The Arizona Daily Star interviews U.S. Attorney Diane Humetewa, a member of the Hopi Tribe.

Humetewa is the first Native women in history to serve as U.S. Attorney. She talked about her background in tribal issues, along with immigration and border cases, in the interview.

Q: You spent quite a bit of time as a tribal liaison in this office. How does that experience affect your new job as top prosecutor?

A: "We essentially are the felony prosecutor for these tribal nations, and so, because we have that huge responsibility, and because the activity that we are undertaking oftentimes affects their tribal police departments, it affects their community members, whether they be a defendant or a victim, we need to be sure we are involving them and they understand what our system of justice is. . . .

"This is, for the time being, the system in which they have to operate. Their community members are here, and to ignore it would be a disservice in terms of understanding how did these people get to this place? How did an individual come from your community and is now being prosecuted in this system? How is it that a person gets victimized, and now where are the resources to address their victimization? And if they don't understand that, and they aren't participating in this system, then I fear that the tribes will get further and further behind in terms of resources and services to community members."

Get the Story:
Border cases pose stern test for prosecutors (The Arizona Daily Star 6/11)