Ira Matt, Executive Director, Indigenous Diplomacy and Federal Relations, National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers

Ira L. Matt is Séliš and a citizen of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. He serves as Executive Director for Indigenous Diplomacy and Federal Relations at the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers. Ira has more than 25 years of experience in Tribal sovereignty, cultural heritage protection, Tribal consultation, Indigenous Knowledge, and federal-Tribal relations.

His career includes service as Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and Supervisory Tribal Archaeologist for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Director of the Office of Tribal and Indigenous Peoples at the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, Federal Preservation Officer within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the inaugural federal official responsible for developing the Indigenous Engagement and Native American Affairs program within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. He holds a Master of Jurisprudence in Indian Law from the University of Tulsa College of Law and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Anthropology from the University of Montana.