Former Hatfield Fellow joins Oregon governor’s staff

By Dean Rhodes

Publications coordinator

SALEM – Former Hatfield Fellow Shana Radford joined Gov. Tina Kotek’s administration as Oregon’s first Tribal Affairs director in mid-November.

Radford was the 2010 Hatfield Fellow, a program operated by the Grand Ronde Tribe’s Spirit Mountain Community Fund that annually places a Native American in an Oregon congressional office to improve federal understanding of Indian Country issues. The fellowship also honors Mark Hatfield, a former Oregon governor and U.S. senator.

Since May 2022, Radford, 39, has served as deputy director of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation near Pendleton in eastern Oregon.

“The Tribal Affairs director is an unprecedented role in the governor’s office,” spokesperson Anca Matica said. “The governor’s top priority for the Tribal Affairs director is to foster positive relationships with Oregon’s Tribal nations through meaningful and transparent consultation.”

In a press release, Kotek said she chose Radford for her “extensive experience in Tribal matters, policies and government-to-government relations through a career of promoting Tribal sovereignty, fostering positive relationships and advancing the interests of Oregon’s Tribal nations.”

“It is with great honor and humility that I step into public service as Tribal Affairs director,” Radford said in a press release announcing her appointment. “I will promote and practice transparent and integrous policy design and implementation by centering true collaboration through curiosity, empathy, candor and reciprocity. As a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and an Oregonian, I bring with me a deep sense of pride and commitment to our shared values of connection, history, collaboration and gratitude for the community that raised me. Gov. Kotek’s trust in me underscores her respect and commitment in strengthening, addressing and understanding the distinctive needs and the unique political relationship with Oregon’s Tribal nations.”

Former Spirit Mountain Community Fund Executive Director Shelley Hanson, who was in charge of the fund when Radford served her fellowship, said that Radford is an “excellent example” of the Grand Ronde Tribe’s commitment to leadership development.

“Shana Radford has taken her time in D.C. as a Hatfield Fellow and soared professionally and found a variety of ways to positively impact Indian Country,” Hanson said.

After serving as the Hatfield Fellow in U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden’s office, Radford became superintendent of the Flathead Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Montana. She also worked as the Tribal liaison for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and as a Tribal and congressional lead for the U.S. Census Bureau to improve counts from Tribal nations in Oregon and Idaho during the 2020 census.

She has a master’s degree in international law and international relations from the University of New South Wales in Australia and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Portland State University.

“This is really what the Hatfield Fellowship program is all about,” current Community Fund Executive Director Angie Sears said. “It’s about providing Native Americans with an opportunity to build a solid foundation while working within the federal political system, and strengthening the relationships between Oregon Tribes and the federal government.

“We are so proud that Shana has used her knowledge and experience to build an amazing career and is now representing Indian Country in the governor’s office as Oregon’s first Tribal Affairs director.”

Includes information from the Oregon Capital Chronicle.