WASHINGTON – The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has appointed four individuals to serve as Indigenous Peoples’ representatives on the Observer delegation from the United States to the Partnership Council of the Indigenous Peoples Economic and Trade Cooperation Arrangement (IPETCA).
These appointments align with United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai’s pledge to implement a worker-centered trade policy that benefits all Americans, including historically underserved and overburdened communities. In November 2023, Ambassador Tai hosted a first-of-its-kind ministerial meeting with Indigenous leaders on the margins of APEC in San Francisco, California during the United States’ host year.
The following individuals were chosen for their ability to engage with U.S. government representatives to ensure robust participation by Indigenous Peoples in IPETCA meetings and activities, as well as their knowledge of and expertise in international trade policy, the work of USTR, and economic development relevant to their communities:
• Lawrence SpottedBird (Kiowa); Chairman, Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma
• Randy Smith (Choctaw); Tribal Administrator, Thlopthlocco Tribal Town
• Amanda Smith (Osoyoos/Okanagan); President, Native American Business Association
• Chuck Nathan Charleston (Navajo); Director, Native American Community Academy Foundation
These representatives will serve at the discretion of the U.S. Trade Representative for two-year terms, with the option to extend for a third year.
Initiated in 2021, IPETCA establishes a framework for facilitating cooperation between economies to identify and remove barriers to Indigenous Peoples’ economic empowerment and participation in trade. The current IPETCA participating economies are Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Taiwan. The Partnership Council is the governing body of IPETCA and is composed of Indigenous and government representatives from the participating economies to the Arrangement. USTR has led the United States’ efforts on IPETCA since the United States became an observer economy to the IPETCA Partnership Council in April 2024.
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