Chickasaw woman to become first Native American to clerk for Supreme Court justice

Chickasaw citizen Tobi Young will become the first Native American tribal member to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court clerk. [Photo provided]

When she walks into her first day of work this July, it's believed Chickasaw citizen Tobi Young will become the first Native American tribal member to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court clerk.

Young is a Midwest City native. She will clerk for conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch, the high court's newest member.

“It is difficult to overstate the significance of having a well-qualified, experienced Chickasaw such as Ms. Young serving as Supreme Court clerk,” said Chickasaw Gov. Bill Anoatubby.

Young is a descendant of Winchester Colbert, a governor of the Chickasaw Nation in the mid-19th century who helped establish a treaty that reestablished the tribe as a sovereign nation. Young said her father took her to a public library as a child to research their Chickasaw lineage and ensure she maintained a connection to the tribe.