Event Details

Join the Friends of Coronado and Jemez Historic Sites for a free monthly lecture series on a variety of topics related to New Mexico History. Lectures take place at the Martha Liebert Public Library in Bernalillo.

Do you know what plenary power over Tribal recognition means? It’s part of our history and certainly impacts our Puebloan, Navajo and Apache neighbors.  Legal constructs such as Independent Sovereign Nations, Blood Quantum and jurisdiction over criminal acts all have a historical and legal basis.  And, how do Native American casinos factor into this legal scenario? This talk will explain, in a guilt-free overview, some of the Federal laws governing our Native American neighbors.

Ed McCool, a retired attorney, served as a tribal attorney for the Navajo Nation Council for ten years. He holds a Master of law (LL.M) in Indigenous Law and Policy from the University of Arizona Rogers School of Law and a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) in law and Masters in Political Science from Temple University. He was the director and chief lobbyist for New Jersey Common Cause in addition to being an attorney for Community Legal Services.

Martha Liebert Public Library is located at 124 Calle Malinche in Bernalillo (Behind the Town Hall at 829 Camino del Pueblo)