Engagement With Tribal Communities

Hi, I’m Owen Jakel, a History (Global) and Anthropology-Environmental Studies major, and I’ve been interning at the Tribal Law and Policy Institute (TLPI) headquartered in Los Angeles this semester. No, I have not been making the daily commute from Walla Walla, but I have been able to take part in an amazing virtual experience with the institute, checking in via Zoom and working remotely on projects related to tribal policy and the legal ramifications of those policies. 

One of the most interesting projects I worked on during the semester was research on substance abuse on tribal lands. The TLPI asked me to help out with a project they’ve co-sponsored regarding a specific tribal community that is facing a substance abuse crisis. My job was to research other tribal communities to better understand their approaches to combating substance abuse. While every community is different, many tribal communities offer unique solutions and relevant information for anyone, but specifically other tribal communities, who face many similar issues. What was especially interesting was that I was simultaneously writing an article for the Whitman Wire about recent upticks in overdoses in the Walla Walla community. This information helped me better understand how big of an issue substance abuse is in rural communities, of which most reservations are a part. Learning about my own community allowed me to do better research and find sources that spoke to the specific realities of the community we were aiming to assist. 

Much of this work was done on my own time, so a day in my life could look no different than if I hadn't had an internship. However, other days were quite busy with TLPI related work. I attended conferences, checked in with co-workers, and worked closely with my advisor over zoom to discuss my work and plan for the next week. On October 16, 2024 I attended the Alaska Law Review Symposium, which focused on expanding access to justice in Alaska. While Alaska is the largest state in the country and is quite spread out, I learned a number of lessons about supporting local communities from that symposium which I utilized in my own research and also brought back to the TLPI for their own future use. That same day I met with my advisor and we discussed the symposium, looked at some of my recent work, and planned out my next project, which was focused on updating the financial resource page for the TLPI. While not every day would have looked exactly like this, many allowed me to engage in multiple respects and learn something new. 

This internship allowed me to advance a number of skills, including research, communication, and remote work. I have learned a lot about the kind of legal work I’d like to do in the future and this work has also supported my current academic endeavors, which are focused on research and engagement with tribal communities. I am immensely thankful to the TLPI institute for this opportunity and I know that it will continue to impact my life positively.