He Recently Graduated w/his Juris Doctor & Indian Law Certificate from Michigan State University College of Law!
Ja:göh Rory Wheeler, Onöndowa’ga, Hanyahdë:h, Dàdewahgëötgeh community, who received his Juris Doctor and Indigenous Law Certificate from the Michigan State University College of Law.
Rory is also a descendant of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. He is the son of Star Wheeler and grandson of Katy & Malcolm “Sonny” Wheeler.
He serves as a Board Member for the Association on American Indian Affairs, National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, Seneca Gaming Corporation, Seneca Nation Child Welfare Reform Committee, and the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Community Advisory Board.
Previously, Rory served as Vice President of United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY), Youth Commission Co-President with the National Congress of American Indians, and a Health Policy Fellow with the National Indian Health Board. He has worked for the Seneca Nation in Government Affairs, the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians of California Tribal Court, the Offices of United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, United States Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, and the Executive Office of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. For over 10 years, Rory has served as a member of the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation Volunteer Fire Department and is a past recipient of the EMT of the year award.
During his time at MSU, Rory served as a Student Attorney in the Indian Law Clinic where he served as a law clerk to the Blackfeet Nation of Montana Court of Appeals and supported the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Appellate Project. He also served as a Dean’s Leadership Fellow, President of the Native American Law Students Association (NALSA), Board Member for the National NALSA, law student advisor to the State Bar of Michigan American Indian Law Section, a Karen Hastie Williams Leadership Fellow with the District of Columbia Bar, and an ambassador with the Native American Pathway to Law Program.
He is a proud alum of Niagara University and the Pre-Law Summer Institute (PLSI) at the University of New Mexico School of Law. Following admission to the New York State Bar, Rory will be entering private practice focusing American Indian law & policy.
Regarding this amazing achievement, Rory shared “This milestone reflects not only years of hard work, but the unwavering support I’ve received from so many. I’m deeply grateful to my family, friends, and mentors who walked with me on this journey. I want to especially thank Professors Wenona Singel, Kate Fort, and Zeke Fletcher for their guidance, encouragement, and commitment to Native students and tribal justice.
Thank you to the Native Forward Scholars Fund, Udall Foundation, and the American Indian Law Center for their belief in me and for supporting life-changing opportunities — from the Office of U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, the Executive Office of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the Office of United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, USDA Office of Tribal Relations, to the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians Tribal Court.
Now, I’ll be preparing for the New York Bar Exam, and then joining a Buffalo based & nationally recognized American Indian law and policy practice as an associate!
I walk forward with gratitude, grounded in the teachings of my ancestors and committed to strengthening tribal sovereignty for generations to come! See you all on the other side.”
Congratulations, Rory!
Rory pictured above with his mother Star Wheeler.
