Defining community and self-determination through citizenship is an issue that affects every Indigenous nation regardless of geographic location. In some nation-states, simply utilizing the term “citizenship” in the context of Indigenous peoples often sparks controversy. Nonetheless, as Indigenous peoples throughout the world continue their struggle for survival, how these populations define themselves – as well as how they are defined by others – remains an emerging issue of both domestic and international law and policy.

 

Historically, colonizing state governments have not fully respected, much less completely understood, Indigenous citizenship and its parameters. In the United States, for example, American citizenship was unilaterally imposed upon Native peoples in 1924 despite considerable objection by some, such as the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy). Today, most Haudenosaunee continue to object to imposed U.S. citizenship and seek to achieve full recognition of their Indigenous nationhood and citizenship status. In many other states, however, Indigenous peoples have not received state citizenship nor recognition of their inherent Indigenous citizenship.

 

In the modern era, it appears that Indigenous peoples are increasingly seeking the right to obtain state citizenship or, if they already have it, to exercise such rights. Indeed, this policy choice is reflected within the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (see Art. 4). While various conditions might make this approach appear to be a matter of necessity, it is also the case that doing so might come in complete or partial derogation of citizenship in their own Indigenous nation, as well as inherent or treaty protected collective rights.

 

The Center for Indigenous Law, Governance & Citizenship will host the International Indigenous Citizenship Conference to provide an opportunity for Indigenous peoples, scholars and other interested persons to discuss these and related questions of citizenship. The forum will focus on citizenship theory, Indigenous citizenship and its exercise within the United States, and state citizenship for Indigenous peoples in an international context.

AGENDA
April 27, 2007 Room 200, College of Law

8:00 - 8:30 a.m. Registration

8:30 - 8:45 a.m. Welcoming Remarks and Overview of Conference

8:45 – 10:00 David Wilkins Professor (Lumbee), University of Minnesota.
DISENROLLMENT IN INDIAN COUNTRY: INDIGENOUS SELF-DECIMATION IN AN AGE OF SELF-DETERMINATION.

10:00 -10:15 Mid-Morning Break

10:15 11:30 Kevin Maillard (Seminole), Assistant Professor, Syracuse University College of Law
REDWASHING HISTORY: TRIBAL ANACHRONISMS IN THE FREEDMEN CASES 

11:30– 1:00 a.m Lunch-- Keynote Speaker: Chief Irving Powless, Jr. Onondaga Nation
HISTORY OF HAUDENOSAUNEE CITIZENSHIP

1:00 – 2:15 Stacy Leeds (Cherokee) Professor of Law, Director, Tribal Law and Government Center, Interim Director, University of Kansas Center for Indigenous Nations Studies
CHEROKEE NATION FREEDMEN CITIZENSHIP

2:15 – 3:30 Carrie Garrow (Mohawk), Executive Director, Center for Indigenous Law, Governance & Citizenship, Syracuse University College of Law
PROTECTING OUR CITIZENSHIP THROUGH INDIGENOUS LAWS AND COURTS

3:30 – 3:45 Mid-Afternoon Break

3:45-5:00 Richard Monette (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa), Associate Professor of Law University of Wisconsin Law School
WALKING IN TWO WORLDS WITH ONLY ONE HEART: INDIAN CITIZENSHIP AND THE CIVIL WAR WITHIN

RECEPTION FOLLOWING-- 2ND floor College of Law
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April 28, 2007 Room 200, College of Law

8:30 –9:30 Robert Odawi Porter (Seneca), Center Director, Senior Associate Dean for Research, Professor, Syracuse University College of Law 
HAUDENOSAUNEE CITIZENSHIP

9:30 - 10:45 Jeff Corntassel (Cherokee), Assistant Professor, Indigenous Governance Programs, University of Victoria, British Columbia
CONTENTIOUS CITIZENSHIP: RETHINKING LOCAL AND GLOBAL PATHWAYS TO INDIGENOUS SELF-DETERMINATION  

10:45 - 11:00 Mid-morning Break

11:00– 12:15 Audra Simpson (Mohawk), Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, American Indian Program, Cornell University
NATIONALISM AND ITS CONTENTS: MOHAWK CITIZENSHIP--FORMATION IN THE FACE OF EMPIRE

12:15– 1:30 Lunch, Keynote speaker, Laurence Hauptman, SUNY New Paltz
THE IDEALIST AND THE REALIST: CHIEF DESKAHEH, ATTORNEY GEORGE DECKER, AND THE SIX NATIONS’ STRUGGLE TO GET TO THE WORLD COURT, 1921-1925

1:30-2:45    Mark McMillan, Legal Practitioner, Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory ARE WE HOME YET? CITIZENSHIP WITHIN AUSTRALIAN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES.   

2:45-3:00     Mid-afternoon Break

3:00- 4:00    Border Crossing Update--Moderator, Robert Odawi Porter

4:00 - 5:00   Thomas Indian School Litigation discussion
   Mr. Ron Craft (Cayuga) president, Thomas Indian School Former Student Association
   Dr. Lori Quigley (Seneca) Associate Professor, Department of Elementary Education and Reading, SUNY Buffalo