Mille Lacs Band Court Administrator Receives High Honor and Award
Mille Lacs Band Court Administrator Gilda Burr, recipient of the 2022 National American Indian Judges Association Board of Directors Court Support Excellence Award. Behind Gilda, is Oboodashkwaanishiinh, the dragonfly, which is the court's symbol of hope and healing.
Burr serves the Band in tribal justice
By MAAJIITAAZIIBIIKWE, MARY SAM
Gilda Burr, Mille Lacs Band Court Administrator, was given the 2022 National American Indian Court Judges Association’s Board of Directors (NAICJA) Court Support Excellence Award. According to the NAICJA, the Court Support Excellence Award “honors a person serving a tribal justice system in a non-judicial clerical or administrative role who has worked in the tribal justice field for at least three years or more serving in a tribal justice system.” NAICJA works with approximately 300 tribal courts across the United States, providing support, training, and technical assistance.
Burr was nominated by Chief Justice Sylvia Wise and Court Attorney Jill Tompkins to be considered for the NAICJA Award. In their recommendation, they noted in her 16 years serving as the Court Administrator, Gilda is a skilled grant administrator. Grants have provided funding to support court renovation and moving the Family Healing to Wellness Court forward to assist with much-needed healing in our community. In addition to winning grants and leading the work, she advised the courts team working with both Band Assembly and the Chief Executives Office in the work to pass MLB Statute Title 5, Chapter 4, Family to Healing Wellness Court.
During the COVID-19 shutdown, Burr remained at work to meet the needs of the courts and families. This environment tested Gilda’s tenacity and creativity, which opened the door to secure a video conferencing system to allow for remote video hearings and trials. In addition, Burr assists the justices by providing them with the necessary training, including helping with procedures, while protecting their independence in their decision making. The NAICJA nomination included a final note about Burr’s commitment to volunteering in the community, stating she is an “extraordinary Court Administrator, phenomenal Native woman, and leader.”
In response to hearing Burr was the recipient of the NAICJA Award, tribal court staff had a great deal to share about the leader they admire, honor, and respect. She is described as a relationship builder, leading through humility to ensure the courts are serving families through a lens of culture, family, and healing. Judge Richard Osburn shared Burr “makes everything work” in the tribal courts. “She keeps things running smoothly, is 100 percent competent, and puts in more hours than anyone here. We never have to worry about anything going wrong when Gilda is leading the work. Gilda led the court renovation project, worked with contractors, and helped make this happen.” Judge Osburn praised Burr for her steady ongoing leadership within the tribal courts.
Carrie Boyd, Burr’s Administrative Assistant, described Burr's dedication to the courts as being “immense, serving with integrity, confidentiality, and fairness.”
When asked about why an award like this was “long overdue” as many reported, Court Clerk Kristine Starr said “Gilda lives her values and ethics. She’s not a boss, Gilda is a true leader.” Also, many noted that Burr does not seek praise, as she simply just "does her job.”
Case Manager Theresa Romard-James said Burr "models and expects us to be our best. Gilda values cohesion, dealing with conflict head-on to avoid negativity within the team. We back her and she backs us, and we are stronger because of her leadership.”
As a humble leader within the courts, Burr’s response to being named an award winner was, “I am just doing my job, serving my people.” She expressed loving her job, helping our people and the challenges that each new day brings. She described her family upbringing, which provided the foundation to find herself, using it now to help others and coming full circle. Growing up with parents who were both deaf, she learned that it was only society that limited them, and the empathy she learned growing up has helped guide her values in the courts, and to find and support measures that are limitless in individual and family healing.
“I am fortunate to have a great team," Burr said. "If it wasn’t for my clerks and others doing a great job, I could not do mine. I have a dedicated staff.”
