Kara Briggs

Kara Briggs is the Interim Vice President for Tribal Relations, Arts and Culture. She is a citizen of the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe and a direct descendant of the Yakama Nation. She is a 2010 graduate of The Evergreen State College’s Tribal Master of Public Administration Program.

Kara began her career as an award-winning journalist, working for The Spokesman-Review and The Oregonian while also serving as president of the Native American Journalists Association and Unity: Journalists of Color. She wrote a groundbreaking national column on healthcare for Indian Country Today. She co-founded a think tank on the influence of the news media on federal Indian policy for the State Universities of New York.

She was recruited to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian where her work focused on strategic communications and fund development in support of the museum's educational mission. She conducted foundational research for the museum's Native Knowledge 360, outreach to the nation's local schools. She developed the foundational framework for conducting fund development in Indian Country. She has led in public affairs, tribal relations for the state government, and government relations for tribes from Alaska to Arizona. She has been a small business owner. She is a leader in women’s organizations, including Seattle’s Center for Women and Democracy which she chaired, and the National Women’s Political Caucus for which she serves on the national board. She is also an author and a poet.