Expertise in Native American Community Development Representative
Founder and Director
Peȟíŋ Haha Consulting
St. Paul, MN
Patrice Kunesh, of Standing Rock Lakota descent, is the founder and director of Peȟíŋ Haha Consulting, a social enterprise committed to fostering self-determined Native nations by expanding their access to economic opportunities and fostering social and economic capital. Previously, she established and led the Center for Indian Country Development at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, a national initiative focused on activating financial, human, and social capital to facilitate economic growth and prosperity in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Ms. Kunesh began her legal career at the Native American Rights Fund, where her work centered on jurisdiction and natural resources, nation building, and Indian child welfare matters. Ms. Kunesh previously served in various federal government roles including as the Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and as the Deputy Solicitor for Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior.