David Adams, center, was honored at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., on June 4, 2015. He is pictured with Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Monty Wilkinson, the director of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys. Courtesy photo
A member of the Sault Tribe Tribe of Chippewa Indians who serves as an assistant federal prosecutor is being recognized for making Indian Country safer for Native women. U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Mexico was recognized at a Department of Justice ceremony earlier this month in Washington, D.C. He developed and implemented a pilot program that combats violence against Native women. “This award is a fitting recognition of David Adams’ extraordinary contributions to tribal communities and Native American women in New Mexico,” U.S. Attorney Damon Martinez said in a press release. “Domestic violence and sexual assault are human rights issues, and the violence perpetuated against Native American women is epidemic. It is the right of every Native American woman to be free of fear, to be free of violence, and to be free of ever having to be a victim." Between 2012 and 2014, Adams served Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and was one of the first five federal prosecutors in the nation to carry that title. He trained tribal prosecutors and tribal, local, state and federal officers to ensure that perpetrators of crimes against Native woman can be prosecuted in tribal court, federal court, or both, in certain instances. "David embraced the project and has become a major player in the Justice Department’s effort to bring justice to Native American women," Martinez said. Adams was among 160 DOJ employees honored at the June 4 ceremony. Attorney General Loretta Lynch thanked the public servants for their efforts. “These individuals, and so many others, have faced daunting and sometimes dangerous challenges," Lynch said. "They have dedicated their leadership and their expertise, their time and their energy, to the service of their mission. And they have remained devoted, at all times, to the high ideals and deeply-held values that animate our country and our cause.” Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney's Office, Adams was the chief prosecutor for Laguna Pueblo from 2007 to 2012. He became an Assistant U.S. Attorney in October 2014 and is assigned to the Indian Country Crime Section.
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