Woman becomes first Alaska Native to head Indian Affairs

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The U.S. Senate has named an Anchorage and Utqiagvik native as the assistant Interior Secretary for Indian Affairs.

President Donald Trump nominated Tara MacLean Sweeney for the role last year.

She is an executive at Arctic Slope Regional Corporation and a past co-chair of the Alaska Federation of Natives.

The U.S. Senate selected Sweeney in a unanimous vote and confirmed her Thursday.

She is the first Alaska Native to serve as assistant Interior secretary.

Sweeney is one of five assistant secretaries in the Interior Department, reporting to Deputy Secretary David Bernhardt and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.

She will oversee the bureaus of Indian Affairs and Indian Education.