Tribal-style justice

As chief judge of the Yurok Tribal Court, Abby Abinanti wears no robe, preferring a more casual official wardrobe. In contrast to her longtime role as a San Francisco Superior Court commissioner, she doesn’t perch above those who come before her; she shares a table with them. “Hi, big guy. How are you doing?� she softly prods one young man, whose troubled history she’s well familiar with. “Here we have a village society,� Abinanti says of California’s largest tribe, “and the people who help you to resolve your problems are the people you know.� Native American jurisprudence has evolved since tribes began to regain their sovereignty, returning to traditional values of respect, community support and responsibility. Abinanti has been at the forefront.