[upbeat music] - [Announcer] Arlinda Locklear believes that the inspiration for her life's work comes from the good fortune of being a Native American and her experiences with segregation and discrimination as a child provided the insight and motivation for her to become a legendary lawyer.

She was born at Fort Bragg but she always considered her home Robeson County where her grandparents and other Lumbee Tribe members lived.

After earning her political science degree from the College of Charleston and her law degree from Duke, she started work with the Native American Rights Fund first in Boulder, and ultimately, as its director in Washington D.C. As a Lumbee Indian, Arlinda knew firsthand about the struggles for proper recognition and rights.

As a lawyer, she specialized in understanding federal law, and in 1983 she became the first Native American woman to present in front of the United States Supreme Court.

Two years later, the Supreme Court found in favor of her client, the Oneida Indian Nation of New York.

This case would set a precedent for all other Native American land cases.

Arlinda's success as a lawyer representing Native Americans has also earned her numerous accolades and honorary degrees, but being a dedicated mother to her son and daughter is always at the top of her docket.

She believes we have a mutual responsibility for the future wellbeing of those who come after us.

As she says, "It's just a question of sticking to it and trying to get things done."