California Indian Legal Services (CILS) is pleased to announce that Devon Lee Lomayesva has been hired as our new Executive Director. Ms. Lomayesva, a member of the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, is the first California Indian to lead CILS.

Ms. Lomayesva received much of her training as an attorney and leader in the field of federal Indian law at CILS, where she worked as a law clerk, staff attorney, directing attorney, and senior staff attorney during the years 1998-2004. From 2004-2007, Ms. Lomayesva was employed as in-house counsel for her tribe.

Since our inception as the first non-profit Indian rights law firm in 1967, CILS has trained generations of Indian rights attorneys. It is only fitting that as we are finally able to welcome a California Indian attorney trained at CILS to the Executive Director post.

“Devon’s leadership truly says that we are witnessing a new era for CILS and California Indians. CILS has helped to advance tribal rights and California Indian rights for so many years, and it is only fitting that an organization that has been so instrumental in helping to protect sovereignty and work towards the success of California Indians will now have a young, passionate California Indian leader at the helm,” says CILS Board Chair Patricia Dixon (Pauma Band of Mission Indians).

As CILS celebrates its fortieth year, Ms. Lomayesva is excited about what CILS can do to address issues of broad concern to California Indians and to ensure that all Indian people and tribes, including those with few resources, have access to legal representation that will protect and advance the rights of all California Indians and tribes.

“The Tribal nations of California and their communities are in a time of great advancement and opportunity. However, such change does not come without new challenges. And still, there are those Tribal nations and individuals that lack the resources to adequately protect the rights afforded to them as American Indian peoples. As the incoming Executive Director of CILS, I welcome the opportunity for our organization to meet these challenges; and with much success. Leadership is only as good as those it leads; and with the current team at CILS, I am confident our Tribal communities will receive maximum benefit in the delivery of quality legal representation from a passionate and dedicated organization”.

CILS is also excited to announce the opening of our new field office in Sacramento. CILS will be closing the doors of our Oakland office and relocating to Sacramento in late March 2008. We are confident that this move will provide better access and opportunity for the local Indian communities. Additionally, our Administrative Office is relocating to Escondido. CILS looks forward to a positive and successful transition as we implement these new and important changes.

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