The decision made by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy will directly harm the lands and well-being of Indigenous citizens in Michigan and surrounding areas. Transnational pipelines represent one of the most violent forms of extraction experienced by Indian country, and this pipeline, Line 5, is a clear example. Line 5, owned by Enbridge Energy Inc., is a 645-mile dual pipeline that carries oil and natural gas through the Straits of Mackinac from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Canada.

In June, the Indian Law Resource Center held the 2nd Annual Indigenous Lands Initiative Conference in La Antigua, Guatemala. This two day convening brought together over 70 participants, including international partner organizations, Indigenous leaders and community members, and government representatives, to discuss, share, and connect on the advancement of Indigenous rights through the land titling process. 

Indian Law Resource Center staff traveled to Brasília, Brasil to attend and participate in the 22nd Free Land Camp 2026 (known as "Acampamento Terra Livre" in Portuguese, or ATL).

The Indian Law Resource Center provided technical support and training to Agua Caliente, Guatemala. Gianella Sanchez and Ermeto Tuesta led a workshop, “The Benefits of Collective Ownership for Territorial and Community Strengthening,” which helped to empower community members on issues related to Indigenous-led collective property processes and training in participatory mapping of the current state of the communal territory. 

The Indian Law Resource Center seeks to overcome the grave problems that threaten Native peoples by advancing the rule of law, by establishing national and international legal standards that preserve their human rights and dignity, and by challenging the governments of the world to accord justice and equality before the law to all indigenous peoples of the Americas.