Crawford sworn in as assistant secretary for tribal affairs at USDOT

James Crawford, a citizen of the Forest County Potawatomi Community of Wisconsin, was sworn in on July 11 as the U.S. Department of Transportation’s assistant secretary for tribal affairs, according to a news release from USDOT. Crawford joined the department in May as deputy assistant secretary and previously served as chairman, vice chairman, council member and secretary of his tribal government.

Crawford said he will work to strengthen tribal sovereignty through the department’s Tribal Transportation Self‑Governance Program. As chairman of the Forest County Potawatomi Community, he signed the tribe’s compact and funding agreement with USDOT for self‑governance in August 2024.