Brian Cladoosby (born May 13, 1959) is a Native American leader and activist. He served as chairman of the

Swinomish Indian Tribal Community The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, also known as the Swinomish Tribe, is a federally recognized Tribe located on Puget Sound in Washington, United States.National Congress of American Indians The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is an American Indian and Alaska Native rights organization. It was founded in 1944 to represent the tribes and resist federal government pressure for termination of tribal rights and assimilati ...

in October 2013. He previously served as president of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians. As president of NCAI, he introduced President Obama at a White House Tribal Nations Conference and was a guest at the state dinner given for the president of France. Cladoosby is an active defender of

tribal sovereignty Tribal sovereignty in the United States is the concept of the inherent authority of indigenous tribes to govern themselves within the borders of the United States. Originally, the U.S. federal government recognized American Indian trib ...

, treaty rights and the environment. Cladoosby has been a staunch opponent of the

Dakota Access Pipeline The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) or Bakken pipeline is a underground pipeline in the United States that has the ability to transport up to 750,000 barrels of light sweet crude oil per day. It begins in the shale oil fields of the Bakken Forma ...

. During his tenure as Swinomish chairman, the tribe became one of the largest employers in Skagit County, its police department was granted authority by the state to enforce state law, and health care was expanded to include dental care by dental health therapists, the equivalent of a nurse practitioner. The tribe's didgwalic Wellness Center provides outpatient addiction treatment and is open to the general community. The Swinomish Tribe hosted the 2011 Canoe Journey. Cladoosby lost his seat as Swinomish chairman on March 9, 2020, to Steve Edwards. Cladoosby had previously lost his reelection bid for the Swinomish Tribal Senate to Alana Quintasket in the February 9 general election.

References

1959 births Living people 20th-century Native Americans 21st-century Native Americans Coast Salish people Native American activists Native American leaders People from La Conner, Washington {{US-activist-stub