Pueblo. The pueblo itself is at least 600 years old. The famous sun symbol, appropriated for the New Mexico state flag, is even older. But new tribal leaders are actively guiding the Zia people on the path into the 21st century.
T
Robert Medina (‘08), Zia Pueblo’s first-ever tribal judge trained as a lawyer, is one of those leaders. He is completely transforming the ju- dicial code on the pueblo: “We were given a tribal law and order code by the Bureau of In- dian Affairs in the 1970s,” he said, “and it was not based on tribal values. The UNM School of Law opened my eyes to how much tribal sovereignty has been lost and also helped me realize that people at the pueblo had never heard about the Indian Civil Rights Act and what it meant for the tribe.”
It took the better part of a decade and long days of working at various jobs and studying, but he never wavered through two associate degrees at CNM, a criminology degree at UNM, then on to the UNM School of Law. He was asked to apply as a tribal judge even before he graduated and has had amazing results in bringing accountability, tribal values and car- ing to the system. And it’s working: in his first year he saw 500 criminal cases, and this year it has dropped to 65.
Robert Medina (`08): Changing His World
he ancient and the modern are always en- gaged in a complicated dance at Zia
Robert Medina (‘08)
To support the UNM School of Law through the campaign, please go online to
unmfund.org/online-giving/law or contact Hannah Farrington, assistant dean for advancement, at 505.277.1038 or
farrington@law.unm.edu.
UNM LAW •11
Bruce Cramer
Bruce Cramer
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