For the first time since Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO), a tribal citizen of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, sat on the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in 2005, a Native American will serve on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) was appointed to the Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 1
The Committee on Indian Affairs provides oversight for policies and issues impacting the lives of Native Americans in the United States, such as Senate bills on water rights, education, health, and environmental issues must be passed out of the Committee prior to going to the full Senate floor for a vote.
A statement from Mullin’s Senate office on Wednesday says the senator will use his position on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee to study matters related to American Indians, Native Hawaiians, and the Alaska Native peoples.
“The Indian Affairs Committee plays a vital role in ensuring that the federal government upholds its trust and treaty responsibilities to Tribal nations,” Mullin said in a statement. “I look forward to strengthening tribal sovereignty, pursuing self-determination policies, and fostering economic growth in Indian Country. Let’s get to work.”
Mullin was elected senator in the midterm elections last November. He was sworn in last month to serve a six-year term. Before becoming a senator, Mullin served in the House of Representatives from 2013, representing Oklahoma’s 2nd congressional district.
In addition to his appointment to the Committee on Indian Affairs, Mullin will serve on three other Senate committees: Armed Services; Environment and Public Works; and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
More Stories Like This
Ho-Chunk Trucker Spreads MMIP Message, Offers Safe Haven from Domestic ViolenceNative News Weekly (September 24, 2023): D.C. Briefs
Assemblyman Ramos Honored with Award for Long Service to California Native American Commission
Navajo Nation Council Members Meet with US Treasurer Malerba
Tunica-Biloxi Tribe Chairman Marshall Pierite Launches Bid to Become NCAI President
Native News is free to read.
We hope you enjoyed the story you've just read. For the past dozen years, we’ve covered the most important news stories that are usually overlooked by other media. From the protests at Standing Rock and the rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM), to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People (MMIP) and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools.
Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation to help support our efforts. Any contribution — big or small — helps. Most readers donate between $10 and $25 to help us cover the costs of salaries, travel and maintaining our digital platforms. If you’re in a position to do so, we ask you to consider making a recurring donation of $12 per month to join the Founder's Circle. All donations help us remain a force for change in Indian Country and tell the stories that are so often ignored, erased or overlooked.
Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you.
