Documentary explores one woman’s fight for Native Americans in largest class action lawsuit against U.S. government
TULSA, Okla. – Crowe & Dunlevy’s Indian Law & Gaming Practice Group, along with the Tulsa County Bar Foundation, is sponsoring the screening of “100 Years: One Woman’s Fight for Justice” on Thursday, April 19 at Circle Cinema in observance of Law Day.
“100 Years” is a documentary film that explores Elouise Cobell’s 30-year fight for justice and eventual $3.4 billion settlement on behalf of 300,000 Native Americans whose mineral-rich lands were mismanaged by the U.S. Department of the Interior. A member of the Blackfeet Nation, Cobell led the largest class action lawsuit ever filed against the U.S. government.
The screening will take place at 7 p.m. with a reception preceding at 6 p.m. featuring Native-catered hors d’oeuvres and refreshments. A panel discussion following the film will feature director and producer Melinda Janko; Crowe & Dunlevy attorney Mike McBride III, who also serves as attorney general for the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma; J.D. Colbert, president and CEO of Holisso Hakv Inc.; and Tulsa County District Court Special Judge Martha Rupp Carter. The discussion will be moderated by Cherokee Nation citizen Linda Sacks and will include a special introduction from veteran attorney James R. Hicks, president of the Tulsa County Bar Foundation.
Tickets are available at www.circlecinema.org. The film made its national broadcast premiere on the PBS series “America ReFramed” on March 13 and its Netflix premier on March 21. It was the winner of the Big Sky Award at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival and was an official selection at the Athena Film Festival, the Red Nation Film Festival, Santa Fe Independent Film Festival and the American Indian Film Festival.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of Law Day, which was conceived by Wewoka, Oklahoma attorney Hicks Epton and established in 1958 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Judge Rupp Carter is the Tulsa County Bar Foundation Law Day chair. Law Day celebrates the rule of law and “100 Years” chronicles the struggle to accomplish the rule of law regarding the treatment of Native Americans and their trust property.