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9 NARF Legal Rev. 1 (1983-1984)

handle is hein.journals/narf9 and id is 1 raw text is: Native American Rights Fund Spring 1983 A LOOK AT THE WORK OF AN INDISPENSABLE INSTITUTION Editor's Note: In 1974 the Ford Foundation conducted an extensive evaluation of the work of the Native American Rights Fund, At that time NARF was in its relative infancy, having been established with Ford funds only four years earlier. Somewhat to their surprise, the Ford Foundation's evaluators discovered that NARF's work was already having a remarkable impact on Indian law and Indian rights development After having traveled all across the country interviewing clients, co-counsel, opposing counsel, judges, and other key actors about NARF's efforts, the Ford Foundation evaluators con- cluded that NARF was a very effective law firm rendering services that are almost indispensable to Indian survival and development in America As the institution matures and the young lawyers gain more experience, even bet- ter results should be forthcoming. Nine years have now passed since the Ford evaluation, The ques- tions which came to my mind in returning to NARF as a guest editor of An- ouncements, after an almost equally long hiatus, was how has NARF matured as an institution? How do its clients, co-counsel, opposing counsel and the judiciary now judge its efforts? Have even better results been pro- duced? I set out to try to discover answers to these questions about a month ago. I called several of the sources which the Ford evaluators had contacted, as well as many new ones, Their comments and perspectives were both heartening and stimulating, All institutions must be judged by their long-run positive payoffs, On this score most present-day obervers judge that NARF is a very viable and important organization. From coast to coast and from tribal hall to the court- room, there is a reservoir of respect for NARF's achievements,, Even the in- stitution's most ardent adversaries find it hard to fault the quality and impor- tance of the work NARF has undertaken Understanding the texture of that work is not always most easily done through the more technical descriptions of the various legal developments in NARF cases and activities I have therefore tried to describe how I can see some of NARF's work in a few of the many arenas in which its staff plays their parts I have done this with the help of the perspec- tives of others in a position to observe the quality of those efforts and the clients who are so intensely affected by their outcome Joan C Lieberman Guest Editor, Spring 1983 Every day in different ways and places NA RF makes a difference In the future ex- istence of Indian people. Most of us who have been around awhile wonder what it might have been like if NARF had been created 30 years ago, instead of 13. Clear. ly, we've lost many invaluable rights and opportunities, but we do have an institu. tion now that is looking out for our in- terests and doing so without politicizing its own role. I recently watched a NARF attorney sit patiently through a twelve hour tribal meeting that went on until 2 in the morning. He said few words, but his presence was felt. We knew he was there and we had both more honor and more hope because of it. Indian Tribal Elder Digitized from Best Copy Available CONTENTS: Volume 9, No. 1 A Look at the Work of An Indispensable Institution .....1 Recent Legal Developments 11 NARF Publications and Resources 15 Natural Support Committee 14 Staff Changes 15 Of GiftsandGiving 16

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