One year ago, Current Tribal Law & Policy, PLLC officially launched with a simple but meaningful purpose: to provide thoughtful, culturally informed legal and policy support to Tribal Nations, Native organizations, and the communities they serve.

For Tribal Nations, Section 106 is particularly important because federal law specifically requires agencies to consult with Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations that attach religious and cultural significance to properties that may be eligible for the National Register.

On September 10, 2026, Lydia Locklear Canty, co-founder of Current Tribal Law & Policy, PLLC, attended the 2026 Sovereign Nations of Virginia Conference on behalf of the Firm at the Virginia Crossings Hotel and Conference Center. Hosted by the Rappahannock Tribe, the annual conference brings together tribal leaders, attorneys, scholars, policymakers, community members, and other partners to examine issues important to Virginia’s federally and State-recognized tribal nations.

Recent actions by Tribal Nations demonstrate that sovereignty does not require a particular position on data centers. Some tribes have prohibited or paused large-scale development. Others have demanded consultation concerning projects that could affect tribal resources. Still others have developed or owned digital infrastructure themselves.

Current Tribal Law & Policy, PLLC was honored to participate in the Second Annual Triangle Native American Film Festival at Raleigh’s historic Rialto Theatre and to host a panel discussion following the screening of the documentary Reservation Redemption.

Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina’s Tribal Community Relations team, the two-day Summit brought together tribal leaders, health professionals, community advocates, entrepreneurs, and other partners committed to improving the health and well-being of American Indian communities in North Carolina.

Reflections from the Second Annual Judicial Summit for the Tribal Nations of Virginia

Many tribal communities across the United States continue to contend with the impacts of the removal of ancestral remains, funerary objects, sacred items, and objects of cultural patrimony despite the passage of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (“NAGPRA”) decades ago. NAGPRA remains one of the most important federal statutes impacting tribal nations, museums, universities, federal agencies, archaeologists, and cultural institutions. As compliance obl

For tribal governments, building sustainable economies supports community well-being, strengthens governance, and ensures long-term self-determination.

Our team recently had the privilege of attending and presenting at the American Indian Unity Conference, hosted by the United Tribes of North Carolina.

When a government decision could impact a Tribal Nation, its people, lands, culture, treaty rights, or programs, the tribal consultation is the process meant to ensure Tribal leaders have a real seat at the table before decisions are made.

Amber and I recently had the opportunity to speak at Campbell University’s American Indian Leadership Development Program. The purpose of the Program is to develop up-and-coming leaders of North Carolina tribes to increase Native nation building. North Carolina has the largest American Indian population east of the Mississippi River. Campbell University, in partnership with the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs, established the American Indian Leadership Development

What began as a fairly modest idea turned into something far bigger, and far more meaningful, than we could have imagined.

In 2017, as a law student, I sat in the Supreme Court of the United States to hear oral arguments in Lewis v. Clarke, 581 U.S. 155 (2017). Nearly nine years later, I found myself back in that very place, but this time I was being sworn in to the Nation’s highest court. The privilege of taking this oath at the Supreme Court is one shared by other Lumbees who have blazed trails for Indigenous attorneys across the Country, including Arlinda Locklear, notable as the first Native

As founding partners of Current Tribal Law & Policy, PLLC and proud citizens of the Lumbee Tribe, we are honored to celebrate this achievement. This recognition marks a significant step forward for the Lumbee people and Indian Country as a whole.

The conversation around Lumbee full federal recognition has gained new momentum following the November 5, 2025 Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Hearing on S.107, the Lumbee Fairness Act. PBS NC’s State Lines Special tackles the issue head-on with an all-Lumbee panel including Amber Holland, founding partner of Current Tribal Law & Policy, PLLC.

Giving Tuesday offers a powerful moment to recognize and support nonprofits that help American Indian students pursue law degrees, succeed in law school, prepare for the bar exam, and thrive as practicing attorneys.

Current Tribal Law & Policy, PLLC partners welcome this and every month as an opportunity to make greater connections with and serve the tribal communities that molded us and invite you to do the same.

Despite the problematic history between tribes and the U.S. Government, and the longstanding adversity Indigenous peoples have faced, Native American veterans have played an integral role in defending freedom and ensuring liberty and justice for all, including their own tribal communities.

The story of American Indian voting rights is marked by a journey through various legal and legislative changes.