Tara Sweeney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tara Sweeney
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| Katuk | |
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Sweeney in 2018
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| 13th Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs | |
| In office July 9, 2018 – January 20, 2021 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Kevin K. Washburn |
| Succeeded by | Bryan Newland |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Tara Katuk MacLean
July 28, 1973 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Michael Sweeney |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Eileen MacLean (mother) |
| Education | Cornell University (BS) |
Tara MacLean Sweeney was born on July 28, 1973. She is an American businesswoman and a former government official. From July 2018 to January 2021, she served as the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs. This important role helps manage the relationship between the U.S. government and Native American tribes.
Tara Sweeney is an Alaska Native. She also worked in the government of Alaska's Governor, Frank Murkowski. In 2022, she ran for a seat in the United States House of Representatives for Alaska, but she did not win.
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Early Life and Education
Tara Sweeney's mother, Eileen MacLean, was a teacher and a member of the Alaska Legislature. Tara is of Iñupiaq descent. This means she is part of the Iñupiat people, who are Native Alaskans. She is also a member of the Native Village of Barrow Inupiat Traditional Government. One of her ancestors helped translate the Bible into the Iñupiaq language.
Tara grew up in several small towns in rural Alaska. These towns include Wainwright, Bethel, Unalakleet, and Utqiagvik. She finished high school in Barrow in 1991. Later, she went to Cornell University. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1998.
Business Career in Alaska
For nearly 20 years, Tara Sweeney worked for the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC). This is a large company owned by Alaska Natives. She held many different jobs there. Her last role was Executive Vice President of External Affairs. In this job, she was the company's main spokesperson. She supported opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil drilling. She is a co-owner of the company because she was born into an Alaska Native family.
In 2013, Tara Sweeney became a co-chair of the Alaska Federation of Natives for one year. This group works to protect the rights and cultures of Alaska Native people. From 2015 to 2017, she also led the Arctic Economic Council. She represented the Inuit Circumpolar Council in this role.
Political and Government Career
In 2003, Tara Sweeney joined the team of Alaska Governor Frank Murkowski. She worked as a special assistant focusing on rural affairs and education.
During the 2014 election for the U.S. Senate in Alaska, Sweeney helped Republican Dan Sullivan with his campaign. She believed that the other political party was making it hard for Alaska to grow and create jobs. She later wrote an article supporting Sullivan's re-election in 2020.
Working for Native American Affairs
In 2017, President Donald Trump chose Tara Sweeney to be the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. This is a very important job that oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs. This bureau works with Native American tribes across the United States. The Senate approved her for this role in 2018. She promised to avoid making decisions that would benefit the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation directly. She is the first Alaska Native person and the second woman to lead the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
While in this role, she faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. She suggested that money meant for tribal governments should also go to Alaska Native-owned businesses. A court first disagreed, but the Supreme Court later ruled in 2021 that these businesses could receive the funds.
Running for Congress in 2022
In 2022, after Congressman Don Young passed away, Tara Sweeney decided to run for his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. She ran in both a special election to finish his term and the regular election. Alaska had a new election system where the top four candidates from a first election moved on to a final election.
Tara Sweeney was seen by some as a moderate Republican. She received support from the largest Alaska Native corporations. She finished fifth in the first election for the special seat. Even though she didn't get on the final ballot for the special election, she ran as a write-in candidate. This means people had to write her name on the ballot. Her write-in effort was not successful. She also qualified for the November general election but later decided to end her campaign.
Personal Life
Tara Sweeney is married to Kevin Sweeney. They have two children and live in Anchorage, Alaska.
She also had a small role in the 2011 movie On the Ice. Her son, Ahmaogak, was in the 2012 movie Big Miracle.
