Tribes want more American Indians on federal bench

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — Leaders of California’s politically powerful Indian tribes are pressing the incoming Obama administration to appoint more American Indians to the federal judiciary.

Nearly 900 judges sit on the federal bench throughout the country, but government records show only one claims American Indian ancestry: Frank Howell Seay, a senior district judge in Oklahoma.

In a meeting in Washington last month, tribal leaders urged President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team to elevate more Indians to the federal courts and to move quickly on appointments at the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs.

“We need federal Indian judges,” Richard Milan-ovich, chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, said Wednesday at an annual Indian gambling conference. “There are very qualified Indian attorneys who could fill those jobs.”

“I’m very optimistic about our new leadership, since he’s our first president to actually include tribal leaders in his considerations,” Milanovich said. “I was very much encouraged by the fact the transition team took the time to meet with tribal leaders.”

That was echoed by Lee Acebedo, executive director of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association, who said the federal bench needs more judges well versed in Indian issues.

“Frequently we find judges and people in administrative positions who don’t understand tribal sovereignty,” Acebedo said in an interview.

Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor declined to comment.

The popularity of Indian casinos across California has transformed some tribes into wealthy corporations, and with it has come broad influence in politics. The tribes rank among the state’s biggest donors to campaigns, and Milanovich’s tribe has given the maximum $50,000 to Obama’s inaugural committee.

Milanovich’s comments came at a sparsely attended Western Indian Gaming Conference, where the mood was mostly glum over the sour national economy, which has pinched casino business.

Tags: native americans, court, judges, tribes