The Washington Supreme Court has issued a letter acknowledging the historical and ongoing dehumanization of Indigenous people in Washington’s legal system and urging members of the judiciary and legal profession to take active steps to address those harms.
The June 5, 2026 letter was issued in response to Resolution No. 2024-32, adopted by the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) at its 2024 Annual Convention. ATNI represents more than 50 Tribal governments throughout the Pacific Northwest, including the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, the Yurok Tribe, and the Hoopa Valley Tribe, all of which are among the Tribal nations Lieff Cabraser regularly represents in legal matters affecting Tribal interests.
In its resolution, ATNI urged the Washington Supreme Court to encourage action to address historical and ongoing injustices affecting Indigenous people throughout the state.
In its response, the Court recognized that Washington’s history, including the history of its courts, is intertwined with policies and practices that harmed Tribal and Indigenous communities. The justices acknowledged the lasting effects of treaty violations, forced family separation through Indian boarding schools, barriers to justice, and ongoing disparities faced by Indigenous peoples across Washington.
“We recognize that the dehumanization and discrimination of Indigenous communities in this state is not just the truth of the past but the reality of the present, including within our court system,” the Court wrote.
The letter highlights continuing challenges facing Indigenous communities, including disproportionate rates of child welfare involvement, poverty, missing and murdered Indigenous persons, and other systemic inequities. The Court emphasized that acknowledgment alone is insufficient and called upon judges, lawyers, and legal institutions to actively address harmful precedent, confront bias, and work toward a more just legal system.
The Court also reaffirmed the importance of Tribal sovereignty, quoting Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis’s observation that “Tribal sovereignty is not a gift that is given, but rather inherently rooted in centuries of self-governance.”
The letter represents a significant response to ATNI’s call for action and underscores the important role Tribal advocacy continues to play in advancing recognition of Tribal sovereignty and equal access to justice.
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