Speaker Bio

Rebecca Tsosie is a Regents’ Professor at the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona and also serves as Vice Provost for Inclusive Excellence.  Professor Tsosie, who is of Yaqui descent, is a Faculty Co-Chair for the Indigenous Peoples’ Law and Policy Program at the University of Arizona, and she is widely known for her work in the fields of Federal Indian law and indigenous peoples’ human rights.  Prior to joining the U of A faculty, Professor Tsosie was a Regent’s Professor and Vice Provost for Inclusion and Community Engagement at Arizona State University.  Professor Tsosie was the first faculty Executive Director for ASU’s Indian Legal Program and served in that position for 15 years.  Professor Tsosie has published widely on sovereignty, self-determination, cultural pluralism, environmental policy and cultural rights.  She teaches in the areas of Federal Indian Law, Property, Constitutional Law, Critical Race Theory, and Cultural Resources Law.  Professor Tsosie is a member of the Arizona Bar Association and the California Bar Association.  Professor Tsosie serves as a Supreme Court Justice for the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and as an Associate Judge on the San Carlos Tribal Court of Appeals.  She received her B.A. and J.D. degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles.