Introduction
Tara Sweeney is an American businessperson, Alaska Native activist and political operative that since 2018 serves as Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, overseeing the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education at the United States Department of the Interior.
Background and education
A daughter of teachers Bryan and Eileen MacLean, Sweeney grew up in Wainwright, Bethel, and Unalakleet and Utqiagvik in rural Alaska. Her mother served as a representative in the Alaska Legislature. She is anIñupiaq and a member of the Native Village of Barrow Inupiat Traditional Government. One of her ancestors translated the Bible into the Inupiaq language.
In 1991, she graduated from Barrow High School. She went on to earn a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University in 1998.
Career
For almost two decades she has worked for Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) with subsidiaries, in various positions, the last being as Executive Vice President of External Affair where she served as the company's spokesperson. In this capacity, she has advocated for opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil drilling. She has a birthright co-ownership in the company.
She started a one-year term as co-chair of the Alaska Federation of Natives in October 2013 and served as chairman ofthe Arctic Economic Council from 2015 to 2017 as a representative of the Inuit Circumpolar Council.
In October 2017, she was nominated by President Donald Trump for Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. The US Senate Committee on Indian Affairs unanimously recommended a full vote in the Senate and she wasunanimously confirmed by the Senate in June 2018. During the confirmation hearings she pledged to recuse herself from issues involving the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. She is the first Native Alaskan and second woman to oversee the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Personal life
She is married to Kevin Sweeney who is also a Republican leader. The couple has two children and lives in Anchorage. Their son Ahmaogak had a role in the 2012 film Big Miracle.