Reported that they successfully challenged North Dakota’s voter identification law which discriminated against Native Americans living on reservations who did not have a qualifying ID such as a driver’s license. Tribal IDs were not permissible if they did not have a permanent physical residential address. A post office box would not suffice.
An initial suit, Brakebill v. Jaeger, was overturned by the court of appeals. However, a subsequent suit making similar allegations on behalf of the members of the Spirit Lake and Standing Rock Sioux tribes living in North Dakota was successfully settled in February of 2020 after the District Court denied the State’s motion to dismiss. Spirit Lake Tribe v. Jaeger
“The Barbara McDowell grant afforded us the opportunity to give a voice to some of the most vulnerable populations in the country, Native Americans, by assisting them in a political process to which they are absolutely entitled,” said Don Ragona, Director of Development.
Click here to see the original grant, including the six-month and year-end reports.