Tribal courts have the opportunity to make huge impacts in the lives of tribal members and the community. There is potential for supporting traditional values and practices through the use of tribal courts.
When deciding whether the tribal court forum is appropriate, the first consideration should be whether or not the Tribe has jurisdiction. If there is jurisdiction and the case is appropriate for tribal court, Tribes should then consult their tribal codes when reviewing the case and issue tribal court orders in each case. Finally, a Tribe should understand how to enforce their court’s orders.