Bureau of Indian Affairs Creates Probate Position at Comanche Nation

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is behind on 55,000 probate cases nationwide and has assigned a worker to the Comanche Nation to file for Comanche cases.

Sunny Walker is the new Probate and Estate Coordinator for the Comanche Nation through the BIA. This is currently a pilot program with growth potential.

“On a daily basis, I'm going through tribal member files trying to get the needed documents for the probate process,” she said. “Which is like their birth certificates, death certificates, CDIBs, and things of that nature.”

Walker works on as many cases as the BIA sends her and, at the time of publication, is working on 20 Comanche Tribal Member cases. Her main priorities include getting documents in order.

“To start the probate process, you do need to notify the BIA of the deceased, and it does help when you send out a death certificate to them or anything of the same,” she said. “…Or you can start sending those documents, and it'll speed up the process of the probate case.”

Walker began working with the BIA and Comanche Nation earlier this year.

“The enrollment files are very organized and very neat, and it's very simple to ask for documents, and everyone in there has been really able to help me if I need help,” she said.

The program does not deal with estate property, and anyone who needs help with that needs to go through Comanche Nation Realty.

BIA makes the final decision on documentation and triggers the probate process.

The pilot program is one of five in Oklahoma.

Walker can be reached at 580-890-1705 and sunny.walker@comanchenation.com.

Graham “Thomas” Hamilton is the Legal Administrative Specialist in the Division of Probates at the Anadarko Agency and can be reached at 405-346-0746 or graham.hamilton@bia.gov.