Treaty & Statutory Rights
MILS will provide legal assistance to ensure that rights guaranteed to Native Americans by treaty or statute are secured.
Indian Civil Rights Act
The US Bill of Rights does not apply to actions of tribal governments. The federal government enacted ICRA in 1965 to apply most of the provisions of the Bill of Rights to Tribes. It has been amended twice since 1968 - both times around the rights of tribal governments to criminally prosecute and sentence individuals.
Indian Arts and Crafts Act
The Indian Arts and Craft Act (IACA), 25 U.S.C. § 305-305(e), is a truth-in advertising law designed to prevent the sale of goods that are falsely represented to have been made by Indians or sold in a way that conveys the impression that they were made by Indians.
Jay Treaty
Since 1794, Aboriginal Peoples have been guaranteed the right to trade and travel between the United States and Canada, which was then a territory of Great Britain. This right is recognized in Article III of the Jay Treaty, also known as the Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation of 1794 and subsequent laws that stem from the Jay Treaty.
Michigan Indian Tuition Wavier
The Michigan Indian Tuition Waiver (MITW) is a program enacted by Public Act 174 of 1976, which waives the tuition costs for eligible Native Americans in public community colleges or universities within Michigan. The student must be a member of a federally recognized tribe, posses 1/4 BQ, and be a resident of Michigan. The Michigan Department of Civil Rights currently administers the MITW.