BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) – The chief judge for the Nooksack Indian Tribe, Raquel Montoya-Lewis, will be sworn in Friday as a judge on the Whatcom County Superior Court.

The Bellingham Herald reports she’ll be the first Native American judge for the court.

Montoya-Lewis is wrapping up her duties at the tribal court and says she also will resign as an associate professor at Western Washington University where she taught courses in the legal system and cultural and gender identity.

The 46-year-old is a graduate of the University of Washington Law School and previously served as a judge for the Lummi Nation.

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Information from: The Bellingham Herald, http://www.bellinghamherald.com