Two South Dakota tribal leaders are part of a new federal program aimed at improving housing options for American Indian and Alaska Native people.
Rosebud Sioux Tribe Chairman Scott Herman and Oglala Sioux Tribe Council Member Tyler Yellow Boy are among the 15 members on the Tribal Intergovernmental Advisory Committee (TIAC).
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that committee this week. Members will advise and coordinate federal housing programs for tribes across the country.
The committee is born out of a 2021 Presidential memorandum that directed all federal agencies to take actions to strengthen their policies and practices on Tribal consultation, according to a press release from HUD.
“With the creation of the first-ever Tribal Intergovernmental Advisory Committee, HUD continues to answer the President’s call to strengthen our relationships with our Tribal partners,” said HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge, “As we commemorate Native American Heritage Month, I’m proud to move forward alongside this new Committee with such esteemed members, who will help us to address the unique concerns of Indian Country.”
Officials said the function of TIAC is not to replace Tribal consultation, but rather serve as a tool to supplement it.