U.S. President Barack Obama appointed Jodi Gillette '91 as his senior policy advisor for Native American affairs on April 27. Gillette joins Timothy Geithner '83 as the latest Dartmouth alumnus in the Obama administration and will replace Kimberly Teehee in the position.
Gillette, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe of North and South Dakota, worked for the Department of the Interior in a variety of positions prior to Obama's appointment. Before beginning her career in government, Gillette worked as the executive director of the Native American Training Institute, which offers technical assistance and training to tribal, state and local governments in the area of human service delivery systems, according to a White House press release.
Gillette said she was excited about the opportunity to join Obama's staff.
"I was humbled and honored," Gillette said in an email to The Dartmouth. "I have so much respect for President Obama and the people who work closely with him."
Bruce Duthu '80, the chair of the Native American studies program and a professor at the College, said that Gillette was the perfect choice for the position.
"Jodi is a fine choice for this role because she combines years of experience working in and for tribal communities in the Plains area of the U.S. with a keen sense of the political landscape in Washington," he said.
Gillette credited much of her current success and experience to her time as a Dartmouth undergraduate, and she noted the significance of the Native American students who attended the College in 1971 who "blazed a trail" for others to follow.
"I would like to thank the Dartmouth Board of Trustees and administration for making the education of Native Americans a priority over the past 40 years and committing the resources to have such an excellent Native American studies program," she said.
Gillette said that her background working for the Interior Department will help her in her new position, as her previous world experience has given her insight into how the government works and what needs to be done to address current issues. She also cited the Obama administration's "historic" class action settlements, the creation of the White House Tribal Nations Conferences and increases in key program budgets as examples of positive steps taken by the White House.
In the press release, Obama touted Gillette as the right candidate for the job.
"Jodi Gillette will be an important member of my administration's efforts to continue the historic progress we've made to strengthen and build on the government-to-government relationship between the United States and tribal nations," he said. "She has been a key member of my administration's efforts for Indian Country and will continue to ensure that Native American issues will always have a seat at the table."
As an undergraduate, Gillette was active with Native Americans at Dartmouth and enjoyed participating in outdoor activities, she said. Gillette majored in government modified with Native American studies, which she said has provided her with a "meaningful context" to understand the relationship between Native tribes and the United States.
Duthu said that the liberal arts education Gillette received at Dartmouth played a large role in helping her get to where she is today.
"I think Jodi would likely point to her openness to new ideas, her commitment to rigorous analysis of proposed policies and a fair but demanding level of performance from the folks working with her as key to her new role," he said.
Duthu emphasized the importance of developing basic resources and fostering self-governance in Native communities.
"As with the rest of the nation, economic development is a pressing need in Indian Country, but so is access to quality and culturally appropriate health care, enhanced educational opportunities and support for tribal governance systems," he said.
Both Gillette and Duthu said that the nomination reflects the strong state of Dartmouth's Native American studies program. Duthu pointed to Hilary Tompkins '90, the Solicitor of the Department of the Interior, and Susan Karol '79, chief medical officer for the Indian Health Service, as other prominent examples.
"Dartmouth Native graduates can be found in a host of leadership positions throughout the country," he said. "I think it's fair to say that one of the hallmarks of our Native graduates is their desire and commitment to use their education for the betterment and empowerment of tribal communities, and I suspect that part of the reason behind this development is the College's commitment to the education of Native students and support for the Native American program and Native American studies department, both of which actively nurture and challenge students to take on these sorts of responsibilities."
Gillette sees the successes of the Native American studies program as a validation of the College's mission.
"Acknowledging our history is the first step in ensuring we are not making the same mistakes of the past," she said. "Understanding both the historic and contemporary conditions of American Indian communities will help all students to appreciate their many contributions and sacrifices."
