The first American Indian to serve as a State of Minnesota Supreme Court justice is the recipient of the Bemidji State University’s 35th Distinguished Minnesotan award.

The Distinguished Minnesotan acknowledges the contributions of current or former residents of the state who’ve performed exemplary service to the people of Minnesota or the United States.

Justice Anne K. McKeig is a member of the White Earth nation and was appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court by Gov. Mark Dayton on Sept. 1, 2016. Dayton called McKeig up from Minnesota’s 4th Judicial Branch, where she was appointed to serve by Gov. Tim Pawlenty in March 2008.

Before her appointment by Gov. Pawlenty to the state bench, McKeig specialized in child protection and Indian welfare issues as an assistant county attorney in Hennepin County’s Child Protection Division, an Indian Child Welfare Act specialist and a part-time staff attorney for the American Prosecutors Research Institute.

In addition to her role on the Minnesota Supreme Court bench, McKeig is a trainer for the Minnesota Department of Human Services and an adjunct professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law.

The Distinguished Minnesotan acknowledges the contributions of current or former residents of the state who’ve performed exemplary service to the people of Minnesota or the United States.

The award recipient also traditionally delivers Bemidji State’s Commencement address. BSU’s 98th commencement ceremony will be held on May 5, 2017, at the Sanford Center in Bemidji.

By — Haydee Clotter