Kristi Noem takes on advisory role with Vancouver-based mining company

VANCOUVER — The former head of the Trump administration’s U.S. Department of Homeland Security has taken on an advisory role with NovaRed Mining, a Vancouver critical-minerals exploration company..In a statement released Tuesday, NovaRed said Kristi Noem is joining the company as a strategic adviser in its “mission of acquiring and advancing critical-mineral exploration opportunities through its artificial intelligence-enhanced technology platform.”Noem confirmed the statement during a recent appearance on Fox Business, further explaining her role in the company.“NovaRed is a very important company based in Canada that is doing exploration for minerals in a new way,” Noem explained.“They're doing exploration for critical minerals using AI,” Noem continued before noting that the U.S. imports 17% of its critical minerals, including copper, from Canada and saying she wanted to “continue building on that relationship” to “ensure we are doing business with those closer to home and are friendly countries within North America.Noem, the former South Dakota congresswoman and governor, was ousted from her top Department of Homeland Security position on March 5..The appointment has sharp criticism from some Canadians, who have questioned the value of hiring a polarizing former Trump administration official to advise a Canadian resource company. Noem's time as homeland security secretary was marred by controversy — including the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis, which she described as acts of “domestic terrorism."Activist and author Harsha Walia posted on X linking the news to broader critiques of Canadian mining practices and what she described as Canada’s role as an “imperialist partner.”.Noem’s past statements about Canada include a March 2025 incident at the Haskell Free Library on the Quebec-Vermont border where she reportedly stepped across the international line and referred to Canada as the “51st state.".Noem has said she looks forward to supporting the company’s strategic objectives in an environment where “secure and reliable access to critical minerals has become an important economic and national security priority.”

Kristi Noem takes on advisory role with Vancouver-based mining company

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