Featuring Diane Humetewa, First Female Native-American Federal Judge
November 2022
Diane Humetewa is a distinguished Hopi woman who has made history in the United States. Her legal career includes work both in the private sector and the government representing tribal interests and serving as a resource on federal Indian law and natural resources. In 2014 Diane Humetewa was appointed to the federal court bench in Arizona becoming the first Native American Woman to serve as a U.S. District Court Judge. She was unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate in a 96-0 vote. At the time she was appointed, Diane Humetewa was the only Native American serving in the federal judiciary.
Even before her appointment to the federal court bench, Diane Humetewa was a first in other respects. SIn 2007, she was the first Native American woman to be presidentially appointed as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona in 2006. She served in this position till 2009.
Prior to 2009, Diane Humetewa served as a lawyer in various aspects, often representing native interests. From 1993 - 1996 she served as Deputy Counsel for the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs before transitioning to serving as Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Arizona. As Assistant U.S. Attorney, she prosecuted a range of federal crimes which included violent crimes that took place in Indian Country, Native American cultural crimes, and archeological resource crimes. When she was promoted to Senior Litigation Counsel/Tribal Liaison, she helped create relationships between this office and Arizona’s Native American tribes.
Outside of her work in Arizona with the Native American population, Diane Humetewa helped establish one of the first federal victim services programs in the United States and helped supervise the U.S. Attorney’s Victim Witness Program.
Diane Humetewa has served as a trusted resource on legal concerns related to Native American interests as well as the broader population’s interests. She has testified before Congress and the U.S. Sentencing Commission on a variety of concerns. Diane Humetewa also took on the role as counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, the Native American Advisory Committee, and has served as an Appellate Court Judge for the Hopi Tribe.
Not only is Diane Humetewa a passionate advocate for Native American interests, she is also dedicated to equipping future leaders and generations of advocates. Before her appointment, as a U.S. District Court Judge, she taught at Arizona State University School of Law as well as the National Tribal Judicial Center at the National Judicial College. In particular, she taught Pending and Declined Prosecutions in Indian Country: Coordinating with U.S. Attorneys, a course that was specialized in providing tribal criminal justice officials with the necessary information to determine what cases must be, should be, or do not need to be referred to federal authorities.
Throughout her career Diane Humetewa has been dedicated to advancing justice for not only the Native American population, but our country as a whole.