Robert Clinton Robert Clinton, professor of law and an affiliated faculty member of the American Indian Studies Program at Arizona State University, recently spoke on the history of federal Indian policy at Stewards in Leadership: Timeless Traditions in a Digital World, ASU’s annual conference for newly elected Native American officials.

The conference, held April 15-16, at ASU’s Memorial Union, was sponsored by ASU’s American Indian Newly Elected Officials program and provided experience-based lessons designed for elected and appointed tribal leaders and key tribal government staff.

Presented from a uniquely Native worldview, this program brought together outstanding respected leaders like Ivan Makil, former President of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, and Jacob Moore, Tribal Relations Coordinator, ASU Office of Public Affairs, who shared their experience, stories and wisdom with new generations of leaders.

Participants gained a better understanding of the unique and complex world of responsibilities bestowed on those who bear the mantle of leadership. They also learned how to make traditional cultural values a more effective part of the decision-making process to determine the future of Indian Country in a contemporary world. Participants discussed strategies that can enrich their own lives and the lives of their people and communities.

Clinton also serves as Chief Justice of the Winnebago Supreme Court and as an Associate Justice of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Court of Appeals, the Colorado River Indian Tribes Court of Appeals, the Hualapai Tribal Court of Appeals, and the Hopi Court of Appeals. He also has served as a temporary judge or arbitrator for other tribes and as an expert witness or consultant in Indian law and cyberlaw cases.

He teaches and writes about federal Indian law, tribal law, Native American history, constitutional law, federal courts, cyberspace law, copyrights, and civil procedure.