George T. Skibine, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Economic Development of Indian Affairs, announced in February a new effort to recruit and train American Indian and Alaska Native post-secondary students to become Indian Country’s next generation of tribal energy and natural resource management professionals.
The Energy Resource Development Tribal Internship Program has been developed through a partnership between the Indian Affairs Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED), the Council of Energy Resource Tribes (CERT) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) to help increase the number of American Indians and Alaska Natives who can effectively manage a tribe’s energy and natural resources.
“This internship program will offer an exciting opportunity for
American Indians and Alaska Natives interested in the science and
engineering professions, two fields where they are traditionally
under-represented,” Skibine said. “It will also help tribes by
developing a cadre of professionals who have the training and expertise
to aid them in managing the development of their energy and natural
resources.”
Title V of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 requires
the Secretary of the Interior to provide technical assistance to Indian
tribes seeking to develop energy resources, establish an Indian energy
resource development program and to further the goal of Indian
self-determination. The internship program is one aspect of the IEED’s
efforts to fulfill the act’s mandate.
The IEED will provide
guidance and oversight for the program and funding for student
recruitment. CERT, in coordination with ANL, will recruit interns from
institutions of higher learning. CERT also will seek to recruit tribes
that are in various stages of energy development to provide mentors for
the interns. It also match internship candidates with tribal and ANL
research opportunities, and will identify opportunities for internships.
The
program, which will be held annually, is slated to begin this summer
and run for 10 weeks. Applicants will be considered based on whether
they have the skills to perform necessary tasks, if their needs will be
met by the program and if they are interested in developing
capabilities in sustainable energy programs.
For information,
contact the ANL Division of Ed. Programs at 630-252-4114 or see:
www.dep.anl.gov, and click on “Tribal Internships.” Information also
can be found on CERT’s website at :www.certredearth.com. The deadline
for applications is April 3.
