To celebrate National Women’s History Month, the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative is highlighting women who are blazing the trail for others in Indian Country food and agriculture. This week, we’re featuring our Executive Director, Erin Parker.

Utilizing her fast experience in Indian Country food and agricultural law and policy, Erin leads the Initiative through program development, research and writing, and analysis of legislative and regulatory issues affecting Tribal governments, businesses, and individual producers.

As IFAI’s longest-standing employee, Erin became IFAI’s first staff hire, working under founding director Janie Simms Hipp. Since then, she has gone on to serve various roles including the Director of Research and staff attorney. In 2020, she stepped into the role of IFAI’s executive director, helping lead the organization with her invaluable knowledge and experience in Indian Country food and agriculture.

Erin holds both her J.D. and her LL.M. in Agricultural & Food Law from the University of Arkansas.

Before beginning her work with the Initiative, she worked as a Staff Attorney and Research Coordinator for the Cobell Commission, a national working group convened by the Secretary of the Interior to repair the federal government’s Indian land trust management system.

Stay tuned throughout the month of March for more features on women who are blazing the trail for others in Indian Country food and agriculture.