The National Congress of American Indians welcomed the nomination of Keith Harper, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, to an ambassador-rank post.

President Barack Obama nominated Harper as the United States Representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council. If confirmed by the Senate, Harper will help address human rights issues around the world.

“Native peoples have conducted nation-to-nation diplomacy throughout the Americas for thousands of years. Upon confirmation, Keith Harper will join a small number of Native peoples who have been called upon to serve the United States as Ambassador," NCAI President Jefferson Keel said in a press release.

"Mr. Harper’s extensive legal experience, both in Indian law and beyond, will be an invaluable resource to the UN Human Rights Council. As a tribal citizen, Mr. Harper will serve the United States with a sense of both the terrible history of human rights abuses against Native peoples and the strength of Indigenous cultures that always seek justice for all peoples," Keel added.

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