President Biden nominates 1st Native American US treasurer

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Native American has been nominated to be U.S. treasurer, a historic first.

President Joe Biden's nomination Tuesday of Marilynn “Lynn” Malerba comes as his administration establishes an Office of Tribal and Native Affairs at the Treasury Department, which will be overseen by the U.S. treasurer.

The treasurer’s duties include oversight of the U.S. Mint, serving as a liaison with the Federal Reserve and overseeing Treasury’s Office of Consumer Policy. The treasurer's signature appears on U.S. currency.

Malerba, who is the lifetime chief of the Mohegan Indian Tribe, previously worked as a registered nurse, according to the tribe's website, and has served in various tribal government roles. The tribe's reservation is located on the Thames River in Uncasville, Connecticut.

“For the first time in history, a Tribal leader and Native woman’s name will be the signature on our currency,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in remarks prepared ahead of the announcement.

“Chief Malerba will expand our unique relationship with Tribal nations, continuing our joint efforts to support the development of Tribal economies and economic opportunities for Tribal citizens,” Yellen said.

Yellen was set to visit the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota on Tuesday, the first time a Treasury secretary has visited a tribal nation. She is expected to focus on how the American Rescue Plan has affected tribal communities.

The relief package allotted more than $30 billion to Tribal governments, some of which oversee the poorest communities in the nation.

For instance, 59% of Rosebud Sioux Tribal households live in poverty, according to U.S. government estimates. Native communities have also suffered the brunt of waves of COVID-19-related deaths and drug overdoses.

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