Christiane S. Cardoza Brundage

Christiane (Christi) Shizuko Cardoza Brundage is an Associate in the Indian Law Practice Team at Lippes Mathias LLP, where she advises tribal clients on issues facing Indian Tribes across the United States, including healthcare, gaming and economic development, Indian land, self-governance and self-determination, and litigation. 

Prior to joining to Lippes Mathias, Ms. Cardoza Brundage worked as an Attorney Adviser for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Office of the General Counsel Legislation Division. While there, Ms. Cardoza Brundage advised the Secretary and the Department on a wide range of issues facing the Department, including matters of interest to Congress and the White House. 

Ms. Cardoza Brundage also served as counsel to U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono (Hawaiʻi) on the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, advising on myriad issues, including Missing and Murdered Indigenous People and federal policies to support Native Hawaiian women. 

Before this role, Ms. Cardoza Brundage served as Interim DC Bureau Chief of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, where she led advocacy on federal policies for the semi-autonomous state agency responsible for state and federal issues facing the Native Hawaiian community. In that capacity, she also advised the Board of Trustees and its Chairperson on federal legislation affecting the health, education and housing for American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. 

Ms. Cardoza Brundage also worked as a legislative assistant for U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (Hawaiʻi) and as legislative assistant for the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs under Chairman Daniel Akaka, where she focused on policies and legislation that affect Indian Tribes, including health, environmental, natural resources, education, housing, taxation, and sovereignty.