(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Interior Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Neal A. McCaleb today announced his appointment of Aurene Martin as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs. Martin, a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, came to the Interior Department in October 2001 as Counselor to Assistant Secretary McCaleb. Her appointment was effective on May 28, 2002.
“Aurene Martin is an invaluable member of my team,” said McCaleb. “She has extensive experience working in Indian affairs and I am confident that in her new role she will provide greater opportunities for improving trust and other BIA services for the Tribes and the American Indian and Alaska Native people.”
Before joining the Interior Department, Ms. Martin had served as Republican senior counsel to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs since January 1999, where she covered Indian health care, gaming and self-determination issues and appropriations. From October 1998 to January 1999 she was Director of Congressional and Public Affairs for the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC).
From June 1993 through October 1998, she worked for the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin and left as Senior Staff Attorney. While there she worked on all aspects of tribal representation including Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) litigation, gaming, and self-determination and tribal government issues.
Ms. Martin was born in Shawano, Wisconsin, and was raised on the Menominee Indian Reservation. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she majored in History, Italian and History of Culture. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1989. Ms. Martin also received her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1993. She is a member of the Wisconsin State Bar and has been active in its Indian law section, including serving as an officer of the section.
The Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs has responsibility for fulfilling the Department’s trust responsibilities and promoting self-determination on behalf of tribal governments, American Indians, and Alaska Natives. The Assistant Secretary, who oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs, is also responsible for providing services to approximately 1.4 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who are members of the 559 federally recognized tribes.
Note to Editors: A photo of Aurene Martin may be viewed via the Interior Department’s web site at www.doi.gov.
