On Oct. 3, the Indian Legal Clinic cohosted the “Democracy Reform Summit: Removing Barriers to Native Political Participation” in partnership with the Native American Rights Fund and the Brennan Center for Justice. The summit brought together over 150 people working together to uncover both the challenges to equitable political engagement for tribal voters and the opportunities to cultivate it. Participants included experts in civic engagement, legal advocates and leading researchers to discuss strategies for expanding Native American political representation. Patty Ferguson-Bohnee, Indian Legal Clinic director and associate dean for Inclusive Excellence, hosted a roundtable discussion on the State of Play of Native Voting Rights at the Federal Level, which explored threats to the Voting Rights Act and prospects for strengthening it, the need to pass the Native American Voting Rights Act and the efforts to build a grassroots movement in support of federal Native voting rights legislation.

If you missed the event, review the recording