Here’s a round up of business news briefs from around Indian Country.
Government
• PaaWee Rivera (Pueblo of Pojoaque) joined the Biden administration as the new director of tribal affairs and senior adviser to the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, according to a report in the Santa Fe New Mexican. Previously, Rivera was a lobbyist for Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP and held a range of positions within the Democratic National Committee. Rivera, 29, is a graduate of Dartmouth College with a degree in government and a minor in Native American studies. The appointment drew praise from the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department Cabinet Secretary Lynn Trujillo. “It brings me immense pride to see President Biden place his trust in a tribal member from New Mexico to represent his White House to Native Americans across our country,” Trujillo stated.
Federal 8(a) contracting
• Cherokee Federal, a division of Cherokee Nation Businesses, named 25-year industry veteran John Boyle as the company’s new group president of defense and civilian solutions, according to a statement. In the new role, Boyle will focus on growth strategy and vision for Cherokee Federal. Previously, Boyle was the senior vice president and chief growth officer at ManTech International Corp., a Herndon, Va.-based defense contractor. “Cherokee Federal remains focused on enabling our government customers to achieve their mission,” President Steven Bilby said in a statement. “John’s plethora of professional accomplishments speak volumes to his impressive capability and passion for cultivating long-term success with customers. He is a proven innovator with substantial experience, knowledge and prowess in this industry, and we are honored to have him on the team.”
Higher ed
• Diné College’s first group of 10 students in the medical assistant certificate program is on track to graduate this year, despite the challenges caused by the pandemic, according to a statement. College officials say the 37-credit program is the first of its kind to be offered on Navajo Nation. The courses, which take place on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, are offered at the school’s Tuba City Center, and the program also includes an externship at Tuba City Regional Healthcare Corp. The program overseer, Shazia Hakim, Ph.D., said the college expects to create a second cohort and expand it to the school’s other campuses.
Real estate
• Monacan Indian Nation opened a new office building in Madison Heights, Va. that will serve as tribal offices, meeting space and other functions, including a food bank, according to a report from WFXR. “What we’re doing here will help not only the Monacan people but all people of Amherst county for generations to come,” Chief Kenneth Branham said in the report. U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine attended the event.
Arts & culture
• Montclair, N.J.-based Montclair Art Museum hired Laura Allen to serve as curator of Native American art in a position funded by the Henry Luce Foundation. The foundation’s grant is intended to help the museum develop new strategies to present its collection of Native art of North America. An eight-member advisory council of Native and non-Native scholars, curators and art world executives led the selection process. “Native American art from the past and present demonstrates diverse creativity and worldviews, and wields great social power amid the legacies of colonialism,” Allen said in a statement.
Agriculture
• The Nez Perce Tribe was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish industrial hemp production on the tribe’s reservation in Idaho. “We are extremely pleased with the approval of our code by the USDA,” stated Shannon Wheeler, chairman of the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee. “We are working hard to diversify and expand the economy in this region. Regulatory efforts like this hemp code and our recently adopted water code are important foundational steps in this effort.” With the USDA approval in place, the tribal executive committee will consider final adoption and implementation of the tribe’s Hemp Regulatory Code, which was submitted to the agency on Dec. 16, 2020.
