Choctaw Tribal Member Appointed to White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council

DURANT, Okla. — Choctaw tribal member Tye Baker was one of 12 additional members appointed to the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC), a federal advisory committee that works to address the climate crisis at home and abroad.

Tye Baker has served Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) for 20 years and currently serves as the Senior Director of the Environmental Protection Service, where he directs wildlife conservation, resource management, and environmental sustainability programs.

“I was born and raised on the Choctaw Nation reservation and have a deep and longstanding connection to our environment,” Baker said. “Due to my role with the Choctaw Nation, I have been able to help our reservation and our people by providing sound technical assistance backed by science, as well as culturally relevant practices and needs specific to the Choctaw Nation. I am honored to serve in a similar role for the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council.”

President Biden established the committee under Executive Order 14008 of January 27, 2021, to provide advice and recommendations to the White House Environmental Justice Interagency Council and the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality on how to address current and historic environmental injustice. The establishment of the WHEJAC marked the first time that a Presidential advisory body had been tasked with providing recommendations to the federal government on environmental justice.