North Dakota delegation took part in the meeting ’ s many events from the opening reception to the State of the State reports .
Kim Hegvik ( Cass County State ’ s Attorney2 ), Sally Holewa ( North Dakota State Court Administrator ), Sara Behrens ( State Court Administrator ’ s Office Staff Attorney ), Elizabeth Yellow Bird ( Fort Berthold District Court Administrator ), Becky Nelson ( Ramsey County Clerk of Court ), Carolyn Probst ( Court Administrator , North Central / Northwest Judicial Districts ), and myself ( UND School of Law Professor ).
The History , the Unforgivable , and the Healing of Northern Plains American Indian Boarding School Survivors . The SBAND Women Lawyers Section ( WLS ) included Stringing Rosaries in the section ’ s book basket donations to the North Dakota Bar Foundation ’ s silent auctions at the SBAND annual meetings . A breakout addressed “ Impacts of Historical Trauma and the Boarding School Experience on Native American Families Today .”
I was delighted my mother , Janet Ernst , accompanied me to the NCREFC meeting in Seattle . She previously attended legal conferences with my father , Judge J . Richard Ernst ( dec .), who served on the bench in northern Michigan from 1969-2003 .
We both appreciated watching the documentary tribute to Secretary Norman Mineta and learning about the Japanese American incarceration during World War II . Another highpoint entailed the screening of Who We Are : A Chronicle of Racism in America and discussion with Jeffrey Robinson , attorney and founder of The Who We Are Project , which demonstrates how the legacy of slavery continues to maintain persistent racial inequality in our country today . The Tribal State Court Consortium provided a fascinating discussion with tribal judges . We enjoyed numerous other sessions , as well as interacting with our North Dakota colleagues and others , including Washington Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu , who organized the conference with Judge Veronica Galván .
Last year , many members of the legal community across North Dakota , including 18 UND School of Law students , attended the NCREFC ' s 34th annual meeting in Grand Forks , N . D . Numerous sessions in 2022 focused on legal issues affecting Native Americans , such as “ Domestic Violence in Indian Country ,” “ Benefits of an ICWA Court ,” a “ Tribal Law Panel ,” and a screening and discussion with the director of the documentary “ Fighting over Sioux .”
Denise Lajimodiere ( recently named North Dakota Poet Laureate and commencement speaker at the University of North Dakota ’ s graduation ceremonies ) discussed her book Stringing Rosaries :
Submitted photo
Julia Ernst was joined by her mother , Janet Ernst , at the NCREFC meeting .
Professor Kristin Henning , my colleague at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington , D . C ., before I joined UND School of Law , spoke about “ Racialized Trauma and How America Criminalizes Black Youth .” She signed copies of her book , The Rage of Innocence : How America Criminalizes Black Youth , also included the WLS book donations to the North Dakota Bar Foundation ’ s silent auctions .
Another session featured Todd Brower , Judicial
Education director for the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law and president of the National Association of State Judicial Educators . An expert on the treatment of LGBTQ + persons in the legal system , Brower spoke about the intersection of discrimination based on race and ethnicity with discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity . He highlighted the acceptance of two spirit people on reservations and in tribal courts in North Dakota . 3 He also drew attention to the high rates of depression and suicide among LGBTQ + youth due to societal discrimination and lack of acceptance , and spotlighted the Trevor Project , a national organization providing crisis support services to LGBTQ + youth .
The National Center for State Courts ( NCSC ) provides administrative support for the NCREFC . In collaboration with the Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators , NCSC makes available numerous racial justice resources , such as the Blueprint for Racial Justice launched in 2021 .
The 2024 NCREFC 36th Annual Meeting will take place in Salt Lake City . We hope you join us !
1 . For an interesting analysis , see https :// philife . nd . edu / dr-martin-luther-king-jr-s-letter-from-the-birmingham-jail-engage-in-active-nonviolence /. 2 . Hegvik is the second woman to hold this position ( See https :// www . valleynewslive . com / 2022 / 11 / 09 / kim-hegvik-new-cass-co-top-prosecutor /); Cynthia Rothe-Seeger served from 1976-1981 , and later
as the first female North Dakota district judge in 1988 . ( See https :// www . ndcourts . gov / cynthia-a-rothe-seeger #:~: text = Juvenile % 20Supervisor % 201975 % 3B % 20Fargo % 20Police , district % 20judge % 20in % 20 North % 20Dakota )
3 . See https :// www . inforum . com / news / activist-forms-two-spirit-society-for-lgbtq-native-americans-in-north-dakota , as well as https :// www . inforum . com / news / two-spirit-society-allies-of-north-dakota-aimsto-improve-life-for-lgbtq-people , for further information .
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