- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (White Earth Ojibwe) announced on Friday the appointment of Sarah Wheelock, a tribal citizen of the Meskwaki Nation (Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi), to sit on the Minnesota Court of Appeals.
Wheelock will be the first Native American to sit on the state’s second-highest court. Walz appointed Wheelock to fill the seat vacated by Carol A. Hooten, who is scheduled to retire on Nov. 30, 2021.
Want more Native News? Get the free daily newsletter today.
Currently, Wheelock serves as legal counsel for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community in Prior Lake, Minn. Previously she worked as an adjunct professor at Mitchell Hamline College of Law and as an appellate judge for the White Earth Band of Chippewa Court of Appeals.
“It is my honor to appoint Sarah Wheelock to the Minnesota Court of Appeals,” said Governor Walz. “In her time serving as legal counsel for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and tribes across the nation, Ms. Wheelock has repeatedly shown that she is a dedicated public servant committed to advancing the common good. She is well prepared to join the Court of Appeals.”
“Sarah Wheelock is a brilliant legal mind with a deep understanding of the laws of the land,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “Her life experience, longstanding service to her community, and her extensive legal background provide her with a unique perspective that will be invaluable in her new position. I’m thrilled by her appointment.”
Her vast legal experience includes litigation in tribal, federal, and state courts, as well as economic development and finance work. Wheelock earned her B.A. and J.D. from the University of Iowa.
Casey Matthiesen, president of the Minnesota American Indian Bar Association, celebrated Wheelock's "historic appointment" in a statement Friday.
"With this appointment, American Indians now serve at every level of the state judiciary," Matthiesen said. "Sarah Wheelock is an exceptional lawyer, and we are confident that she will serve in the judiciary with distinction."
In 2016, then Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton appointed Anne McKeig (White Earth Ojibwe) to serve on the Minnesota Supreme Court. With her appointment, she became the first Native American to sit on the state’s highest court.
More Stories Like This
Four Indigenous Children Survive Plane Crash in Amazon JungleNot Invisible Act Hearing Gathers Testimony on MMIP Cases
Nevada Man Sentenced to 30 Days in Jail for Fatal Car Accident that Killed Paiute Filmmaker Myron Dewey
MMIP Red Dress Installation Vandalized in Alaska
NCAI Mid Year Underway on Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Homelands
Native News is free to read.
We hope you enjoyed the story you've just read. For the past dozen years, we’ve covered the most important news stories that are usually overlooked by other media. From the protests at Standing Rock and the rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM), to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People (MMIP) and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools.
Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation to help support our efforts. Any contribution — big or small — helps. Most readers donate between $10 and $25 to help us cover the costs of salaries, travel and maintaining our digital platforms. If you’re in a position to do so, we ask you to consider making a recurring donation of $12 per month to join the Founder's Circle. All donations help us remain a force for change in Indian Country and tell the stories that are so often ignored, erased or overlooked.
Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you.
