Jesse Barrington

Jessie Barrington (Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians) is a Partner and the Indigenous Practice Lead at Cultural Heritage Partners, PLLC. She brings over a decade of deep, hands-on experience working across Indian Country—as a former U.S. Department of the Interior attorney, senior policy advisor to the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs, and federal prosecutor—advancing Native sovereignty, cultural protection, and self-governance.

Drawing from her experience as a federal prosecutor, senior policy advisor, and Department of the Interior attorney, Jessie offers Tribes practical tools to defend their rights in high-conflict scenarios—whether through federal court litigation, land use and trespass enforcement, or right-of-way and leasing compliance. She helps clients craft legal frameworks that support strong self-governance, protect culturally significant landscapes, and ensure that external entities engage with Tribal Nations on the terms set by Tribal law.Whether the challenge is jurisdictional encroachment, regulatory ambiguity, or legal inertia from state or federal agencies, Jessie brings a results-driven approach designed to strengthen sovereignty and deliver meaningful, enforceable outcomes.

At CHP, Jessie partners with Tribal Nations to build and protect sovereign authority through durable legal systems, strategic litigation, and intergovernmental negotiation. She advises on the development of codes, permitting frameworks, and governance structures that ensure jurisdiction is not only asserted—but recognized and enforced. Her work is especially valuable for Tribal clients navigating complex disputes with state agencies, local governments, and federal actors who may seek to limit or undermine Tribal control over land, resources, or decision-making.

Prior to joining CHP, Jessie served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, where she secured a pivotal victory in United States v. Smith, a case before the Ninth Circuit addressing criminal jurisdiction in Indian Country and influenced by the Supreme Court’s McGirt decision. Jessie also served as Senior Counselor to the Assistant Secretary–Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior, where she helped drive national policy reforms and strengthened federal-Tribal relationships. In this role, and earlier as an Attorney-Advisor in the DOI’s Regional Solicitor’s Office, she provided legal counsel on a broad range of Indian law and environmental matters—including land leasing, rights-of-way, land-into-trust acquisitions, treaty rights, Tribal jurisdiction, and federal recognition. Her work included compliance and enforcement under NHPA (Section 106), the Clean Water Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act, as well as legal support for Columbia River Tribal housing and fishing issues. She assisted on complex litigation in U.S. v. Oregon and U.S. v. Washington and authored numerous “under federal jurisdiction” opinions interpreting the Carcieri v. Salazar decision.

Jessie is a published author and frequent speaker on Tribal sovereignty, cultural resource protection, and intergovernmental relations. She co-authored American Indian Identity: Citizenship, Membership, and Blood (Praeger Publishing), a foundational text exploring Indigenous legal identity and self-determination.