Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer visited Window Rock, Arizona, and the Pueblo of Acoma in New Mexico on May 21 and 22 to engage in government-to-government meetings with Tribal leaders from the Navajo Nation and the Pueblo of Acoma. The visit included discussions on Tribal justice administration, public safety, and victims' services.
Mizer was accompanied by Acting Director Daron T. Carreiro of the Office of Tribal Justice (OTJ). This trip is part of ongoing efforts by senior Justice Department officials to strengthen ties with Indian Country and support Tribal sovereignty.
In Window Rock, Mizer met with Navajo Nation President Dr. Buu Nygren, Attorney General Ethel Branch Esq., Chief Legal Counsel Bidtah Becker Esq., Deputy Attorney General Heather Clah Esq., Deputy Chief of Staff Kris Beecher Esq., MBA, and other officials. They discussed various concerns including prosecutorial declinations, public safety funding gaps, recruitment and retention of law enforcement officers, and transportation of uranium across Tribal lands.
Mizer addressed members of the 25th Navajo Nation Council to highlight Justice Department initiatives aimed at enhancing access to grants and resources for Tribes. He also toured criminal justice facilities such as the Navajo Nation Supreme Court and Window Rock District Court, discussing funding needs with Chief Justice JoAnn Jayne and Associate Justice Eleanor Shirley.
On May 22, Mizer continued his visit at the Pueblo of Acoma in New Mexico where he met with Governor Randall Vicente, First Lieutenant Governor Wendell Chino, Second Lieutenant Governor Ted Ortiz, among others. Topics discussed included public safety challenges, Tribal courts, cultural resources, patrimony issues, and water rights.
Additionally, Mizer engaged with members of the All Pueblo Council of Governors from various Pueblos including Santa Clara and Tesuque. He also met Native American law students at the American Indian Law Center’s Pre-Law Summer Institute for American Indians and Alaska Natives.
The Justice Department supports these communities through over $8.5 million in active awards addressing violence against women, criminal reentry programs, and law enforcement funding. The OTJ acts as a hub for legal issues unique to Indian Country while additional Assistant U.S. Attorneys have been hired to bolster efforts nationwide in responding to sexual assault cases and addressing Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons crises.