U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 68 – 31 on March 1 to become the next secretary of the Department of the Interior, making him one of the most bipartisan-supported Cabinet members selected by President Donald Trump.

Zinke’s new position puts him in charge of the agency that oversees American Indian affairs, an area that he vowed during his confirmation process to strengthen and advocate for, especially in terms of supporting tribal sovereignty and self-determination and by improving the efforts of the Bureaus of Indian Affairs and Education.

“I shall faithfully uphold Teddy Roosevelt’s belief that our treasured public lands are ‘for the benefit and enjoyment of the people’ and will work tirelessly to ensure our public lands are managed and preserved in a way that benefits all Americans for generations to come,” Ryan Zinke said in a statement after being sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence.

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“This means responsible natural resource development, increased access for recreation and sportsmen, and conservation that makes the land more valuable for our children’s children. Importantly, our sovereign Indian nations and territories must have the respect and freedom they deserve.”

Tribal leaders widely supported Zinke’s nomination offering a common message that Trump could have picked a person much less familiar with Indian issues to run Interior.

As a Congress member, Ryan Zinke championed federal recognition for the Little Shell Chippewa Tribe, he supported tribal water settlements, and he regularly met with tribal leaders. Since serving in Congress starting in 2015, he was adopted as a member of the Assiniboine Sioux. He did military service as a Navy SEAL.

“Sovereignty should mean something,” Ryan Zinke said during his confirmation hearing held January 31. “When we say, ‘You’re a sovereign nation,’ let’s have the discussion of how to empower that.”

The National Congress of American Indians applauded his confirmation, noting that as the at-Large representative for Montana, Ryan Zinke represented seven federally recognized tribes, which “gives him a great deal of understanding of the federal government’s trust responsibility to tribes,” according to a statement released by the organization.

“Throughout his service as a Congressman for Montana, he fought for Montanans and Montana’s tribes in the halls of Congress,” NCAI President Brian Cladoosby said in a statement. “We have no doubt that Secretary Zinke will continue fighting for all tribes as Secretary of Interior. As the trustee to all 567 federally recognized tribes, we wish Secretary Zinke every success in advancing the federal government’s treaty and trust obligations.”

Native-focused members of Congress on both sides of the aisle said they expect Ryan Zinke to do well by tribes.

“Ryan Zinke has a proven positive track record of working with Indian tribes,” Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, said in a statement. “As the sole congressman for Montana, he championed tribal interests on important issues, including water rights, economic and natural resource development, as well as safety and services for Indian children and women.

“He has demonstrated his commitment to upholding tribal sovereignty and understands the unique government-to-government relationship that the United States shares with tribes. I look forward to working with Secretary Zinke and tribal leaders to advance initiatives to improve the quality of life in Indian communities,” Hoeven added.

Don Young (R-AK), former chair of the House Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs, said in a statement that he is “confident – under Secretary Zinke’s leadership – we will start the process of repairing the public’s trust in our federal land managers, unleash our nation’s robust energy potential, and continue the important work of uplifting our American Indian and Alaska Native communities.”

Democrats, including Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM), ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies and vice chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, also expressed optimism.

“Congressman Zinke’s hearing testimony and answers to my many questions give me a level of confidence that he understands the serious and essential responsibilities of the Secretary of the Interior to defend our precious public lands and uphold the tribal trust responsibility,” Udall said in a statement.

However, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the ranking minority member of the U.S. Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which oversaw Zinke’s confirmation process, said she had concerns about his ability to responsibly manage public lands.

“It is clear to me the [Trump] administration will do everything it can to reverse responsible management of our public lands and instead pursue an aggressive energy development agenda without regard to the environmental and public health consequences,” Cantwell said in statement explaining her vote against Ryan Zinke. “We have a nominee who has been all over the map as it relates to public lands. And he has certainly [gone] on the record that he will implement the president’s strategy.”

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Cantwell cautioned, too: “The Secretary of the Interior must be committed to upholding our trust and treaty obligations for our country’s 567 federally recognized tribes. That secretary must be committed to recognizing tribal sovereignty and self-determination; to protecting tribal lands, waters and mineral resources; and to supporting adequate resources for tribal education, social services and infrastructure.”

Echoing Cantwell’s concerns, Udall said that he will depend on Ryan Zinke to communicate tribal concerns to the Trump administration.

“As the vice chairman of Senate Indian Affairs Committee and a representative of 23 tribes and pueblos in New Mexico, I am already deeply concerned by the Trump administration’s disrespectful and rash early actions on tribal issues, including its decision to move forward with construction on the current route of the Dakota Access Pipeline,” the New Mexico Senator lamented in his statement.

“I have impressed upon Congressman Zinke that he must work to help President Trump understand our trust and treaty obligations to tribes and the need for meaningful consultation on any issue that affects Native American lands and culture, including the ongoing process to determine a Resource Management Plan in the greater Chaco Canyon area. I was encouraged by Congressman Zinke’s promise to be a ‘strong advocate’ for Native Americans, and I intend to hold him to that promise.”

Trump himself did not mention American Indians in his statement regarding Zinke’s nomination. In nominating Ryan Zinke, the president said, “Ryan has built one of the strongest track records on championing regulatory relief, forest management, responsible energy development and public land issues in Congress. As a former Navy SEAL, he has incredible leadership skills and an attitude of doing whatever it takes to win. America is the most beautiful country in the world and he is going to help keep it that way with smart management of our federal lands. At the same time, my administration’s goal is to repeal bad regulations and use our natural resources to create jobs and wealth for the American people, and Ryan will explore every possibility for how we can safely and responsibly do that.”