Tribal court and law enforcement staff on the Pascua Yaqui Reservation in Arizona are seen in 2013. Photo from Pascua Yaqui Bar Association

An impressive slate of tribal and federal officials will participate in a discussion on the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 on Thursday.

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee is hosting the roundtable. Three panels will discuss ways to improve justice systems in Indian Country by focusing on law enforcement, courts and re-entry and recidivism.

The event, which will be moderated by William A. Thorne, Jr., the vice-president of the National Indian Justice Center, takes place at 1:30pm in Room 216 of the Senate Hart Office Building. The list of panelists follows:

Panel I

Mr. Tracy Toulou
Director, Office of Tribal Justice, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.

Mr. Jason Thompson
Assistant Director, Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.

Accompanied by: Mr. David Little
Associate Director, Field Operations Directorate, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.

Mr. Patrick Teton
Chief of Police, Fort Hall Police Department, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation, Fort Hall, ID

Mr. William Brunelle
Director, Red Lake Department of Public Safety, Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Red Lake, MN

Chief Patrick R. Melvin
Chief of Police, Salt River Pima – Maricopa Indian Community Police Department, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River, Scottsdale, AZ

Mr. Ken Trottier
Special Investigations Supervisor, Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice, Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Poplar, MT

Panel II

Mr. Tracy Toulou
Director, Office of Tribal Justice, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.

Mr. Zachary Brandmeir
Public Defender, Penobscot Indian Nation Judicial System, Penobscot Nation, Indian Island, ME

Ms. Tricia Tingle
Associate Director, Office of Tribal Justice, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.

The Honorable Alfred Urbina
Attorney General, Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

The Honorable Ron J. Whitener
Chief Judge of the Tulalip Tribal Court, Tulalip Tribes of Washington, Tulalip, WA

The Honorable Stacie Crawford
Chief Judge, Fort Peck Tribal Court, Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Poplar, MT

Ms. Lisa Jaeger
Tribal Government Specialist, Tanana Chiefs Conference, Fairbanks, AK

Panel III

Dr. Mirtha Beadle
Director, Office of Tribal Affairs and Policy, Sustance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD

Dr. Beverly Cotton
Director, Division of Behavioral Health, Indian Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD

Ms. Patricia Broken Leg-Brill
Deputy Associate Director of Corrections, Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.

Mr. Tracy Toulou
Director, Office of Tribal Justice, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.

The Honorable Kami D. Hart
Children’s Court Judge, Gila River Indian Community Court, Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Sacaton, AZ

Mr. Sprint Williams
Case Manager, Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reintegration Program, Henryetta, OK

Committee Notice:
ROUNDTABLE discussion “The Tribal Law and Order Act 5 Years Later: Next Steps to Improving Justice Systems in Indian Communities.” (February 25, 2016)

Indian Law and Order Commission Report:
A Roadmap For Making Native America Safer (November 2013)

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