University of Montana NALSA Chapter Report

The University of Montana Native American Law Students Association currently has 30 members. Our chapter was established about ten years ago. The goal of our organization is to support Native students in the law school and to act as a representative force for those studying Federal Indian Law within the University, Missoula and outlying tribal communities. The following are the activities the chapter has been involved in over the preceding year.

I. Recruiting operations

A. Hosting High School students in day-long seminars

As part of this event students from high schools on local Montana reservations visited the Law School and participated in mock-trials concerning current Indian Law Issues.

B. Annual Recruitment Trips

Members of the UM NALSA chapter drove to high schools on reservations around the state. At this point we have covered 4 reservations and over ten schools. At the schools, members lead the students through putting on their own mock trials concerning current Indian Law issues. Students get hands on experience being counsel, jurors, and witnesses.

II. Native American Arts and Entertainment

A. The UM NALSA chapter holds an annual film festival to highlight films dealing with current and pressing Native American issues. This event features established and up and coming Indian film makers and industry people. While we collaborate on many events during the year this is our main event to promote outreach and awareness in our community.

B. In conjunction with the film festival, UM NALSA often hosts speakers on current legal issues. For the 2000 film festival, among the movies presented was

C. As part of the Film Festival, UM NALSA held an art competition among local elementary schools and used one of the pictures in the promotional posters.

D. Ryan Rusche, past president of NALSA received the Margery Hunter Brown Research Assistantship to produce “Inkdomi and the Buffalo” an adaptation of an Assiniboine trickerster story. The play was produced wholly by NALSA members and played to a packed house at a local theater.

III. Diversity and Leadership Education

A. UM NALSA co-sponsored, along with the University of Montana Multi-Cultural Alliance, a film series and presentations on leadership and diversity awareness on campus.

B. The UM NALSA chapter presented a campus wide showing of Incident At Oglala, and hosted Jean Day, a member of Leonard Peltier’s defense team, to speak to the issues surrounding Peltier’s incarceration. UM NALSA also helped circulate the petition for the pardon of Leonard Peltier which was presented to Louis Freeh, head of the FBI.

IV. Fundraising Efforts

A. The UM NALSA chapter members annually design and sell t-shirts as well as holding a bake sale in general fund-raising efforts. In addition, NALSA members participated in telephone funding drives to benefit the Law School.

B. UM NALSA has participated in fundraising efforts for other organizations, including donation of items to The University of Montana Women’s Law Caucus Annual Silent Auction to benefit a local woman’s shelter.

C. NALSA has successfully written several grants including receiving funding from the Presidents Counsel on Diversity to support our annual film festival.

D. Our members lobby for funding from the Associated Students of the University of Montana and lobby other campus entities to support our general funding needs.

V. Community Activities

A. UM NALSA held a book drive and donated the gathered books to youth detention facilities on reservations.

B. Members volunteer at Missoula soup-kitchen, helping to prepare meals including Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.

C. Members volunteered as ushers at the Honor the Earth Concert Series and assisted in organizing the event which featured Winona Laduke, Indigenous, Bonnie Raitt and the Indigo Girls. We were involved in voter registration, security, and promotion of the event.

D. UM NALSA sponsored a soft-ball tournament for the law school and main university students as a fun outreach activity.

E. Our Members supported the United Peoples Pow Wow, held at Fort Missoula, Missoula, Montana by volunteering time and offering items for raffle prizes.

F. In the fall, all Indian student organizations sponsored an Indian Taco Feed as an outreach activity to our campus community. Members volunteered as servers, cooks and contributed the now famous Standing High NALSA Salsa.

G. The main campus Indian student organization, KYI-YO, annually hosts UM’s pow-wow and basketball tournament. Our members assisted with the basketball tournament, serving as timers, ticket takers, score keepers and security. We also volunteer our assistance with during the pow-wow including donating items for raffles and give-aways.

H. Our members also trick or treated for canned food in support of local food banks and in collaboration with Volunteer Action Services.

I. We actively participate in our school’s annual food drives during the holiday season.

J. We assisted UM’s Environmental Law Group in sponsoring Charles Wilkinson, a well known legal scholar in Environmental Law.

K. Our organization works closely with the Multicultural Alliance on campus and cosponsors a visit made by Olympic champion, Billy Mills.

L. NALSA also makes an annual contribution to several scholarships including the Margery Hunter Brown Research Assistantship. Margery Hunter Brown was an endeared part of our faculty and Indian Country who championed Native, environmental and women’s legal issues.

M. Many members sit on committees representing a Native voice and our NALSA organization on campus including organizations like the Presidents Diversity Task Force and Student Bar Association.

VI. Moot Court

The University of Montana Law School and NALSA sponsored two teams at the 2001 National NALSA Moot Court competitions. The team of 3L’s Ryan Rusche and Mato Standing High placed in all three categories, taking the honors of Third Place Oralist (Ryan Rusche), Second Place Brief, and Third Overall. Eldena Bear Don’t Walk and Dan Decker, both second years, made up the other competitive team.