Indigenous Peoples Law & Policy Program

08/27/2026

IPLP Professor James Hopkins was featured in this KNAU interview discussing the impacts of deregulation on expedited natural resource extraction in Indian Country.

“With the increased deregulation, you're seeing these conflicts arising more and more with respect to tribal lands and tribal resources,” says Hopkins.

The answer lies in the country’s unique tax system. Canadian firms are part of a boom in proposed mining projects in the American Southwest.

08/26/2026

📣 Student Internship Opportunity with IRes! 📣

Looking to gain hands-on experience while supporting community-centered work? The Indigenous Resilience Center (IRes) is seeking motivated, community-minded students to join our team!

Interns will have the opportunity to support projects across IRes, assist with workshops and community events, contribute to Tribal outreach and engagement, and gain experience working alongside our team and community partners.

Internship Details:
🌱 10–15 hours per week
🌱 Preference for a full academic-year commitment
🌱 $1,000 stipend upon successful completion of each semester
🌱 Academic credit may be available through your program

We encourage students interested in Tribal Nations, Indigenous communities, Tribal sovereignty, community engagement, and relationship-building to apply.

📩 Interested? Submit your resume and a brief statement of interest sharing why you’d like to intern with IRes and how the opportunity aligns with your academic or professional goals to Daniel Sestiaga at ([email protected]).

Come learn, build your skills, and gain meaningful experience with IRes!

For more info visit the link in our bio!

08/21/2026

IPLP alumna Brenda Gunn (’06) is the inaugural appointee of the Phil Fontaine Professorship in Indigenous Law and Economic Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba.

Professor Gunn’s appointment is in recognition of her decades of advocacy and research work on behalf of Indigenous peoples in Canada and across the world. Gunn currently serves as Expert Member to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) representing Western European. Prior to starting her appointment to UNPFII, Gunn served as Research Director at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation located at the University of Manitoba’s Fort Garry Campus.

Gunn’s overarching goal with the Professorship is to undertake research focused on identifying and removing legal barriers for Indigenous peoples’ full participation in the economy – “On our own terms,” she said, explaining that, “Specifically, my research will be collaborative (Indigenous led and Indigenous community engaged); interdisciplinary (business, human rights, Indigenous studies, political studies and law); and practical (local impacts with international implications).”

Professor Brenda Gunn aims to identify and remove legal barriers facing Indigenous peoples’ full participation in the economy

08/21/2026

The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law and the National Institute for Trial Advocacy have released the Summer 2026 issue of The Journal of Appellate Practice and Process (Volume 26, Issue 2).

08/20/2026

08/19/2026

Join us on Wednesday, August 26 for a Sunrise Ceremony - celebrating the new academic year and our U of A community. Enjoy the early morning with a 6:00 a.m. blessing, followed by breakfast at NASA. Mark your calendars, we hope to see you there!
🗓️ August 26, 2026 | 6-8 a.m., hold till 9:00 a.m. for a leisurely breakfast
📍 UA Mall & Room 201 @ NASA

08/19/2026

08/19/2026

Gila River Health Care isn’t just trying to recruit more doctors. It’s investing $25 million to help train them at home.

GRHC is partnering with the University of Arizona to establish what the partners say will be the nation’s first MD-granting medical school branch located on the lands of a sovereign tribal nation.

Beginning in 2027, students in a three-year accelerated primary care program will spend the second half of medical school training at Gila River Health Care. The partners are also exploring residency programs that could extend that pipeline from medical school through residency and ultimately into practice.

It’s a significant workforce strategy in a health system where the need is acute: Indian Health Service reported a 38% physician vacancy rate in fiscal 2024.

The bigger idea: Instead of competing indefinitely for a scarce pool of physicians, Gila River is investing in the infrastructure to help build its own.

Tribal Business News has this story: https://bit.ly/4ihmmM8

08/18/2026

Please join us on September 2 at 10 am to meet our 2026 Indigenous Resilience Graduate Research Awards recipients!

Full a full story on this year's cohort visit Haury website: https://haury.arizona.edu/news/haury-program-announces-2026-indigenous-resilience-graduate-research-award-recipients

08/13/2026

Join us in welcoming our new students, who bring with them not only exceptional talent, but also diverse perspectives and rich life experiences that will deepen and strengthen the Arizona Law and IPLP community!

Abby Carpenter joins us from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. She is a member of the Mohawk Nation, belonging to the Bear Clan.

Abby’s experience spans from government to higher education to her community. Her work focuses on strategic reconciliation initiatives, Indigenous procurement, braiding Indigenous laws into policy development, advancing Indigenous rights and systemic and institutional change.

“I was drawn to the IPLP program for its leadership in Indigenous Law and Policy. It builds on my experience while expanding my knowledge internationally, with the goal of using that knowledge to advocate for and advance the rights and self-determination of Indigenous People and Nations.”