DHS Secretary Mayorkas Announces Inaugural Members of Tribal
Homeland Security Advisory Council�
Release Date: December 1, 2022
WASHINGTON � Today, as part of the White House
Tribal Nations Summit, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas
announced the appointment of 15 members to the first ever Tribal Homeland
Security Advisory Council, to advise on homeland security policies and practices
that affect Indian Country, including emergency management, law enforcement,
cybersecurity, domestic terrorism and targeted violence, and border security.
The members announced today represent more than 564,000 registered tribal
members, 178 villages and village corporations, and collectively embody an
extensive knowledge base of homeland security subject matter
expertise.
�I am deeply proud to appoint the inaugural members of the
Tribal Homeland Security Advisory Council, and I applaud their commitment to
help build and strengthen the integral partnership between indigenous
communities and our Department of Homeland Security,��said Secretary
Alejandro N. Mayorkas.��Importantly, their counsel will better enable
our Department to uphold its responsibilities to Tribal Nations, as we work
hand-in-hand to address key areas of the homeland security mission relating to
Indian Country.�
Secretary Mayorkas has appointed the following
individuals to the Council:
- Peter
Yucupicio, Chairman, Pascua Yaqui Tribe (Chair)
- Kimberly
Hampton, Board of Directors, Unit 4, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa
Indians (Vice Chair)
- Antonio
Cesar Gonzalez Jr., Director of Security, Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of
Texas, Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino
- DeCota
Thompson, Lieutenant, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department
- Dustin
Newport, Executive Officer of Protective Services, Chickasaw Nation
Department of Commerce
- Emmalene
Sitting Bear, Director, MHA Nation�Emergency Operations Center, Three
Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation
- Floyd
Velasquez, Administrator, Morongo Band of Mission Indians Emergency
Services
- Harold
Pierite Sr., Chief of Police, Tunica-Biloxi Police Department
- Jeff
Hansen, Director, Community Protection, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
- Julie
Kitka, President, Alaska Federation of Natives
- Lee
Edberg, Cybersecurity Manager, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
- Lynda
Zambrano, Founder and Executive Director, National Tribal Emergency
Management Council and the Northwest Tribal Emergency Management Council
- Ned
Norris, Jr., Chairman, Tohono O�odham Nation
- Renita
DiStefano, Former Chief Information Officer, Seneca Gaming Corporation,
Seneca Nation of Indians
- Vivian
Korthuis, CEO, Association of Village Council Presidents, Native
Village of Emmonak
The Council�s membership reflects the Biden-Harris Administration�s
priorities of diversity, equity, and inclusion; membership from various tribal
and indigenous communities ensures varied experiences, beliefs, and skillsets
are represented.
The establishment of this Council �first announced by
Secretary Mayorkas in September� and appointment of its inaugural members are
part of the Department of Homeland Security�s (DHS) goal to uphold treaty and
trust responsibilities to Indian Country.
The Council will engage with
DHS agencies and offices to present recommendations and reports for the
Secretary. The Council will be charged with collaborating on all matters of
homeland security as they relate to Tribal Nations and indigenous communities,
including but not limited to:��
- Implementation
of�Executive
Order 13175, Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments
and President Biden�s January 26, 2021�Memorandum�on
Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships;�
- Implementation
of�Executive
Order 14053, Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native
Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People;
- Implementation
of�Executive
Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities
Through the Federal Government;�
- Implementation
of�Executive
Order 12898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority
Populations and Low-Income Populations and�Executive
Order 13990, Protecting Public Health�and the Environment and Restoring
Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis;
- Implementation
and execution of the DHS�s Tribal Consultation Policy; and
- The
responsibility to uphold the federal government�s and the Department�s trust and
treaty responsibility to Tribal Nations.
The first meeting of this Council will be convened by Secretary
Mayorkas early next year.
To learn more about the Council, please
visit:�https://www.dhs.gov/tribal-advisory-council.
###
With honor and integrity, we will safeguard the
American people, our homeland, and our values. |
No comments:
Post a Comment