Community Spotlight

Darayne Achin

Darayne Achin and her brother were left by their mother at the Catholic Church in Salt River, but Darayne is not bitter, “She left us there because she and my dad broke up and she knew she could not care for us and that the church would make sure we were cared for.”

Their paternal grandmother took them in. From her, Darayne learned to cook and to clean.

“We had an adobe sandwich house with a dirt floor and every day we would sprinkle it with and sweep it,” recalled Darayne. “She also taught me to cook over an open fire. Cooking was an allday thing—you’d do one meal and clean up, and it was time to do another.”

Unfortunately when she was six, Darayne’s grandmother passed away. Darayne and her brother were shuffled among other family members until their mother and father got back together when she eight. Their family grew to include six more siblings.

By the time she was in high school,

Darayne’s uncle and father had built a farming business. Her father worked 4am to midnight and her mother worked as a housekeeper, so it fell to Darayne and her brother to care for the family. They were responsible for making meals, cleaning the house and helping their younger brothers and sisters with homework and getting ready for bed and school.

Darayne was so tired, she literally slept through her senior year. To this day, she is grateful to her guidance counselor, Mr. Smith, who worked with all of her teachers so she could take oral tests and graduate. He also worked to get her into an all-Indian Upward Bound summer program.

Darayne was one of only 80 from around the state to attend the program at ASU designed to give them a taste of college life and to encourage them to continue their education.

“I didn’t really understand at the time, but now I look back and I see all the hands of the people who saw something in me and got me to where I am today,” said Darayne.

After high school, Darayne married and became a teacher aide with Mesa Public Schools. By age 27, the marriage became abusive, so Darayne and her children moved in with her family.

“I was lost for a few years,” said Darayne. “I had a few jobs, but was mainly taking to time to heal.”

It was then that she learned about the community’s Parent Advocate program and gained direction. She was trained in social work and to be paralegal to help with social work cases. For three months, she worked with the social workers.

Eventually, Darayne was given her own cases. She enjoyed helping families in that program for more than seven years. It was also during this time that one of the social workers introduced her to his brother, Craig. They were married and have been together for more than 36 years.

Craig was in the Air Force and they were stationed in Germany for four years. They took her 14-year-old daughter and had a son of their own while there. While in Germany, the family traveled to several European countries.

But Darayne was missing the states. After a stint in the cold of Minot, North Dakota, Craig retired and the family returned to Salt River in 1993.

With her social work background, Darayne quickly found work with the community’s new crisis liaison program. She worked with the police department going out on calls.

“It was one of the most fulfilling jobs I’ve ever had,” said Darayne.

A few years later, gaming was being talked about and Darayne’s husband researched and took casino classes. He also encouraged Darayne to apply and she was hired immediately as a tribal gaming agent.

“Our main goal was to protect the proceeds of the casino. The position included investigating criminal activity in and on casino grounds. I learned what probable cause was and what to look for so we help our police prosecute assaults and other crimes,” said Darayne. “That’s where I learned about the law—how to interview, and how to write it up.”

Darayne enjoyed her job at the casino, but when a job announcement came up for a DV judge, she jumped at the chance. She knew it would be a good fit as a DV survivor, former crisis worker and with the knowledge of law she gained at the casino.

Someone saw that Darayne applied for the position and encouraged her to apply for civil judge position as well. She applied for both.

It was a bit nerve-wracking. She interviewed with attorneys and the police chief, as well as council. She was also given a scenario with an hour to write up what she would do in a case when someone broke window to help two children locked in a car in the casino parking lot. Of course, Darayne knew the answer.

“My dad had passed, but one night he came to me in my sleep and his smile told me I got [the position],” recalled Darayne. “I got a call later that day and was informed that I needed to appear before council.”

Council had appointed her a civil judge. She has been a judge for the last

18 years and is currently presiding in the juvenile dependency division and is the presiding judge of the community court.

“[This position] affirms my knowledge of my community and my people. I’ve seen so many changes since I was put in in 2004,” said Darayne who uses culture, tradition and common sense in her rulings.

Having lived several places, even globally, Darayne loves living in the community.

“It is not fast paced, it’s quiet and I can get in my car and go anywhere. Everything’s right down the road,” said Darayne. “I am a child of the desert. I am home.”