Governor Gretchen Whitmer addressed the Tribal Summit on Dec. 6 in Sault Ste. Marie.
(Photo courtesy of Michigan Executive Office of the Governor)
LANSING--On Dec. 6, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer attended the Tribal Summit in Sault Ste. Marie, where she met with Tribal leaders to address shared priorities and continue an open dialogue between the State of Michigan and sovereign tribal governments.
She also announced her appointment of Judge Allie Greenleaf Maldonado to the Michigan Court of Appeals, District4—the first Tribal citizen ever appointed to the this court.
“It was an honor to attend the Tribal Summit in the Sault,” said Governor Whitmer. “The State of Michigan and sovereign tribal nations must continue working together on our shared priorities and maintain an open, productive dialogue to get things done on the kitchen-table issues. I am committed to working alongside Tribal leaders to make a real difference in people’s lives and continue growing our economies. Our fortunes are linked, and we must collaborate to move our nations forward.”
“We are pleased to host today’s summit between the state’s tribal communities and Gov. Whitmer,” said Austin Lowes, vice chairman of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. “It is fitting we hold this meeting in Sault Ste. Marie, a major gathering place for tribes and their leaders for hundreds of years. Each tribe had an opportunity to discuss individual issues with the governor and her staff, and we expressed support for continued meeting, expanded consultation on key matters and a higher profile for tribal matters during our general session with the governor.”
In Gov. Whitmer's first year in office, she signed Executive Directive 2019-17, which reaffirms and extends Michigan's commitment to recognize the sovereignty and right of self-governance of Michigan's federally-recognized tribes and orders each state department and agency to adhere to these principles. It’s also the first executive directive in Michigan history to require training on tribal-state relations for all state department employees who work on matters that have direct implications for tribes, and also required each department and agency to adopt and implement a tribal consultation policy.
Gov. Whitmer has appointed 44 Native Americans to judgeships, councils, boards, and commissions. One of those appointees, Bryan Newland, was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs last year, where he serves Native communities nationwide alongside Secretary Deb Haaland.
Judge Maldonado currently serves as Chief Judge of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Trial Court. She has also served as a pro tem judge for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
Prior to her appointment as Chief Judge, she served as assistant general counsel for the LTBB tribe from 2002-2012.
Following law school, Judge Maldonado was selected as only the 15th tribal citizen to enter the honors program at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). She became a litigator in the Indian Resources Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division. She later worked as a staff attorney for Monteau & Peebles, LLP.
Judge Maldonado earned her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School, and a Bachelor of Science in Business from the City University of New York.
She is a nationally recognized expert on the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and the Michigan Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA). She is a member of the Black Women Lawyer’s Association of Michigan, Anishinaabek Caucus of Michigan, Women Lawyer’s Association of Michigan, Michigan Committee on Juvenile Justice, and Michigan Justice for All Commission, and is treasurer for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals.
A citizen of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians and a member of the Turtle Clan, she lives in Petoskey with her husband, Jay.
"I am humbled and honored to be trusted by Governor Whitmer for this appointment to the Michigan Court of Appeals,” she said. “I look forward to taking all of my professional experience and diligently applying it to the work ahead of me. This is a moment of importance not just for me, but for all of Indian Country as the Governor’s wisdom in this appointment sends a message about the critical importance of the work of tribal courts. I am grateful to the Governor and her team, and I look forward to giving all of Michigan my best."
This appointment was made to fill a partial term following the retirement of Judge Amy Ronayne Krause effective Dec. 13, 2022. Her term will commence on January 9, 2023 and expire at noon on January 1, 2025. If she wishes to serve the remainder of Judge Krause’s term, expiring January 1, 2027, she would be required to run for reelection in November 2024.
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