- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Former Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland (Bay Mills Indian Community) will be the featured guest at a fireside chat hosted in the Loosemore Auditorium on the Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus of Grand Valley State University (GVSU) in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Newland will be interviewed by Belinda “Lin” Bardwell (Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa), senior advisor on Native American Affairs and assistant director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, along with Native News Online editor Levi Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation).
Titled An Evening with Former Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland, the two-hour event is scheduled for Tuesday, March 25, at 5:30 p.m. EDT.
A Michigan native, Newland grew up in Brimley before heading to Washington, D.C., to serve in the U.S. Department of the Interior during the Obama administration. He later returned home to the Bay Mills Indian Community, where he became a tribal judge and served as tribal chairperson. In 2021, President Joe Biden appointed him as assistant secretary for Indian Affairs, serving under Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo).
During the fireside chat, Newland will reflect on his journey, the lessons that prepared him for his leadership role, and his time at the Department of the Interior. He previously visited GVSU during his tenure to engage with students and community members.
"I am excited to welcome Bryan Newland back to GVSU," Bardwell said. "His experiences as a high-ranking federal official will be enlightening and inspirational for all who attend, from students to university leaders."
The event is co-hosted by Grand Valley State University and Native News Online.
"During the Road to Healing, I saw Bryan Newland engage with Indian Country with deep compassion and care, especially when addressing survivors of Indian boarding schools," Rickert said. "I look forward to hearing how he and his team transformed extensive historical records into two impactful reports."
An Evening with Former Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland will be streamed live on Native News Online’s Facebook and YouTube channels.
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