What is the Indian Civil Rights Act?
The Indian Civil Rights Act (ICRA) is a law that was enacted in 1968 to protect the civil rights of Native Americans. This law was passed in order to ensure that Native American tribes have the same civil rights protections that all citizens of the United States have under the Constitution. The ICRA applies to the tribal government and also to the federal government while it is exercising its powers over the tribe. It is important to note that this law does not regulate private conduct. The ICRA applies to Native Americans living in the Washington state who are members of federally recognized tribes, or are living on reservations. The ICRA includes the following civil rights protections: tribal members have the right to vote in all tribal elections, tribes must respect the right of tribal members to freedom of religion, speech, and press, tribes must provide due process for tribal members accused of criminal offenses, tribal members must have the right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment, and tribes must provide the right to a jury trial. The ICRA also created the Indian Law Enforcement Officers Act, which provides training and funding for tribal law enforcement offices, and created the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, which encourages tribes to increase local control over federal programs. The ICRA is an important piece of civil rights legislation that ensures Native Americans in Washington are protected from discrimination and are afforded the same rights as all United States citizens.
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