The event, Citizenship and Voting Rights of Native Americans, held in celebration of Native American Heritage Month, will open with a dance and drum tribute by the Black Hawk Performance Company. This free program features a panel discussion that will examine the impact of the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 on Native American voting rights, marking 100 years since its passage.

Panelists will explore historical and ongoing barriers to voting, the influence of state and federal policies, and efforts within Native communities to secure voting rights and foster political empowerment.

The event is co-hosted by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, its Committee for Access, Opportunity & Community Engagement, and the Federal Bar Association Chicago Chapter.

Cheyenne Rivera, Moderator (pictured left)
Associate, Greenberg Traurig

Cheyenne Rivera focuses her practice on general commercial litigation and other complex business disputes. She has handled a wide range of matters, such as multidistrict litigation, contract disputes, fraud-based claims, securities litigation, and commercial real estate disputes. Cheyenne counsels clients on pre-dispute issues and engages on their behalf in complex business litigation, trials, and mediation in state and federal courts. Cheyenne has deep experience conducting legal research, drafting pleadings and motions, managing discovery processes, and preparing for hearings and trials. Her experience also extends to developing case strategies and effectively communicating with clients and opposing counsel.

As an enrolled member of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation, Cheyenne focuses her pro bono practice on counseling Native American tribes, American Indian non-profits, and tribal members on diverse issues related to Federal Indian Law and Tribal Law.

About Torey Dolan, Speaker (pictured center)
Hastie Fellow, University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School

Torey Dolan is a William H. Hastie Fellow at the University of Wisconsin Law School, focusing her scholarship on Tribal Nations, democracy, and American Indian self-determination within the intersections of Federal Indian Law and Election Law. She has co-authored work for the Boston University Law Review and published pieces in the University of Idaho Law Review and the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. Previously, she served as a Native Vote Fellow at the Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law Indian Legal Clinic, leading the Arizona Native Vote Election Protection Project during the 2020 and 2022 elections and contributing to litigation on Tribal sovereignty and election law. Dolan holds a J.D. from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, with a certificate in Federal Indian Law, and a B.A. from the University of California, Davis. She is an enrolled citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

Jay Young, Speaker (pictured right)
Co-Executive Director, American Indian Center of Chicago

Jay Young is the Co-Executive Director of the American Indian Center in Chicago, one of the oldest urban Native centers in the country, and an enrolled citizen of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. He attended Haskell Indian Nations University and the University of Kansas, where he focused on cultural geography and sociology. An award-winning photojournalist, Jay has spent nearly two decades integrating the timeless Native tradition of storytelling with modern mediums. His work has focused on amplifying authentic voices, ensuring stories are told with respect, honesty, accuracy, and deep empathy, so they resonate in today’s world.

Jay’s work at the AIC is driven by his commitment to creating a space where Native voices, experiences, and stories come first. Through education, advocacy, and healing, he empowers Indigenous communities to reclaim and shape their own narratives. For Jay, the AIC is not just a cultural center—it’s an important space where Native identity is honored and strengthened, and where the community finds the tools to heal, grow, and lead with their stories at the forefront of shaping the future.