Obama to Replace Only Female Native American U.S. Attorney
Monday, June 29, 2009

Some might call it politically ironic, while others just downright unfair, but Diane J. Humetewa is about to be out of a job. Humetewa became the first female Native American U.S. attorney in history during the Bush administration—the same administration that wasn’t exactly a big proponent of Native American concerns and that got into so much trouble for firing U.S. attorneys because they didn’t go along with the White House’s political agenda. But it is the Obama administration, led by the nation’s first African American president, and generally in favor of advancing American Indians into positions of power—that’s dumping Humetewa … because of politics.
Humetewa, who became a U.S. attorney for Arizona in December 2007, is being replaced by Dennis Burke, chief of staff to Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano back when she was Arizona’s governor. Burke is not an expert on Indian justice issues, but he did serve as a leading aide to Napolitano for more than a decade.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Obama to Replace Hopi U.S. Attorney (by Rob Capriccioso, Indian Country Today)
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