UM law clinic builds digital archive of tribal legal history

The Margery Hunter Brown Indian Law Clinic at the University of Montana is developing the Indian Law Portal, a comprehensive digital archive of legal documents from Montana’s tribal nations. According to UM law professor Kekek Stark, who directs the clinic, the project aims to preserve Indigenous legal histories and strengthen tribal sovereignty. Law students travel across the state to collect and digitize forgotten records, often found in basements and storage vaults. The documents are uploaded to UM’s Scholarworks repository via the Jameson Law Library. David Ricci, a third-year law student and enrolled member of the Little Shell Tribe, said the project helps “build a foundation for future laws” by preserving knowledge that would otherwise be lost. Stark said each record helps restore harmony and balance that creates a clearer understanding of the past.