Walz appoints state Court of Appeals' first Native American judge

An attorney for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community will become the first Native American judge to serve on the Minnesota Court of Appeals, Gov. Tim Walz announced Friday.

The governor appointed Sarah Wheelock, who serves as the tribe's legal counsel, to replace the retiring Judge Carol Hooten in a seat designated for the Second Congressional District.

"In her time serving as legal counsel for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and tribes across the nation, Ms. Wheelock has repeatedly shown that she is a dedicated public servant committed to advancing the common good," Walz said in a statement Friday. "She is well prepared to join the Court of Appeals."

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan called Wheelock a "brilliant legal mind with a deep understanding of the laws of the land" and cited her "life experience, longstanding service to her community, and her extensive legal background" as providing a "unique perspective that will be invaluable in her new position."

Before becoming legal counsel for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community in Prior Lake, Wheelock also worked as an adjunct professor at Mitchell Hamline College of Law and as an appellate judge for the White Earth Band of Chippewa Court of Appeals.

Wheelock is a member of the Meskwaki Nation, which is federally recognized as the Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa. She earned her bachelor of arts and juris doctor degrees from the University of Iowa and is a member and past president of the Minnesota American Indian Bar Association. She also is a member of the National Native American and Federal Bar associations.

Walz's predecessor, Gov. Mark Dayton, appointed Anne McKeig as the first Native judge to serve on the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2016.

Casey Matthiesen, president of the Minnesota American Indian Bar Association, celebrated Wheelock's "historic appointment" in a statement Friday.

"With this appointment, American Indians now serve at every level of the state judiciary," Matthiesen said. "Sarah Wheelock is an exceptional lawyer, and we are confident that she will serve in the judiciary with distinction."

Stephen Montemayor • 612-673-1755

Twitter: @smontemayor