First Native American appointed to University of Minnesota Board of Regents

Gov. Tim Walz has appointed Tadd Johnson to the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, the first Native American to be appointed to the Board since it was established more than 170 years ago.

Johnson, 65, is a member of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa who lives in Duluth. He retired last month as the University of Minnesota's first senior director of American Indian Tribal Nations relations, a job that he said came about in 2019 when he complained to new President Joan Gabel that the University needed to do more to consult with tribes.

He's also a former professor, tribal attorney and tribal court judge. He still serves as senior advisor on government affairs for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.

By Dan Kraker

Tadd Johnson, a member of the Boise Forte Band of Chippewa, is the first Native American appointed to the University of Minnesota Board of Regents.

Derek Montgomery for MPR News