MILTON BLUEHOUSE, JR., JOINS U.S. INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Milton Bluehouse, Jr., an intergovernmental relations specialist on tribal environmental issues and member
of the Navajo Nation, has joined the Udall Foundation's U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution.
Bluehouse's primary duties relate to the work of the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution's
Native Dispute Resolution Network, intercultural and intergovernmental training, and consensus building
services on matters involving Native nations and federal agencies.
"The Udall Foundation has a long-term commitment to working on issues involving American Indians," said Ellen
Wheeler, the Foundation executive director. "Included in that is the work of the U.S. Institute to assist
parties in the collaborative resolution of conflicts that involve Native peoples and are related to the
environment, natural resource or public/trust lands, cultural property and sacred sites. In 2010, we are
increasing our efforts in this area and putting additional resources towards our Native American programs,"
Wheeler said. "We are very excited to have Milton join us."
Most recently, Bluehouse served as the Environmental Justice and Tribal Government Liaison at the New Mexico
Environment Department where he helped develop tribal communication and collaboration policies for the
Department and four other state agencies. He also worked for the Navajo Nation's Office of Legislative
Services and the Navajo Nation’s Washington, D.C. office, and at the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department.
In 1999, Bluehouse served as an intern in the Udall Foundation's Native American Congressional Internship
Program, where he worked at the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources. He also
honorably served in the United States Marine Corps from 1991-1995 and received a bachelor's degree from the
University of Arizona and a law degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
Since its creation, the U.S. Institute has been involved in hundreds of environmental disputes around the
country. In 2000, the U.S. Institute formed the Native American and Alaska Native Environmental Program that
assists Native nations, federal agencies and other parties with government-to-government consultation,
facilitated negotiations, collaborative policy development and implementation, capacity building, consensus
building and collaboration in the implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and Section
106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).
In 2004, the U.S. Institute created the Native Dispute Resolution Network as a resource for individuals
seeking assistance from a collaborative conflict resolution practitioner with experience dealing with
conflicts where Native people and environmental, natural resource or public/trust lands, cultural property,
and sacred sites issues are involved. Network Members include American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian
and other practitioners who are experts in alleviating conflict in Indian country. Several working groups of
Network members, which include Native individuals, work with U.S. Institute staff to develop the Network so
that it may provide useful tools for Native dispute resolution.
You may contact Milton Bluehouse at bluehouse@ecr.gov or 520.901.8543.
Photo of Milton Bluehouse, Jr.