Answer
The Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs (AS-IA) has responsibility for assisting the Secretary of the Interior in fulfilling the Department’s trust responsibilities to American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and individuals, promoting tribal self-determination and economic well-being, and supporting the government-to-government relationship between the federally recognized tribes and the United States.
There have been 13 Assistant Secretaries since the post was established in 1977 by a DOI secretarial order. The current Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs is Bryan Newland. AS-IA Newland is a citizen of the Bay Mills Indian Community (Ojibwe), where he recently completed his tenure as Tribal President. Prior to that, served as Chief Judge of the Bay Mills Tribal Court. From 2009 to 2012, he served as a Counselor and Policy Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and the Michigan State University College of Law.
Newland was formally nominated for the position by President Joe Biden on April 22, 2021. His nomination was endorsed by the National Congress of American Indians and members of the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. The United States Senate confirmed AS-IA Newland on August 7, 2021. AS-IA Newland was assumed into office on September 8, 2021.
The following are the Assistant Secretaries for Indian Affairs in order of their terms of service:
- Forrest J. Gerard, Blackfeet (1977-1980)
- Thomas W. Fredericks, Mandan-Hidatsa (1981)
- Kenneth L. Smith, Wasco (1981-1984)
- Ross O. Swimmer, Cherokee Nation (1985-1989)
- Dr. Eddie F. Brown, Pascua Yaqui-Tohono O’odham (1989-1993)
- Ada E. Deer, Menominee (1993-1997)
- Kevin Gover, Pawnee (1997-2001)
- Neal McCaleb, Chickasaw (2001-2002)
- David W. Anderson, Lac Courte Oreilles Chippewa-Choctaw Nation (2004-2005)
- Carl J. Artman, Oneida Nation (2007-2008)
- Larry Echo Hawk, Pawnee (2009-2012)
- Kevin K. Washburn, Chickasaw (2012-2016)
- Tara Katuk Sweeney, Iñupiat (2018-2021)
- Bryan Newland, Iñupiat (2021 - )
Reporting directly to the Assistant Secretary through are the following officers, agencies and offices:
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs (PDAS)
- Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
- Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)
- Bureau of Trust Funds Administration (BTFA)
- Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs (OCL)
- Office of Public Affairs (OPA)
- Office of Federal Acknowledgment (OFA)
- Office of Indian Gaming (OIG)
- Office of Regulatory Affairs and Collaborative Action (RACA)
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Economic Development (DASPED)
- Offices of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED)
- Office of Self-Governance (OSG)
- Executive Director to the White House Council on Native American Affairs
Deputy Assistant Secretary – Management (DASM)
- Division of Administration and Resources Management Division of Internal Evaluation and Assessment
- Office of Budget and Performance Management
- Office of the Chief Financial Officer
- Office of Human Capital Management
- Office of Facilities, Property and Safety Management
- Office of Information Technology
