List of Native American jurists

This is a dynamic list of Native Americans who are or were judges, magistrate judges, court commissioners, administrative law judges or tribal court judges. If known, it will be listed if a judge has served on multiple courts and their tribal membership.

Judge Court/Agency & Years of Service (if known) State/Territory Status
Abby Abinanti (Yurok)[1] San Francisco Superior Court (Commissioner: c. 1990–2011; 2014–2015); Yurok Tribal Court (1997–present; Chief Judge: 2007–present) California active
Dawn Baum (Menominee)[2] Yurok Tribal Court (appt. 2017) California unknown
Jessica R. Bear (Meshwaki Nation)[3] Meskwaki Nation Tribal Court (2007–2013; Chief Judge: 2013–present) Iowa active
Jennifer D. Benally (Navajo)[4] District Court for the Navajo Nation (1984–1995) Arizona deceased
Robert A. Blaeser (Anishinaabe)[5] Fourth Judicial District-Hennepin County (1995–2012) Minnesota retired
Evelyne Bradley (Navajo)[6] Kayenta Judicial Court (1998–2014) Arizona active
Leo Brisbois (White Earth Band of Ojibwe)[7] United States District Court for the District of Minnesota (Magistrate Judge) (2010–present) Minnesota active
Sandy Dexter Brooks (Lumbee)[8][9] Robeson County Superior Court North Carolina deceased
Michelle Brown-Yazzie (Navajo Nation)[10] Mescalero Apache Tribal Court (2011–present; Brown-Yazzie has served as a Chief Judge) New Mexico active
(Billy) Michael Burrage (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma)[11] United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma/United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma/United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma (1994–2001; Chief Judge: 1996–2001); Oklahoma active
Brooke Locklear Clark (Lumbee)[12] Robeson County District Court (2018–present) North Carolina active
Chantel Cloud (Southern Ute)[13] Southern Ute Tribal Court (2013–2018) Colorado inactive
Charles Cloud (Cherokee Nation)[14] Norfolk General District Court Virginia retired
Walter Echo-Hawk (Pawnee)[15] Supreme Court of the Pawnee Nation Oklahoma active
Eldena Bear Don’t Walk (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes)[16] Chief Justice of the Crow Tribe (2007–2011) Montana inactive
Fred W. Gabourie (Seneca people)[17][18][19] Los Angeles County Municipal Court (appointed 1976) California retired
Carrie Garrow (Akwesasne)[20] St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Court New York active
Keith Harper (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)[21] Mashantucket Pequot Tribe's Appellate Court (2001–2007); Supreme Court of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians (2007–2008) Montana inactive
P.J. Herne (Akwesasne)[22] St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Court (Chief Judge: appt. 2008) New York inactive
Gilbert Horn Sr. (Assiniboine)[23] Fort Belknap Tribal Juvenile Court Montana deceased
Diane Humetewa (Hopi)[24] Hopi Appellate Court (2002–2007); United States District Court for the District of Arizona (2014–present) Arizona active
Joey Jayne (Navajo)[25][26] Justice of the Peace in Lake and Sanders Counties (2012–2014) Montana resigned
William Bluehouse Johnson (Pueblo of Isleta)[27] Isleta Pueblo Appellate Court New Mexico active
William D. Johnson (Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation)[28] Umatilla Tribal Court (1980–present; Chief Judge: 1988–present) Oregon active
B.J. Jones[29] Chief Judge of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Court, Chief Judge of the Prairie Island Indian Community Court, Chief Justice of the Turtle Mountain Tribal Court of Appeals, Special Magistrate of the Non-Removable Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Tribal Court, Associate Judge for the Fort Berthold District Court, Associate Judge for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Court, Associate Justice for the Oglala Sioux Tribal Court and the Flandreau-Santee Sioux Tribal Courts, Deputy Judge for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe North Dakota inactive
Gary Larance (Hopi)[30] Bishop Paiute Tribe Court (2020–present) California active
Ira Left Hand Sr. (Crow)[31] Tribal Court of the Crow Indian Reservation (c. 1980) Montana deceased
Patricia Lenzi (St. Regis Mohawk Tribe)[32] Court of Appeals, St. Regis Mohawk Tribe (2012- ; Chief Judge: 2020) California active
Brad Letts (Cherokee)[33] North Carolina 30th Judicial District Court (2000–2019) North Carolina retired
Phil Lujan (Kiowa)[34] Citizen Potawatomi Nation Judge Oklahoma active
Merwin Lynch (Navajo)[35] Puerco District of Apache County (Justice of the Peace); Navajo Nation Supreme Court Arizona deceased
Allie Greenleaf Maldonado (Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians)[36] Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Tribal Court (2012–present) Michigan active
John Manydeeds (Standing Rock Sioux)[37][38] Eau Claire County Court (2016–present) Wisconsin active
John Martin (Cherokee)[39] Supreme Court of the Cherokee Nation (c. 1820s) Tennessee deceased
Lacy Maynor (Lumbee)[40] Maxton Recorder's Court (c. 1950s) North Carolina deceased
Angelica Chavis McIntyre (Lumbee)[12] Robeson County District Court (2018–present) North Carolina active
Anne McKeig (White Earth Band of Ojibwe)[41] Minnesota Fourth District Court (2008–2016); Minnesota Supreme Court (2016–present) Minnesota active
Robert Medina (Zia Pueblo)[42][43] Pueblo of Isleta Tribal Court & Justice; Southwest Intertribal Court of Appeals New Mexico active
Arvo Mikkanen (Comanche/Kiowa)[44] Court of Indian Offenses for the Anadarko Area Tribes (1988–1994); Supreme Court of the Cheyenne Arapaho Tribes (1991–1994). Oklahoma inactive
Mark A. Montour (St. Regis Mohawk)[45] New York State Supreme Court (2013–present) New York active
Raquel Montoya-Lewis (Pueblo of Laguna)[46] Whatcom County Superior Court (2015-2020); Washington Supreme Court (2020–present) Washington active
Debra O’Gara (Tlingit)[47] Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (CCTHITA) Tribal Court (2007–present) Alaska active
Richard Osburn (Cherokee Nation)[48] Mille Lacs Band Tribal Court (2008–2014) Minnesota inactive
Patricia Paul (Iñupiat)[49] Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Tribal Court Oregon active
James Phillips (Cherokee)[50] Grays Harbor County Superior Court (1929–1950) Washington deceased
Joseph Plumer (Leech Lake Band of Chippewa Indians)[51] Meskwaki Nation Tribal Court (2005–present; Plumer has served as a Chief Judge) Iowa active
David Raasch (Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians)[52] Stockbridge Munsee Tribal Court (elected in 2009) Wisconsin inactive
Dustin Rowe (Chickasaw)[53][54] Chickasaw Nation District Court (2005–2019); Oklahoma Supreme Court (2019–present) Oklahoma active
Steve Russell (Cherokee)[55] Austin Municipal Court (1978–1982); Travis County Court of Law No. 2 (1982–1995) Texas retired
Deborah L. Sanchez (Chumash)[56] Los Angeles County Superior Court (2006–present) California active
Frank Howell Seay (Cherokee)[57] United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma (1979–present) Oklahoma inactive
Debra Shopteese (Sac and Fox Nation)[58][59] Massachusetts State District Court (2011–present) Massachusetts active
Barbara Smith (Chickasaw Nation)[60] District Court Judge for the Chickasaw Nation; Supreme Court of the Chickasaw Nation Oklahoma deceased
Terri Smith (Northern Arapaho Tribe)[61] Wind River Indian Reservation Tribal Court Wyoming resigned
George W. Soule (White Earth Nation)[62] White Earth Band of Ojibwe and Prairie Island Indian Community Court of Appeals Minnesota active
Melvin R. Stoof (Rosebud Sioux Tribe)[63] Pascua Yaqui Trial Court (2004–present) Arizona active
Sunshine S. Sykes (Navajo)[64] Riverside County Superior Court (2013–present) California active
William A. Thorne, Jr. (Pomo)[65] Utah Court of Appeals (1986–2013) Utah retired
Margaret Seelye Treuer (Ojibwe)[66] Bois Forte Tribal Court; Leach Lake Tribal Court; United States District Court of Minnesota (U.S. Magistrate) Minnesota deceased
Carol Jean Vigil (Pueblo)[67] New Mexico 1st Judicial District Judge (1998–2005) New Mexico deceased
Philip Viles (Cherokee)[68] Supreme Court of the Cherokee Nation (1976–2002; Viles served as Chief Justice during his tenure); Supreme Court of Georgia (Sitting judge: 1993) Oklahoma retired
Korey Wahwassuck (Cree) [69] Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Tribal Court; Minnesota Ninth Judicial District Minnesota active
Claudette C. White (Quechan Indian Tribe)[70] San Manuel Tribal Court (Chief Judge: 2018–present) California active
Ronald J. Whitener (Squaxin Island Tribe)[71] Northwest Intertribal Court of Appeals; Chehalis Tribal Court of Appeals; Upper Skagit Tribal Court of Appeals Washington active
Samuel Winder (Southern Ute)[72] New Mexico Second Judicial District Court (2011–present) New Mexico active
Joseph J. Wiseman[73] Northern California Intertribal Court; Court of Appeals, Round Valley Indian Tribes California active

