Official US Government Icon

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure Site Icon

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

James A. Crawford Sworn in as the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Assistant Secretary for Tribal Affairs

Monday, July 14, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C.— James A. Crawford, a citizen of the Forest County Potawatomi Community of Wisconsin, was sworn in Friday as the Assistant Secretary for Tribal Affairs.  

“I am going to deliver on President Trump’s and Secretary Duffy’s promises to work with the 574 federally recognized tribes across this great nation. I look forward to the opportunity to strengthen their sovereignty with the Department’s Tribal Transportation Self-Governance Program, and I’m proud to represent my tribe of the Forest County Potawatomi Community in Northern Wisconsin,” said Assistant Secretary for Tribal Affairs, James A. Crawford. 

Crawford, who joined the USDOT in May 2025 as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tribal Affairs, has extensive experience in Tribal Affairs. He served in multiple capacities within Forest County Potawatomi’s tribal government including Vice-Chairman, Council Member, Secretary and most recently resigning his Tribal Chairman position to take on the role of USDOT Deputy Assistant Secretary. 

During his time as Tribal Chairman for Forest County Potawatomi, Crawford signed off on the compact and funding agreement with DOT for Forest County Potawatomi to join the USDOT Tribal Self-Governance program on August 19, 2024. 

Crawford was awarded the Madison365 Wisconsin’s most Influential Native American Leaders 2023 and the BizTimes Media Wisconsin 275 Most Influential Business Leaders in 2024. He was the initial Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Potawatomi Business Development Corporation, which is now Potawatomi Ventures.

###