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Dear USET/USET SPF Family,
On June 15, 2022, the Department of the Interior (DOI) issued a Press Release announcing the first-ever members to its Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee (STAC or Committee). The creation of the DOI STAC was announced during the 2021 White House Tribal Nations Summit to provide an avenue for Tribal Leaders to engage in routine and robust dialogue with Secretary Deb Haaland on important DOI programs and funding issues affecting Tribal Nations. The Committee’s membership is comprised of 24 Tribal Leaders—two for each of the 12 Bureau of Indian Affairs Regions.
The Primary and Alternate Tribal Leader Members of the STAC for the BIA Eastern Region announced by DOI are as follows—
- Primary Tribal Leader Member: Councilwoman Kelly Dennis, Shinnecock Indian Nation
- Alternate Tribal Leader Member: Chairwoman Stephanie Bryan, Poarch Band of Creek Indians
To view the complete list of Tribal Leaders appointed to the DOI STAC, please click here. The DOI STAC Tribal Leader Members will serve on a staggered term for up to two years and the Secretary, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, will designate one STAC member to serve as chairperson.
On May 2, 2022, USET SPF sent a letter of support to Secretary Deb Haaland for the nomination of Tribal Leaders from USET SPF’s 33-member Tribal Nations that submitted applications to serve on the DOI STAC. In addition to expressing our support for the DOI STAC Tribal Leader nominees from USET SPF’s member Tribal Nations, we also provided recommendations to DOI on the STAC selection criteria and agenda. We look forward to working with DOI and DOI STAC Tribal Leaders to ensure that the voices of Tribal Nations are elevated to the highest levels of the Department and improve upon the execution of federal trust and treaty obligations.
For more information, please contact Brian Howard, USET SPF Senior Policy Analyst, at bhoward@usetinc.org.
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