Carrier receives Udall Foundation 2011 Native American Congressional internship

The Udall Foundation announced that 12 students from 12 tribes and nine universities have been selected as 2011 Native American Congressional Interns. Among this year’s recipients is Syracuse University student Brianna Carrier, Mohawk from the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, interning in the Office of Senator Tom Udall. Carrier is geography and policy studies major in The College of Arts and Sciences.

The students were selected by an independent review committee of nationally recognized Native educators and tribal policy leaders on the basis of academic achievement and a demonstrated commitment to careers in tribal public policy. 

This highly regarded internship program is intended to provide American Indians and Alaska Natives with an insider’s view of the federal government. The internship is located in Washington, D.C., and is known for placing students in extremely competitive internship positions in Senate and House offices, committees, Cabinet departments, and the White House, where they are able to observe government decision making processes firsthand. 

The Foundation awards approximately 12 internships every summer on the basis of merit to American Indians and Alaska Natives who are college juniors or seniors, recent graduates from tribal or four-year colleges, or graduate or law students who have demonstrated an interest in fields related to tribal public policy, such as criminal justice, cultural preservation and revitalization, education, economic development, health, law, natural resources protection, and tribal governance.

The 12 new Udall Interns will complete an intensive, 10-week internship in the summer of 2011.  Special enrichment activities will provide opportunities to meet with key decision makers.

Since its inception in 1996, 174 American Indian/Alaska Native students from 88 tribes have participated in the program.