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- By Native News Online Staff
Don't miss out on an engaging dialogue as Levi Rickert, Founder and Publisher of Native News Online, and Brian Edwards, Associate Publisher of Tribal Business News, sit down for an interview with Commissioner Patrice Kunesh of the Administration for Native Americans (ANA). In this insightful discussion, the Commissioner shares the history and impact of ANA on its 50th anniversary.
Join us to learn about the ANA's flexible grant funding that empowers tribes and organizations with self-determination, language revitalization and climate resilience projects. Kunesh also discusses ANA's streamlined process and fully-funded grants model.
Kunesh, of Standing Rock Lakota descent, serves as the Commissioner of the Administration for Native Americans within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She is also Deputy Assistant Secretary for Native Affairs and Chair of the HHS Intradepartmental Council on Native American Affairs. With a background in law, she previously worked at the Native American Rights Fund and served as in-house counsel to the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. Kunesh has held various roles in government, including at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of the Interior. She is also the founder of Peȟíŋ Haha Consulting and has served on the U.S. Treasury Community Development Advisory Board. Kunesh holds a J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law and an M.P.A. from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Tune in to Native Bidaské LIVE this Friday, May 17, at 12 Noon ET on Native News Online's Facebook, X (Twitter), or YouTube channel and discover how you can get involved in supporting indigenous communities and initiatives.
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At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
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Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
