First America

An 1839 assassination of a Cherokee leader. A 1999 small town murder. Two crimes collide in a Supreme Court case that will decide the fate of one man and nearly half of the land in Oklahoma. Hosted by Rebecca Nagle, Oklahoma journalist and citizen of Cherokee Nation, This Land traces how a cut and dry homicide opened up an investigation into the treaty rights of five Native American tribes. Tune in, beginning June 3rd to Crooked Media's 8-episode series to find out how this unique case could result in the largest restoration of tribal land in U.S. history.

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The Supreme Court is about to make a decision that will determine the future of five tribes and nearly half the land in Oklahoma, and it all starts with a murder on the side of the road in 1999.

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Muscogee (Creek) Nation's reservation spans 11 counties across Eastern Oklahoma. This land is now at stake, and the tribe’s legal team headed to D.C. to make its case in front of the Supreme Court.

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There are some very powerful groups set against Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Who are they? What's their motivation? And what arguments are they using to win their case in Court?

Learn more: http://thislandpodcast.com/

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A Cherokee leader is murdered in 1839 for signing a treaty with the United States, but the promise he died for was broken. Learn more: thislandpodcast.com

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In a surprise twist, the Supreme Court announced that Carpenter v. Murphy will not be decided this term.

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The geography of this country was reshaped in the late 1800s and depending on who tells it, it's either a story of good intentions...or one of outright theft.

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The Supreme Court punted a decision on Carpenter v. Murphy to the next term. What does this mean for the tribes?

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/thisland.

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Tribes are asking that the Supreme Court keep the promises that it made to them, because what's lost when those promises are broken is much more than just land.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/thisland.

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A murder case sparked an investigation into the treaty rights of five tribes. But another case -- a simple case about an adoption -- could actually dismantle America's tribes as we know them.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/thisland.

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Today, the Supreme Court made a historic ruling on the reservation status of Eastern Oklahoma. Rebecca Nagle is here to break down the decision, talk through the implications, and hey, celebrate a little. Because this win -- it’s huge.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/thisland.

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The Supreme Court has ruled, delivering a historic decision on the reservation status of Eastern Oklahoma. Rebecca Nagle talks to the lawyer who argued the case at the High Court, Native law professors, scholars, and journalists to break down the significance of this decision and share what it means to the future of Muscogee (Creek) Nation and all Five Tribes.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/thisland.

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ALM – as referred to in court documents – is a Navajo and Cherokee toddler. When he was a baby, a white couple from the suburbs of Dallas wanted to adopt him, but a federal law said they couldn’t. So they sued. Today, the lawsuit doesn’t just impact the future of one child, or even the future of one law. It threatens the entire legal structure defending Native American rights.

In season 2 of This Land, host Rebecca Nagle investigates how the far right is using Native children to quietly dismantle American Indian tribes.

Tune in beginning August 23rd.

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ALM – as referred to in court documents – is a Navajo and Cherokee toddler. When he was a baby, a white couple from the suburbs of Dallas wanted to adopt him, but a federal law said they couldn’t. So they sued.

Show Notes:

• This Land website https://crooked.com/podcast-series/this-land/
• Resources For Survivors https://crooked.com/resources-for-survivors/
• Resources For Journalists & Investigators https://crooked.com/resources-for-journalists-investigators/
• Have a tip? Share it with our reporting team via SecureDrop https://criticalfrequency.org/securedrop/
• Jennifer Brackeen’s Personal Blog https://web.archive.org/web/20201221201802/https://thebrackeens.blogspot.com/
• "An Untold Number Of Indigenous Children Disappeared At U.S. Boarding Schools. Tribal Nations Are Raising The Stakes In Search Of Answers." https://theintercept.com/2018/09/25/carlisle-indian-industrial-school-indigenous-children-disappeared/
• "My Relatives Went To A Catholic School For Native Children. It Was A Place Of Horrors" https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jun/30/my-relatives-went-to-a-catholic-school-for-native-children-it-was-a-place-of-horrors
• "Indigenous Children Finally Headed Home" https://indiancountrytoday.com/news/indigenous-children-officially-headed-home
• "Indian Boarding School Investigation Faces Hurdles In Missing Records, Legal Questions" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/indian-boarding-school-investigation-faces-hurdles-missing-records-legal-questions-n1273996
• "U.S. Boarding Schools To Be Investigated" https://indiancountrytoday.com/news/us-boarding-schools-to-be-investigated

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The Brackeens' case would have been a normal adoption dispute, but then one of the most powerful corporate law firms in the United States took it on and helped the couple launch a federal lawsuit.

