Dr. Miller examines the ruling City of Tacoma v. Andrus as a defining point in the Puyallup Tribe’s fight for treaty rights and as precursor to the nationally renowned Puyallup Tribe Land Settlement of 1990. The Boldt Decision further emboldened the Puyallup Tribe to continue their self-advocacy and self-determination through Federal action.  The Secretary of the Interior, working under the Indian Reorganization Act, began working with Puyallup tribal citizens to put their former trust land back into trust status.  The Secretary's actions were met with hostility from Tacoma settlers.  In response, Tacoma filed City of Tacoma v. Andrus (1977) to halt the Secretary from any further trust action with some statements from the plaintiff side suggesting that the Puyallup Reservation no longer existed, and thus the Puyallup Tribe no longer existed. It didn’t go well for Tacoma.

Dr. Danica Sterud Miller (Puyallup Tribe of Indians) is an Associate Professor of American Indian Studies at University of Washington Tacoma, which resides on her ancestral lands. Her research focuses on textual constructions of Indigenous sovereignty and Federal Indian law. She is also the Co-Director of the UW Center of American Indian and Indigenous Studies (CAIIS), which is dedicated to offering structural support and resources for Indigenous faculty, students, and staff.

Grit City Think & Drink brings scholars and experts from various disciplines face-to-face with the public in a comfortable, lively atmosphere, either virtually or in person. The evening begins with a presentation or lecture (often interactive) followed by giveaways and a moderated Q&A. Grit City Think & Drink is free to the public and open to all ages.