Building Decolonized Legal Frameworks for Communal Living-Working-Governing through Dine (Navajo) Fundamental Law

Stewardship arrangements between indigenous communities have long supported effective ways of living, working, and governing through groups self-arranged around local beneficial land use. They continue to exist despite sparse legal frameworks available to support them and disruptive legacy federal regulations. However, until now there has been no systematic “toolkit” of culturally faithful legal structures that can support indigenous land stewardship. This webinar will address how cooperatives and other entities that are uncompromisingly structured for Diné (Navajo) Fundamental Law can assist indigenous self-determination on local communities' own terms. Options discussed will include methods to address community land use limitations, including through stewardship cooperatives, and through re-thinking Section 17 and tribal enterprises. California continuing legal education credit will be offered through the Sustainable Economies Law Center.

Presenters:

Michael Hamersky is the Climate Change and Land Use Policy Fellow at the Elizabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, where he received his LLM in environmental studies. He is also an adjunct professor at Fordham University School of Law, where he received his JD.

Raymond Deal is a Marine Veteran and Hataali Association certified traditional counselor.

Josephine Foo served as attorney in the Office of the Chief Justice, Navajo Nation Supreme Court for eight years and is Executive Director of Indian Country Grassroots Support.