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Courtesy George Forman
Marin American Indian Alliance Selects George Forman as Recipient of Turtle Island Award
The Marin American Indian Alliance will be presenting the Turtle Island Award at their 2nd Annual Marin Powwow on March 17th to George Forman of Nicasio. This award is given annually to those who have made a major environmental contribution to this land which is known as Turtle Island to many American Indian tribes.
George is the attorney who fought for fishing rights of the Yurok nation in 1970's and 1980's and won. He also reversed the terminations of the Upper Lake, Table Bluff, Table Mountain, and Auberry-Big Sandy Rancherias, restoring both the Tribes’ federally-recognized status and their citizens' status as Indians.
He has helped define the landscape of Indian Law in the State, especially in the areas of tribal sovereign immunity and limiting State jurisdiction over Indians in Indian country. George has taught courses in Indian law and mentored young Natives and others interested in attending law school with the goal of improving peoples’ lives.
He began his Indian Law career in 1969 as a summer clerk in the Escondido office of California Indian Legal Services. He was Reginal Heber Smith Community Lawyer Fellow 1970-71 in Escondido, after which he opened CILS Ukiah Office, and then came to the CILS central office.
Over a period of 15 years, George served as a staff attorney, directing attorney, executive director, litigation director and director of a special land consolidation, un-termination, and recognition project. In 2006 he founded Forman & Associates. In 2022, he became a founding partner in Forman Shapiro & Rosenfeld LLP, where he continues to practice.
George had a major role in confirming the rights of Tribes to conduct gaming for governmental purposes, having been co-counsel in the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1987 Cabazon decision holding that California lacked jurisdiction to enforce it’s gambling laws in Indian Country; Congress codified that decision in the 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Since then, George has represented Tribes in exercising their rights under IGRA, most recently by obtaining judgments for five California Tribes holding that California failed to negotiate in good faith about entering into new gaming compacts to replace those that will expire in December, 2024.
George also has represented Tribes in proceedings before the Federal Power Commission/FERC, the California Energy Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission in connection with the sitting nuclear generating renewals of expiring utility rights of way across reservations lands conditioned on tribal investment in such projects.
George and his wife, Judy Colbi, have lived in Nicasio since 1977. The Marin American Indian Alliance is thrilled to present the Turtle Island award to George Forman for his dedication and service to Native peoples in California.