Ron Volesky, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, is a Democrat but that isn't stopping him from seeking a job within the Republican Bush administration.

Volesky, who served in the South Dakota Legislature for 18 years as a Democrat and a Republican, is asking President Bush to consider him as head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He says his experience with tribes will be an asset but won't present any problems as it did with Dave Anderson, who resigned from the job in February.

''I don't have the baggage, I don't have the conflict of issues that plagued Anderson,'' Volesky told Indian Country Today.

The White House has not made an announcement about the BIA vacancy. Among those rumored to be in consideration are Phil Hogen (Lakota), currently the chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission; Jana McKeag (Cherokee), currently the chairman of the Indian Arts and Crafts Board; and Aurene Martin (Ojibwe/Menominee), the former principal deputy assistant secretary.

Others who have reportedly sought consideration include John Gonzales (San Ildefonso Pueblo), a former president of the National Congress of American Indians; and Tim Martin (Poarch Creek), the executive director of the United South and Eastern Tribes.

Get the Story:
Volesky wants BIA job (Indian Country Today 6/20)

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