{"id":19287,"date":"2021-12-17T11:57:50","date_gmt":"2021-12-17T16:57:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=19287"},"modified":"2021-12-17T11:57:51","modified_gmt":"2021-12-17T16:57:51","slug":"tribal-leaders-hail-historic-nomination-of-native-woman-to-federal-bench","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/12\/17\/tribal-leaders-hail-historic-nomination-of-native-woman-to-federal-bench\/","title":{"rendered":"Tribal leaders hail historic nomination of Native woman to federal bench"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Sunshine<\/a>
Image: National Congress of American Indians and Native American Rights Fund<\/figcaption><\/div><\/div>\r\n
Tribal leaders hail historic nomination of Native woman to federal bench<\/div>\r\n
Friday, December 17, 2021<\/div>\r\n
Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nTribal and Native leaders are welcoming the historic nomination of Sunshine Suzanne Sykes to the federal bench<\/a>.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nSykes, a citizen of the Navajo Nation<\/a>, would be the first Native federal judge in California and only the fifth Native judge in U.S. history should she be confirmed by the U.S. Senate<\/a>. Her nomination was announced by the White House<\/a> on Wednesday.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cOn behalf of the Navajo Nation, we congratulate Judge Sykes on her historic nomination. Judge Sykes\u2019 extensive experience demonstrates her commitment to serving the public and the justice system,\u201d President Jonathan Nez<\/a> said in a news release<\/a>. \u201cWe wish her well in this new capacity with the U.S. District Court and we thank her for being an inspiration to our young Navajo people.\u201d\r\n

<\/P>\r\n \u201cWe also thank the Biden-Harris administration and we look forward to having more appointments that reflect the diversity of this country,\u201d Nez said of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.\r\n

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<\/p>\r\nSince 2013, Sykes has served as a judge for the Superior Court of Riverside County<\/a>, home to a large number of tribes in southern California, a state that boasts the largest population of American Indians and Alaska Natives. She is the first Native judge in the county\u2019s history<\/a>.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cI am delighted about Judge Sykes\u2019 nomination to the federal district court,\u201d \r\nsaid Navajo Nation Attorney General Doreen N. McPaul<\/a>, the highest-ranking legal official on the largest reservation in the United States. \u201cNative American representation on the bench is critically important because it makes us feel like we are also full participants within the federal judicial system.\u201d\r\n

<\/p>\r\nSykes, who was born on the Arizona portion of the reservation, earned her J.D. from Stanford Law School in 2001 and her B.A from Stanford University in 1997. McPaul called her an inspiration to young Native people who are pursuing legal careers.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cHer accomplishments also demonstrate to Native law students that it is possible to achieve your ambitions in the justice system. Y\u00e9ego<\/em> Judge Sykes,\u201d said McPaul, using a Navajo phrase that emphasizes hard work and intensity.\r\n

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Amazing news! Seems about time that the state with the most Natives had a Native federal judge. And that #Navajo was represented on the bench.\ud83d\ude4c\ud83c\udffd\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffd\u200d\u2696\ufe0f\u2696\ufe0f\ud83c\udfdc The depth of her expertise and experiences with ICWA is especially important! And she\u2019s a @StanfordLaw alum! \ud83d\udc4f\ud83c\udffd\ud83e\udd73<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

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<\/p>\r\nSykes is the second Native woman to be nominated to the federal bench by Biden, who took office in January. The first was Lauren King<\/a>, a citizen of the Muscogee Nation<\/a>, who was confirmed for a judgeship<\/a> in Washington in October.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cNCAI strongly supports President Biden\u2019s nomination of Sunshine Suzanne Sykes, a citizen of the Navajo Nation and descendant of the Coyote Pass-Jemez Clan, to be the first-ever Native American judge to sit on the federal bench in the state of California,\u201d President Fawn Sharp of the National Congress of American Indians<\/a> said in a news release<\/a> on Thursday.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nBesides King, only two Native women have been nominated and confirmed as federal judges. Diane Humetewa<\/a>, a citizen of the Hopi Tribe<\/a>, sits on the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona<\/a>, and Ada Brown<\/a>, a citizen of the Choctaw Nation<\/a>, serves on the Northern District of Texas<\/a>. \r\n

<\/p> \r\n\u201cJudge Sykes will bring unparalleled experience in law and policy to our justice system.\u201d said Sharp, the vice president of the Quinault Nation<\/a>. \u201cNCAI urges the swift confirmation of Judge Sykes as the nomination moves before the U.S. Senate.\u201d\r\n

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