Barbara Smith is currently serving her third term as Chief Justice of the Chickasaw Nation Supreme Court. Prior to this appointment, she served as District Court Judge for the Chickasaw Nation. In this interview she discusses the importance of understanding Native culture in the courtroom, and the role of peacemaking in tribal justice systems. This interview was originally published in the Fall 2009 Journal of Court Innovation.
Judge Wahwassuck currently serves as Associate Judge of the Leech Lake Tribal Court. She has been a leader in developing the first joint jurisdiction tribal-state courts in the nation: the Leech Lake-Cass County Wellness Court, developed in 2006, and the Leech Lake-Itasca County Wellness Court, developed in 2007. Here she describes the creation of these historic partnerships and the importance of tribal-state court collaboration. This interview was originally published in the Fall 2009 Journal of Court Innovation.
Harry B. Wallace has served as Chief of the Unkechaug Indian Nation since 1994. He is a licensed attorney in New York State. The Unkechaug people reside on the Poospatuck Reservation on Long Island, New York.
A special issue devoted to tribal justice. The articles and interviews examine some of the pressing challenges facing tribal courts as well as the changing relationships of federal, state, and tribal justice systems.
