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About Frank Pommersheim

Frank Pommersheim was born in New York City, but has lived in South Dakota for more than 50 years. Prior to joining the faculty in 1984, he lived and worked on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation for ten years. He currently serves on a number of tribal appellate courts throughout Indian country including Chief Justice for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Court of Appeals and Associate Justice for the Rosebud Sioux Supreme Court. Professor Pommersheim writes extensively in the field of Indian law. He is the author of several books in the area of Indian law, including "Braid of Feathers: American Indian Law and Contemporary Tribal Life,” “Broken Landscape: Indians, Indian Tribes and the Constitution,” and most recently, “Tribal Justice: 25 Years as a Tribal Appellate Justice.”  Professor Pommersheim is also the author of numerous scholarly articles in the field of Indian law.
 
Professor Pommersheim has also received the University of South Dakota Belbas-Larson Award for Excellence in Teaching, the South Dakota Peace and Justice Center Reconciliation Award, and the John Wesley Jackson Award as the Outstanding Professor of Law. Professor Pommersheim received the 2022 Lawrence Baca Lifetime Achievement Award in Indian Law. Frank is also a poet. His most recent book of poetry is a chapbook entitled “Idleness of a Recluse Poet (The Buddha Correspondence Vol. 4)." In addition, Frank is an amateur but avid bird watcher, who is well-acquainted with the works of Bob Dylan, and has played a lot of hoops all over this land.

Professor Pommersheim retired in the spring of 2019 and became an Emeritus Professor of Law. Professor Pommersheim was also awarded an honorary degree from Sinte Gleska University in the summer of 2019.

Positions

Present Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Supreme Court, Chief Justice (1988-current), Tribal Appellate Justice for:
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Present Crow Creek Tribe Supreme Court, Chief Justice (2013-current), Tribal Appellate Justice for:
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Present Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribal Court of Appeals, Associate Justice (1997-current), Tribal Appellate Justice for:
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Present Grand Portage Chippawa Tribal Court of Appeals, Associate Justice (1999-2002), Tribal Appellate Justice for:
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Present Lower Sioux Indian Community Court of Appeals, Associate Justice (2006-2008), Tribal Appellate Justice for:
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Present Mississippi Band of Choctaw Supreme Court, Associate Justice (2000-2008), Tribal Appellate Justice for:
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Present Professor of Law, University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law
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Present Rosebud Sioux Supreme Court, Associate Justice (1987-current), Tribal Appellate Justice for:
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Present Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Court of Appeals, Associate Justice (1998-2008), Tribal Appellate Justice for:
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Disciplines

Law

Research Interests

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Honors and Awards

  • John Wesley Jackson Outstanding Professor of Law, School of Law, 2007
  • Distinguished Lecturer, Northern Plains Indian Law Center, 2005
  • Special Award for Work in Native American and Tribal Law, International Conference of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences, Florence, Italy, 2003
  • South Dakota Peace and Justice Center Reconciliation Award, South Dakota Peace and Justice Center, 2000
  • Teacher of the Year Award, Delta Theta Phi, 1999
  • USD Belbas-Larson Award for Excellence in Teaching, USD, 1998
  • President's Award for Outstanding Affirmative Action, USD, 1991
  • John Wesley Jackson Outstanding Professor of Law, School of Law, 1988
  • South Dakota Public Television Interview: Conversation with Frank Pommersheim, 1990

Links

Books (16)

Contributions to Books (8)

Articles (57)