A year after its launch, Penn's Native American Law Student Association delves into indigenous rights

While the National Native American Law Students Association was founded in 1970, second-year Law student Makenzie Way realized last year that Penn did not have its own chapter. Way then worked with Penn Law professor Maggie McKinley to change that.

Way partnered with McKinley, who currently serves as the association’s faculty advisor, to work with the University. Within a few weeks, Penn had its very own Native American Law Students Association, with Way serving as president. The school has been supportive, Way said, even funding most of the events NALSA has hosted since its founding. McKinley did not respond to request for comment.

NALSA is dedicated to creating a supportive environment for Native American students, and educating the student body about Indian Law, indigenous rights, tribal sovereignty, and peaceful resolution. NALSA aims to allow students to connect culturally with peers, as well as partner with "the federal law classes you can take at the University, and spreading awareness about what Federal Indian Law is," Way said. 

First year Penn Law student Erik Nickels is now the 1L representative for Penn’s NALSA and is working to give back to his tribe in Oklahoma. 

"There is a huge Native American population in Oklahoma, and when I was in Oklahoma, I relied very heavily on my tribe for health care services," Nickels said. "I felt called to give back to my tribe. They gave me a lot of help, more than just healthcare. They also helped me with college scholarships and housing scholarships.” 

Way explained that Federal Indian Law is important for all law students regardless of their cultural background because “[Federal Indian Law] can be utilized in your career, even if you don’t end up pursuing Federal Indian Law specifically."

Way said one of the issues the group hopes to examine are the laws surrounding pipeline proposals affecting Indian land territory, which encompasses Federal Indian law, domestic law, and international law.

NALSA aims to discuss and convey what is happening in Indian country and how they can make the issue more salient. A contributing factor to helping NALSA accomplish this goal is their collaboration with other groups. Since the founding of this association, NALSA has hosted two major events: a talk in collaboration with another school at Penn, and a dinner specifically for Native American students across the Ivy League.  

Nickels hopes to host an event related to the Carpenter v. Murphy Case, a developing Supreme Court case that discusses whether the state of Oklahoma or a native tribe has jurisdiction over a particular piece of land. 

"I would really love to have one of the professors here who has experience with Federal Indian Law talk about that case and its potential ramifications,“ Nickels said.

While all law students are welcome to join NALSA, most of the events that NALSA hosts are open to the entire Penn community at large. 

Way said she hopes to continue working with the University to help recognize minority groups like Native Americans.   

“A lot of what we’re doing is in conjunction with the University’s aim overall to increase these recognitions, and that goes for the University itself, as well as other student groups," Way said.