Those who live around Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) understandably pay close attention to its impact on the local community, the environment, and the economy. It’s a diverse landscape that requires someone with the skills and constitution to communicate NNSA’s mission with a range of important leaders and stakeholders. Given his background and experience, Don Ami, Intergovernmental Affairs Program Specialist for NNSA’s Los Alamos Field Office, is an excellent fit for this role.

Originally from a Tewa village in North Central Arizona, Ami’s father is Hopi and mother, Tewa. Growing up in the wide-open spaces of the Hopi Reservation, Ami naturally joined the family in farming, and in raising horses and cattle. He attended college at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, then enlisted in the U.S. Navy for six years. Subsequently, Ami attended Chapman University and the University of California-Berkeley for studies in conservation and resource studies with a minor in a federal Indian pre-law track. 

After leaving California, Ami worked on the Hopi reservation in Arizona for five years as director of economic and natural resources. His stint there was out of love, loyalty, and a sense of obligation to his ancestry. During that time, he managed litigation processes related to the infamous Hopi-Navajo land dispute, and renegotiation of a coal mining lease with Peabody Coal Company. 

“The Peabody lease renegotiation was an enormous effort,” he said. “In order to close the deal, we had to testify before Congress; partner with the Navajo Nation at the same time the two of us were engaged in a bitter land dispute; and file a federal case related to the mining operation that made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In the end, we succeeded in closing a deal that dramatically increased revenues for both Hopi and Navajo.”

Ami later served as Executive Director of the Hopi Washington Office where he worked as a conduit to Congress during the waning days of the Hopi-Navajo Land Dispute. After the Office closed, he partnered with a D.C. firm as a legislative associate advocating for a host of clientele on housing, energy, and natural resources issues. He also worked in the private sector with licenses to trade mutual funds and real estate. 

His federal career started in the Bureau of Reclamation as a technical member of the federal team negotiating water rights in Montana. He then went to the Western Area Power Administration, where he negotiated power sales agreements with Tribes and service providers in the Upper Great Plains Region. The Bill Crediting Projects he worked on had huge challenges, not the least of which involved negotiations with 22 tribes across the region, none of which had utility status. It required lots of time on the road and working with parties who were “miles apart” from even having cross-cultural relationships. 

“Many different approaches were implemented to fit given circumstances to close those deals,” explained Ami. “It was an interesting experience and a very, very fulfilling job. The personal return I got was indescribable. Some of the tribal folks were low-income and their heating costs were astronomical because of the housing and weather conditions in the Great Plains. The Bill Crediting Program helped to reduce their electric costs. The greatest gratitude I’ve ever gotten as a federal employee was when a Northern Cheyenne elder thanked me for making her living circumstances livable.”

In 2005, Ami joined the Los Alamos Field Office, where for the past 15+ years he has been applying the skills he had developed to work with congressional staff, state and local governments, tribal governments, and the private sector. 

Ami’s work with tribal governments has gained even greater importance and focus thanks to the Biden Administration’s initiative to improve federal agency interactions with tribes. Pueblo lands border LANL and visitors cross through nine Indian Reservations to get to Los Alamos from the Albuquerque airport. Materials and waste from LANL cross those same lands en route to their destinations. As such, the viewpoints of tribal governments on federal actions related to Los Alamos is exceptionally important. 

To ensure that he properly represents the federal government’s interest and honors government-to-government protocols among tribal nations, Ami normally spends a lot of time in the field, visiting with Pueblo governors and officials. He coordinates regular, standing meetings with those same officials and attends national conferences including the DOE National Tribal Leaders Conference. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ami’s interactions have been largely virtual. He has missed getting out in the field to interact with tribal stakeholders, attending annual Pueblo feasts at the invitation of governors, and facilitating discussions regarding ways that LANL and the Pueblos can work together. 

“Our relationship with the Pueblos and state and local elected officials are extremely important to successfully carry out the NNSA mission,” said Ami. “I have a lot of respect for our elected officials and enjoy working with them. I’m especially looking forward to sitting face-to-face again with these fine public servants to discuss items of mutual interest.”