Debra Dzijúksuk O’Gara

Debra Dzijúksuk O’Gara is Tlingit, Yupik, Irish and raven from the Teeyhitaan clan of the Cedar
Bark House of Wrangell. She has worked in the legal field for 34 years primarily for several
Northwest Tribes in Washington and the Tribes in Southeast Alaska. Since 2007 she has helped
to build and developed the Tlingit & Haida Court first as a Magistrate, then the elected Chief
Justice, the Presiding Justice, Pro Tem Judicial Officer, and current is an elected Associate
Justice. Debra also worked for the Alaska Native Women’s Resource Center as the Senior Policy
Specialist on domestic violence and sexual assault issues and an Assistant Professor in the Tribal
Governance Department for UAF.

In addition to focusing on a legal career, Debra continued her education by earning a master’s in
public administration at the University of Alaska Southeast in 2013 and currently is a PhD
candidate at the UAF Indigenous Studies program researching dispute resolution practices and
justice systems among the Tlingit people before Western colonialization.
Debra enjoys creating art in all forms and in the last several years has concentrated on weaving –
spruce root and cedar bark basketry, Ravenstail and Chilkat where she reconnects with her
ancestors, learning stories, history, and lessons. She recently launched a new business, the
Raven’s Nest Regalia and Arts, focusing on producing and teaching textile weaving while also
building community with other Indigenous artisans.