Judge Diane Humetewa, a citizen of the Hopi Tribe, testifies before the House Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet on February 24, 2021.

Humetewa, who sits on the U.S. district court in Arizona, spoke of the need for more federal judges to serve Indian Country. She cited growing caseloads, particularly in the northern part of the state, home to the Navajo Nation and other tribes.

“The criminal filings in northern Arizona increased 13 percent between 2016 and 2019, and the civil case filings increased 21 percent during that same period,” Humetewa told the subcommittee in written testimony. “The two largest contributors to the federal case load in northern Arizona are the multiple reservations across the region and Grand Canyon National Park.”

Humetewa was nominated to the federal bench by former president Barack Obama. She was confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate in May 2014.

The subcommittee is part of the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Note: Thumbnail photo by Arizona State University

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