Bryan Newland

Newland was born and raised in the Bay Mills Indian Community, located in Chippewa County, Michigan. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in social relations from Michigan State University and a Juris Doctor in Indian law from the Michigan State University College of Law.[1]

From 2009 to 2012, Newland served as a senior advisor to the assistant secretary of the Interior for Indian affairs. He then joined the Fletcher Law Firm in Lansing, Michigan.[2] He served as chief judge of the Bay Mills Indian Community from 2013 to 2017 and as tribal chair from 2017 to 2021. He was also a regent of the Bay Mills Community College from 2016 to 2021.[3] In 2020, Newland wrote an op-ed endorsing Pete Buttigieg's 2020 presidential campaign, arguing Buttigieg "speaks to issues important to Tribal Nations and our citizens."[4]

Newland was formally nominated by President Joe Biden to lead the Bureau of Indian Affairs on April 22, 2021.[5] His nomination was endorsed by the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and members of the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.[6][7] The Senate voted in favor of his nomination in August 2021 and he was sworn in to the position in September 2021.