Show Notes

• This Land website https://crooked.com/podcast-series/this-land/
• Resources For Survivors https://crooked.com/resources-for-survivors/
• Resources For Journalists & Investigators https://crooked.com/resources-for-journalists-investigators/
• Have a tip? Share it with our reporting team via SecureDrop https://criticalfrequency.org/securedrop/
• Blood Memory documentary https://www.bloodmemorydoc.com/
• “Indian Adoption Project Increases Momentum” April 18, 1967 press release from the U.S. Department of the Interior https://www.indianaffairs.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/indian-adoption-project-increases-momentum

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The Brackeens aren’t the only ones suing to strike down the Indian Child Welfare Act. So are Danielle and Jason Clifford, a foster couple from Minnesota.

Show Notes

• This Land website https://crooked.com/podcast-series/this-land/
• Resources For Survivors https://crooked.com/resources-for-survivors/
• Resources For Journalists & Investigators https://crooked.com/resources-for-journalists-investigators/
• Have a tip? Share it with our reporting team via SecureDrop https://criticalfrequency.org/securedrop/

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The private adoption industry has been fighting against the Indian Child Welfare Act the longest. We learn why by following one couple’s journey to adopt and their mixed feelings about the process.

Show Notes

• This Land website https://crooked.com/podcast-series/this-land/
• Resources For Survivors https://crooked.com/resources-for-survivors/
• Resources For Journalists & Investigators https://crooked.com/resources-for-journalists-investigators/
• Have a tip? Share it with our reporting team via SecureDrop https://criticalfrequency.org/securedrop/
• Blood Memory documentary https://www.bloodmemorydoc.com/

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fight against the Indian Child Welfare Act is much bigger than a few custody cases, or even the entire adoption industry. We follow the money, and our investigation leads us to a powerful group of corporate lawyers and one of the biggest law firms in the country.

Show Notes

• This Land website https://crooked.com/podcast-series/this-land/
• Resources For Survivors https://crooked.com/resources-for-survivors/
• Resources For Journalists & Investigators https://crooked.com/resources-for-journalists-investigators/
• Have a tip? Share it with our reporting team via SecureDrop https://criticalfrequency.org/securedrop/
• Mashpee Wampanoag face double crisis: COVID-19 and feds https://indiancountrytoday.com/news/mashpee-wampanoag-face-double-crisis-covid-19-and-feds
• Interior takes reservation away from Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe https://indiancountrytoday.com/news/interior-takes-reservation-away-from-mashpee-wampanoag-tribe
• Mashpee Wampanoag ruling a 'win for all of Indian Country' https://indiancountrytoday.com/news/mashpee-wampanoag-ruling-a-win-for-all-of-indian-country
• The Fight for Baby Veronica, Part 1 https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/the-fight-for-baby-veronica-part-1
• The Fight for Baby Veronica, Part 2 https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/the-fight-for-baby-veronica-part-2
• The Fight for Baby Veronica, Part 3 https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/the-fight-for-baby-veronica-part-3
• The Fight for Baby Veronica, Part 4 https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/the-fight-for-baby-veronica-part-4
• The Fight for Baby Veronica, Part 5 https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/the-fight-for-baby-veronica-part-5
• Supreme Court Takes on Indian Child Welfare Act in Baby Veronica Case https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/supreme-court-takes-on-indian-child-welfare-act-in-baby-veronica-case

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We know which law firms and think tanks are bringing these lawsuits, but no one has been able to figure out who’s funding them—or why—until now.

Show Notes

• This Land website https://crooked.com/podcast-series/this-land/
• Resources For Survivors https://crooked.com/resources-for-survivors/
• Resources For Journalists & Investigators https://crooked.com/resources-for-journalists-investigators/
• Have a tip? Share it with our reporting team via SecureDrop https://criticalfrequency.org/securedrop/

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the case heads to the Fifth Circuit - the last stop before the Supreme Court - we go inside the courtroom to hear the arguments and the decision.

Show Notes

• This Land website https://crooked.com/podcast-series/this-land/
• Resources For Survivors https://crooked.com/resources-for-survivors/
• Resources For Journalists & Investigators https://crooked.com/resources-for-journalists-investigators/
• Have a tip? Share it with our reporting team via SecureDrop https://criticalfrequency.org/securedrop/
• Jennifer Brackeen’s Personal Blog https://web.archive.org/web/20201221201802/https://thebrackeens.blogspot.com/

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.