In recognition of Native American Heritage Month, this episode features an interview with Swain County Magistrate Gilbert Breedlove, whose remarkable journey of service and cultural preservation bridges the worlds of law, language, and faith.

Magistrate Breedlove serves in the North Carolina Judicial Branch and is also a language editor and Bible translator working with the Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, and Ojibwe languages. His dedication to preserving and promoting indigenous languages requires a lifelong commitment to service, both in his professional role and in his personal calling.

Before becoming a magistrate, Breedlove served as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, worked as a deputy sheriff, and ministered as a pastor. In this All Things Judicial episode, he discusses how his experiences in public service and ministry have informed his work helping to translate the Bible from English into Choctaw—a project years in the making.

“We try to do this in a slow and steady manner instead of trying to rush to get it done,” Breedlove shared in the interview. “With the Choctaw Bible and songbook, it took us 25 years to get it done. And that's a lot of time.”

Photos: Close up of Native American Bible with English translation, Examples of Magistrate Breedlove's language editing projects, Magistrate Gilbert Breedlove holding two projects on which he worked as a language editor