HUMETEWA, DIANE (born 5 December 1964), first Native American woman and first tribal member to serve as a US federal judge. She is currently a district judge for the State of Arizona.
Humetewa is a member of the Hopi nation in northeastern Arizona and was raised in Phoenix. Though she hadn’t planned on attending law school while an undergraduate, after graduating she began working in the US Attorney’s office in Arizona, supporting witnesses and victims of federal crimes throughout the federal-court process. Her colleagues encouraged her to apply to law school, and she eventually enrolled in Arizona State University’s law program. After graduating from law school in 1993 Humetewa served as deputy counsel to the Senate’s Committee on Indian Affairs before returning to the US Attorney’s office, where she acted as tribal liaison and then as senior litigation counsel. During this period Humetewa also worked with Hopi lawyer Emory Sekaquaptewa to develop codified laws that reflected Hopi traditions and customs, and she also served as a judge in the Hopi tribal appellate court.
In 2007 Humetewa became the first Native American woman to be nominated and confirmed as a US Attorney for the District of Arizona. She received recommendations from Arizona senators John McCain and Jon Kyl and was nominated by President George W. Bush. In addition she maintained a private law practice and taught at Arizona State’s law school. In 2013 President Barack Obama nominated Humetewa to serve as a United States district judge in Arizona; she was unanimously confirmed the following year. She is the fourth Native American to serve in the federal judiciary since the 1789 establishment of the federal-court system.