Profiles of Members of the Native-American Community at EPA: Jared Hautamaki
Profiles of Members of the Native-American Community at EPA
Jared Hautamaki, Attorney Advisor
Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
Washington, DC
Where were you born?
I was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
What is your tribal affiliation?
I'm a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians from Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In May 2016, I was appointed to serve as a Reserve Appellate Judge for my tribe.
What brought you to EPA?
I came to EPA after doing contract work at the Native American Rights Fund. Being aware of the environmental issues that tribes face and the importance we put on preserving the land for future generations, I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to help my people as well as my country.
What kind of work do you do at EPA?
I am currently serving as an attorney in the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. I have served as a Special Assistant in the Office of the Administrator and as a Daytime Watch Officer for the Emergency Operations Center. I deployed as part of the emergency response operations for Hurricane Maria and during the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response. I am also currently serving on the Interagency Nuclear Safety Review Panel for the Mars 2020 mission on Biomedical and Environmental Effects Working Group and coauthored the technical report on potential Pu238 dose exposure in launch accident and reentry scenarios.
Did you go to vocational school or college? What was your major?
For my undergraduate degree, I attended Saginaw Valley State University, where I majored in theatre performance and was an acting scholarship student. After five years of working for a Congressman John Conyers, Jr., I decided to go back to school. I attended the Pre-Law Summer Institute for Native Americans and Alaskan Natives at the University of New Mexico, where I was recruited to attend the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. In 2014, I graduated from the International Aviation and Outer Space Law Master of Laws program at McGill University in Montreal and continue to look for opportunities to use that expertise either at EPA or another federal agency.
What message would you like to send young Native Americans who are considering going to college?
You need to learn not only the ways of your tribe, but the basics of math, science, history, and government. Only then will you begin to protect the sovereignty guaranteed to us by our treaty rights, along with the earth, water, land and animals that we all rely on.