details regarding the

competition will be made through

NNALSA @ http://nationalnalsa.org.


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Erin Oliver

Congratulations to Erin Oliver who

was appointed to the Indiana Native

American Affairs Commission by

Indiana Governor Mike Pence. Erin

Oliver is a member of the Bundy

Clan and an at-large member of the

tribal council. She is also a board

member of the Eiteljorg Museum of

American Indian a Western

Art. Erin is employed as the

Associate Director for the Office of

Institutional Equity at Purdue

University where she serves as the

University’s primary point of contact for faculty, staff, and student

concerns related to harassment and

discrimination and as special

counsel for the University’s Office of Legal Counsel.

Ms. Oliver holds a Doctor of Juris

degree from the Michigan State

University (MSU) in East Lansing,

Michigan. During her time at MSU

she also earned a certificate in

Indigenous Law and Policy. Ms.

Oliver is a member of the Indiana

bar.

Karrie S. Wichtman

Ms. Karrie S. Wichtman is an

enrolled member of the Sault Ste.

Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

She joined Rosette, LLP in April of

2010 and achieved Partner status in

January of 2012 and is responsible

for the operation of the Rosette,

LLP Michigan Office. Ms.

Wichtman received her J.D. from

Michigan State University College

of Law in December 2009

accompanied by a Certificate of

Indigenous Law from the

Michigan State University College

of Law, Indigenous Law & Policy

Center. She also holds a Master of

Public Administration with a

concentration in Administrative

Law from Western Michigan

University.

Ms. Wichtman also recently

argued a case before the Michigan

Court of Appeals on the Indian

Child Welfare Act, the Michigan

Indian Families Protection Act and

the recent Supreme Court decision

Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl. The

case held that MIFPA’s placement preferences in adoption

proceedings.

FEATURED ALUMNI

MSU NALSA Networking

Washington D.C. Internships

In the last few years, several MSU

ILPC students and NALSA members have interned in Washington D.C. either through MSU sponsored or national programs. Currently, two NALSA students are interning in Washington, D.C.: Tamera Begay and Christopher Chavis.

Tamera Begay participates in the MSU Washington D.C. Semester Program as an intern with the Department of Justice in the Office of Tribal Justice. Christopher Chavis participates in the

MSU Washington D.C. Semester Program as an intern with the United States Department of Veteran Affairs. The D.C. program has offered past and

present participants ample inspiration. Many participants have had the opportunity to meet personal heroes, such as a Supreme Court Justice, and witness historic events, including the

signing of VAWA and the Secretary’s farewell address. Overall, D.C. internships have been a great way for ILPC students and NALSA members to serve the public and apply their legal training.

MSU NALSA NEWSLETTER FALL 2014 – SPRING 2015

Credits

This newsletter was put together by MSU NALSA

Alumni Committee Chair Whitney Gravelle.

Please contact Elise McGowan, the Administrative

Committee Chair, at [email protected] or

Whitney Gravelle at [email protected] for questions

or concerns.

See you next year!

MSU NALSA

msu nalsa newsletter - turtle talk · 2010 and achieved partner status in january of 2012 and is...

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