A pioneer in tribal court reform, Betty Laverdure says challenges remain for next generations.

Publication: Indian Country Today (Rapid City, S.D.) (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service)

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COPYRIGHT 2000 Indian Country Today

Byline: (EDITORS: REPEATING FOR ALL NEEDING) By Mary Pierpoint

ary Pierpoint

Judge Judy watch out! The Honorable Betty Laverdure, is every bit as outspoken as her television counterpart and for most of her judicial career has not only kept tribal court systems on their toes, but has been one of the builders of the modern tribal court system.

Laverdure, a Turtle Mountain Chippewa, began her career in 1962 as a tribal secretary and worked her way into the tribal court system after being appointed as a tribal judge.

``Back then, there weren't very many tribal courts and those that were there, were under federal or state laws and policies,'' Laverdure said. ``So, I began thinking about that and started working on the codes.'' Those codes have since become the backbone of the current tribal court systems in much of Indian country.

Laverdure and other tribal judges pioneered the tribal court system. They saw the need for new tribal legislation as the Indian Civil Rights bill was on the horizon in the late 1960s and formed a Tribal Judges Association.

``We started meeting in about 1965 (the tribal judges),'' she said, ``and we were operating under some really strange laws. The bureau resisted us. The tribes did too, but...

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