As you can hear on Ms. Jolette Bird Bear’s call to action clip, the government official did say that AIPRA has been on the website for a long time. The government official is right. These regulations have been available for us to read since 2008. In fact, we’ve been trying to navigate and understand the 2008 regulations for over the past decade. The 2008 regulations has traumatized our communities, most importantly, by separating the houses from the Indian land. This is making the homes on the reservation like a mobile home and not like real property homes off the reservation. This has complicated Indian ownership of ancestral land, and is atrocious!

Before Covid-19 hit and made our world dangerous to be in, one could still argue that internet prices were sky high and many of us couldn’t get online to see FederalRegister.gov’s website, and perhaps that is still true. Therefore I’m saying that the government did not do enough. I’m saying that government should have met us halfway.

There are still things we can do. In this case we have to get informed. Find out what the government is planning to do. Ms Armstrong has made it very easy to find the links we need by putting them all here. Read up on everything you can. It helps to know how the government wants to affect our lives. Get involved by writing letters, or gathering signatures, getting into the grassroots movement we are trying to start here. Sharing information is also vital. We all know someone who doesn’t have the internet, or if they do, they may not participate in social media. Call them and share the information you have learned.

We have to use every tool we have in our kit to stay ahead of the machine. This grassroots campaign we are starting is exciting. Let’s keep up the momentum!

To know more about the injustice of the timing and method the Department is using in rolling out these new regulations, listen to the video on our Blog post: Elder’s Plea to Delay AIPRA Rulemaking during Pandemic.

These new rules will give Native Americans even less due process and protection for Indian landowners. It is vital that you be involved and learn what these new regulations mean for you and your future generations. The proposed changes and presentation materials can be found on our Blog page: AIPRA Proposed Rule Presentation Materials.

The complete list of proposed changes can be found here: www.FederalRegister.gov

It’s easy to submit your comment on the proposed changes directly to the Department by clicking here: FederalRegisterCommentPage. Let the Department know your involved, informed and sharing information they need to understand the impact of their proposed regulations.

We hope you Join the Discussion by signing up for our Blog newsletter at www.NativeProbate.org. Get Involved, Stay Informed, and Share Information.

For your FREE Indian Will, please visit our Blog page: Free Indian Wills Until March 8, 2021.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact Attorney Roberta Armstrong at Roberta@IndianWillsOnWheels.org