Janie Simms Hipp, the founding CEO of the Native American Agriculture Fund, is the most recent confirmation to the general counsel for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Hipp is just one of the many Native Americans being confirmed in positions with the Department of the Interior.

A recent article by Nancy Marie Spears of Gaylord News elaborates on Hipp’s role in the USDA and the many other Native American confirmations are addressed, shedding light on this momentous news.

“Hipp’s confirmation means that someone with the traditional knowledge of her Tribal Nation and an expansive resume in agriculture will have influence over the ways the government obtains and produces food, deals with climate change, and preserves natural resources.”