Former White Earth Appellate Judge Becomes First Native American Appointed to Minnesota Court of Appeals

ST. PAUL (KDLM) – A former Judge for the White Earth Band of Chippewa has been appointed the first Native American to the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Governor Tim Walz says Sarah Wheelock, in her time as legal counsel for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and tribes across the nation “has repeatedly shown that she is a dedicated public servant committed to advancing the common good.” Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan says Wheelock has “a brilliant legal mind with a deep understanding of the laws of the land.”

Wheelock is a member of the Meskwaki Nation in neighboring Iowa.