Ruth L. Kovnat Professor Emerita | UNM School of Law Clinical Programs
On February 4, 2025, the Program in Law and Public Policy (PILPP) at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs organized a discussion titled, "The Conflicts of Anti-Colonialism: A Tribal Right to Discriminate on the Basis of Sex?" This event addressed issues arising from recent Supreme Court cases concerning the sovereign rights of Native American tribes. One of these cases resulted in a significant victory for tribal sovereignty.
The program welcomed Audrey Martinez, a plaintiff in one of these cases, who shared her insights on the tension between respecting tribal autonomy and safeguarding individual rights, especially concerning gender-based discrimination in tribal membership rules. The discussion featured a panel that included New York Times best-selling author Julian Zelizer, former senior writer for The Wall Street Journal Josh Prager, Professor of Indigenous Studies in Anthropology J. Kēhaulani Kauanui, and UNM School of Law Professor Emerita Gloria Valencia-Weber.
Professor Emerita Valencia-Weber, a legal scholar at the UNM School of Law, plays a key role in the Law and Indigenous Peoples Program. Her research concentrates on U.S. federal Indian law, and she has published work on the pivotal case of Santa Clara Pueblo v. Martinez, which was central to the discussion.
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