Fellows with the Native Environmental Sovereignty Project examine emerging Tribal roles in comanaging lands and resources.
18th Annual Rennard Strickland Lecture
- 17th Annual Rennard Strickland Lecture, "Shared Stewardship," Elizabeth Kronk Warner (2023).
- 16th Annual Rennard Strickland Lecture, "The Dark Matter of Indian Law: The Duty of Protection to Indian Tribes," Matthew L.M. Fletcher (2022).
- 15th Annual Rennard Strickland Lecture, "Oil and Gas: An Oklahoma Origin Story," Stacy Leeds (2021).
- 14th Annual Rennard Strickland Lecture, "A Day of Reckoning: Seizing the Sacred Moment to Restore Balance," President Fawn Sharp (2020).
- 13th Annual Rennard Strickland Lecture, "Environmental Justice and Tribal Sovereignty," Mary Kathryn Nagle (2019).
Indigenous Peoples Reception
Visit the following link to read the opening remarks as delivered by 2022-23 Native Environmental Sovereignty Project Fellow Chloe Tesch at the 13th Annual Indigenous People's Reception:
File 2023-ipr-land-acknowledgment-.pdfThese remarks were prepared in collaboration with ENR Program Assistant Madi Prue and with guidance from the Native American Law Student Association and the Many Nations Longhouse. Folks who choose to use these remarks as a land acknowledgment reference should note that, rather than being rigidly formulaic, land acknowledgments require individual work and must evolve according to their unique context.
Recent Presentations
- Howard Arnett and Chuck Sams III, "Treaties, Trust, and Tomorrow: Navigating the Legal Landscape of Native Lands," Oregon Law Perspective Series, University of Oregon School of Law (August 8, 2025).
- Howard Arnett, "Defending Sacred Sites: Apache Stronghold v. United States and the Battle for Oak Flat," Oregon Law Perspectives Series, University of Oregon School of Law (August 16, 2024)
- Howard Arnett, "Retrospective: Indian Law and the 2022-23 SCOTUS," Oregon Law Perspectives Series, University of Oregon School of Law (August 10, 2023).
- Howard Arnett and Elizabeth Hidalgo Reese, "Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta: What the Case Means for Tribal Sovereignty," moderated by Jennifer Reynolds, O'Connell Conference, University of Oregon School of Law (September 30, 2022).
- Howard Arnett and Garrett Epps, "Brackeen v. Haaland: The Supreme Court Takes on the Indian Child Welfare Act," moderated by Jennifer Reynolds, Oregon Law Perspectives Series, University of Oregon School of Law (September 29, 2022).
- Howard Arnett, "McGirt v. Oklahoma: What Does it Mean and What Might Happen Next," moderated by Jennifer Reynolds, Oregon Law Perspectives Series, University of Oregon School of Law (September 2020).
Select Publications
- Maggie Massey (3L Fellow), Alaska Native Allotments and Federal Reserved Water Rights, Environmental and Natural Resources Law Center (June 2019).
- Mary Wood, Charles Woodward, Whitman Koch, and Ambriel Sandone, Tribal Guide to the Legal Landscape of Fossil Fuel Infrastructure Projects, Environmental and Natural Resources Law Center (June 2019).
- Mary Wood, Anna Elza Brady, and Brendan Keenan, Jr., Tribal Tools & Legal Levers for Halting Fossil Fuel Transport & Exports Through the Pacific Northwest, American Indian Law Journal: Vol. 7, Iss. 1, Article 5 (2018).
Faculty
NESP Fellows 2025-2026
Noah Coon - 3L
Noah grew up in the coastal plains of Alabama. Growing up in a family that was one generation removed from farmers and living in one of the most biodiverse states helped him develop an interest in environmental justice and an appreciation for the natural world. Avoiding poison oak and snakes while exploring the woods with his siblings, Noah developed a respect for the environment that attracted him to the Environmental and Natural Resources Law program at Oregon Law.
After his first year, Noah took time off to volunteer with UO's RARE AmeriCorps program, an Oregon-based program that focuses on advocating for rural communities. This year, he is excited to stay involved with the law school's Native American Law Student Association (NALSA) chapter and compete in the National NALSA Moot Court Competition. After graduation, Noah seeks to use his law degree to serve Tribal communities with a focus on Tribal environmental law and Tribal business development.
Alexander Shadle - 3L
Alex was born in Murrieta, California. When he was three years old, he moved to the Rogue Valley to be closer to his mother's family. Growing up in Southern Oregon, Alex was enchanted by the area's wild beauty and the communities who relied on it for their survival. These experiences helped him develop both a deep appreciation for the ways humans interact with their environment and a strong drive to protect wild spaces and advocate for rural communities.
Throughout his time in law school, Alex has been a member of the Native American Law Student Association (NALSA). In his first year, he acted as the organization's 1L representative. As a 2L, he served as Treasurer, organizing a trip to the Federal Indian Bar Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico — the largest such trip in the chapter's history. During his 2L summer, through a program with the ENR Center and the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics, Alex served as a Law Fellow with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, working with the Tribe's in-house legal department. In this role, he assisted the Tribe in developing policy changes to address shifts in federal policy.
Now a 3L, Alex is honored to serve as NALSA's Director and hopes to work with other NALSA chapters to expand interest in the study of Indian law and raise awareness of issues in Indian Country. He is also excited to enter his second year of fellowship with the Native Environmental Sovereignty Project. After graduation, he hopes to bring his skills to Indian Country and serve Tribal communities.