Note: The Last Judicial Frontier: The Fight for Recognition and Legitimacy of Tribal Courts

By Robert J. Wild. Full text here.

Rule 10 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice governs the recognition and enforcement of tribal court judgments in Minnesota state district courts. Since its adoption in 2003, the rule has led to delays in enforcement and to the denial of judgments that are mandated to be enforced by state or federal law. In 2016, the Minnesota Supreme Court was petitioned to amendment Rule 10 to address these issues and in July 2018, the Minnesota Supreme Court promulgated a substantially overhauled rule. This Note pushes the most recent changes to Rule 10 further and calls for the Minnesota legislature and other state legislatures around the country to extend full faith and credit to tribal court judgments through a state constitutional mandate. Extending full faith and credit to tribal court judgments will help clear up the confusing-maze of laws that apply to tribal courts. The mutual benefits for both tribal and state governments combined with the stability that such a mandate would bring supports the proposal.