Other topics of interest

References
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  2. "Dawn Baum Sworn in as a Tribal Judge". Sokaogon Chippewa Community, Mole Lake Band. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  3. "Trial Court-Judges". MESKWAKI NATION TRIBAL COURT. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  4. "Former judge: Arizona can be like a trail ride". Navajo Times. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  5. "The Mashantucket (Western) Pequot Tribal Nation". www.mptn-nsn.gov. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  6. "Former judge: Arizona can be like a trail ride". Navajo Times. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  7. "Aurora native becomes state's first American Indian magistrate judge". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  8. "Remembering senior resident Superior Court judge Sandy Dexter Brooks. | The Lumbee Indians". lumbee.library.appstate.edu. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
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  13. "The Southern Ute Drum | Chantel Cloud becomes chief judge". www.sudrum.com. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
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  15. "Walter Echo-Hawk on Supreme Court Failures". IndianCountryToday.com. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  16. "Living Her Dream: Eldena Bear Don't Walk Discusses Her Law Career". Indigenous Governance Database. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
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  18. Rosenthal, Nicolas G. (May 15, 2012). Reimagining Indian Country: Native American Migration and Identity in Twentieth-Century Los Angeles. Univ of North Carolina Press. ISBN 9780807869994.
  19. White, Phillip M. (2006). American Indian Chronology: Chronologies of the American Mosaic. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313338205.
  20. "Latter-day Saint and Mohawk tribe member answers to both 'Sister' and 'Judge'". Church News. May 31, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
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