Wilson Pipestem

Wilson’s career is dedicated to protecting the rights of tribal governments and American Indians. A graduate of Stanford Law School, he founded Pipestem Law in 1999. He served as lead counsel in Osage Nation v. US, in which the Nation alleged federal mismanagement of Osage mineral resources and funds derived from minerals production. After 11 years in litigation, the case was settled for $380 million, the largest settlement at the time of a single tribe against the US. Advocating before Congress and federal agencies, Wilson helps tribes reacquire lands, protect aboriginal territories from encroachment, and successfully advocates for greater tribal control over their lands, water, and resources. In 2013, he played a prominent role in the enactment of the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization reaffirming the sovereign rights of tribal courts to exercise criminal jurisdiction over all who commit violent crimes against Native women. Wilson is a citizen of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe.