Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Tribe

North Dakota tribes ask Supreme Court to keep legislative districts intact amid lawsuit

Legislators attending a Redistricting Committee meeting Dec. 13, 2023, look at maps of different proposals. (Kyle Martin/For the North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — Two North Dakota tribes and a group of tribal citizens have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to keep North Dakota’s district map in place while it considers whether to review a voting discrimination lawsuit…

Court denies rehearing voting rights case; group calls decision ‘loss for Native American voters’

Legislators attending a Redistricting Committee meeting Dec. 13, 2023, look at maps of different proposals. (Kyle Martin/For the North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — An appeals court will not reconsider its decision finding that the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, Spirit Lake Nation and three tribal citizens lack standing to bring a voting discrimination case against the state…

North Dakota tribes ask circuit judges for rehearing of voting rights case

Jamie Azure, chair of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, speaks during the Tribal Leaders Summit in Bismarck on Sept. 4, 2024. Turtle Mountain, Spirit Lake Nation and three tribal citizens are challenging a ruling in a voting rights case. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, Spirit Lake Nation and three…

Ruling in North Dakota Case Erases Path for People in 7 States to Sue Under Voting Rights Act

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A federal appeals court that already has said private individuals and groups cannot sue under a key part of the federal Voting Rights Act went even further Wednesday toward blocking lawsuits over alleged racial bias in voting in seven Midwest states. But its decisions may not be the last word, because another appeals court has ruled…

UPDATE: Grand Forks Moving Ahead With Talks Over Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa’s Proposed Casino

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (KVRR 8L30 pm update) — After years of talk, a casino and resort could finally be coming to Grand Forks. A Letter of Intent has been approved by Grand Forks Committee of the Whole. It’s just the first step in the process to establish agreements on the development, infrastructure, taxes and other factors. Turtle Mountain Band of…

Judge rejects delay of ruling backing North Dakota tribes’ effort to change legislative boundaries

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday rejected a request to delay his decision supporting two Native American tribes that sought changes to North Dakota’s legislative boundaries to give the tribes more influence in the Legislature. U.S. District Chief Judge Peter Welte denied Republican Secretary of State Michael Howe’s motion to stay his ruling, pending an expected appeal to the…

Closing arguments heard in Voting Rights Act case brought by N.D. tribes

FARGO (KFGO/AP) — Closing arguments were heard Thursday in the federal case brought by two tribes challenging North Dakota’s redrawn legislative district lines, claiming the new map diluted Native American voters’ strength on their reservations. The federal lawsuit was brought last year by the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and the Spirit Lake Tribe, as well as individual Native American voters,…

Gov. Burgum Adopts Rules for Tribal Voter Identification

A public hearing and public comment period will be held.

BISMARCK, N.D.–Governor Doug Burgum officially adopted Secretary of State Al Jaeger’s emergency rules related to tribal ID’s for Native American voters on Wednesday. The new rules will allow the state to incorporate the use of tribal ID’s for Native American voters into the statewide electronic pollbook project that was implemented in 2019. The rules address the documentation that constitutes a…