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Tribal Court State Court Forum

The Tribal Court State Court Forum (TCSCF) is comprised of tribal court judges from Minnesota’s 11 federally recognized tribes and state court judges from Minnesota’s 87 district courts. 

The purpose of the TCSCF is to enhance tribal court and state court relationships, provide an opportunity to address issues arising from the courts’ concurrent jurisdictions, collaborate on development and delivery of judicial education and training, recommend revisions to Minnesota’s procedural rules of court, and work on issues that cross jurisdictional boundaries. 

The first TCSCF meeting was held at Prairie Island Indian Community on July 18, 1997.  Although its membership has changed over the years, the Forum has gathered quarterly for most of the past 20 years alternating between tribal court and state court venues.


Printable in-depth history of the TCSCF

Below are some photos from the June 25, 2019 ceremony where four Dakota Communities gave tribal flags to Hennepin and Scott County District Courts. 

June 25, 2019 ceremony where four Dakota Communities gave tribal flags to Hennepin and Scott County District Courts.

June 25, 2019 ceremony where four Dakota Communities gave tribal flags to Hennepin and Scott County District Courts.

June 25, 2019 ceremony where four Dakota Communities gave tribal flags to Hennepin and Scott County District Courts.

June 25, 2019 ceremony where four Dakota Communities gave tribal flags to Hennepin and Scott County District Courts.

June 25, 2019 ceremony where four Dakota Communities gave tribal flags to Hennepin and Scott County District Courts.

January 22, 2016: hosted by state court - 4th Judicial District April 22, 2016: Meeting cancelled

July 15, 2016: hosted by Leech Lake Tribal Court October 21, 2016: Meeting cancelled
December 1, 2016: Annual Judges Conference breakfast meeting January 27, 2017: hosted by Prairie Island Indian Community April 28, 2017: Meeting cancelled
July 28, 2017: Meeting cancelled
October 27, 2017: Meeting rescheduled to November
November 30, 2017: hosted by Mille Lacs Tribal Court December 7, 2017: Annual Judges Conference breakfast meeting February 23, 2018: hosted by state court - 10th Judicial District June 29, 2018: hosted by Grand Portage Tribal Court
October 26, 2018: hosted by state court
December 6, 2018: Annual Judges Conference breakfast meeting April 26, 2019: hosted by Tribal Court of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community July 26, 2019: hosted by state court - 7th Judicial District September 13, 2019: hosted by Red Lake Nation Tribal Court December 5, 2019: Annual Judges Conference breakfast meeting March 6, 2020: hosted by Upper Sioux Community July 24, 2020: hosted by state court - 6th Judicial District October 9, 2020: hosted by Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Tribal Court December 2020: Meeting cancelled

March 19, 2021: hosted by state court

July 16, 2021: hosted by tribal court

October 8, 2021: hosted by tribal court

December 2021 (exact date TBD): hosted by state court
State Court, through the Children's Justice Initiative (CJI), is putting on the following Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) trainings for all child protection stakeholders in the area:
 
  • Minneapolis - date TBD (temporarily postponed due to COVID-19);
  • St. Paul - date TBD (temporarily postponed due to COVID-19);
  • Duluth - date TBD (temporarily postponed due to COVID-19); and
  • Bemidji - date TBD (temporarily postponed due to COVID-19).
National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) has upcoming trainings:
 

Contact Us:

Tribal Court State Court Forum
State Court Administrator's Office
25 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155
(651) 297-5300
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