Reply to a letter to the editor: Noem’s NovaRed gig bolsters Shield of the Americas

Contrary to popular opinion, President Trump did not “fire” Kristi Noem from her old job at the Department of Homeland Security; he repositioned her to maximize her contribution to furthering U.S. critical minerals policy as “Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas.”

Now, the Canada-based minerals exploration firm NovaRed Mining, Inc., has enlisted Noem’s aid as a strategic advisor in its mission of acquiring and advancing critical mineral exploration opportunities through its artificial intelligence-enhanced technology platform. 

A recent article in this publication asked how Noem’s work for a Canadian copper-gold mining firm might benefit both the company and aid U.S. critical minerals policy? An honest question would have better been “What qualifies her as a person with expertise across government, industry, capital markets, infrastructure, and resource development?”

First, what makes her a good fit for NovaRed? The mineral exploration company, which went public in 2023, is focused on identification, acquisition, exploration, and development of copper-gold porphyry projects in British Columbia using an AI-enhanced geospatial technology platform the company developed to identify and evaluate prospective mineral properties.

CEO and President Brian Goss is also the founder and President of Rangefront Geological, a premier geological services and consulting company that caters to a large spectrum of clients in the mining and minerals exploration industries. He is also a director of Lithium Corp., an exploration stage company specializing in energy storage minerals, and a former president and director of Graphite Corp.

A key element of the firm is NovaRed MetalCore, an AI-assisted mineral discovery platform built to revolutionize how exploration companies, mining firms, and investors identify, evaluate, and communicate minerals opportunities, fusing geoscience expertise with advanced AI.

MetalCore develops domain-specific models to analyze geological, geophysical, and geochemical data faster and more accurately than traditional methods. Using both proprietary and public datasets, MetalCore improves anomaly detection, predictive targeting, and model reliability while reducing false positives, making mineral exploration faster, more cost-efficient, and transparent.  The AI-assisted platform is, some say, the future of minerals exploration.

Let’s start with Noem’s oversight of South Dakota’s own vast mineral resources in her role as Governor. Critical minerals in the state, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, include antimony, arsenic, barite, beryllium, cesium, fluorspar, graphite, lithium, manganese, niobium, tantalum, tellurium, tin, tungsten, and vanadium, largely centered in the Black Hills.

Mining has always been a major part of the culture in South Dakota. Long before South Dakota won statehood, prospectors were hunting gold in the Black Hills, which eventually became home to the world-famous Homestake Mine, which over its 125-year lifespan produced nearly 40 million ounces of gold (the deepest and most productive gold mine in the Western Hemisphere until it was closed in 2001).

In the modern era, South Dakota is being scoured for graphite, lithium, niobium, tantalum, tellurium, tin, tungsten – and most recently, uranium. Currently, four lithium projects are underway in the central Black Hills, aided by a regulatory climate that does not require cultural and environmental impact studies that are mandatory for hard-rock mines.

Just this month, the Bureau of Land Management authorized Powertech (USA) Inc. to construct initial ancillary infrastructure on 240 acres of BLM-managed public land for the Dewey-Burdock uranium in-situ recovery project, supporting in-situ recovery operations on adjacent private lands. The project was chosen last year for an expedited permitting process (FAST-41) but still requires additional permits before extraction can commence.

Her six years as Governor of a mining state helped prepare Noem as an advisor to NovaRed. This new role also complements her work to promote hemispheric minerals independence through the Shield of the Americas. NovaRed’s AI-assisted mineral discovery platform can play a major role in augmenting the hemispheric supply chain for a variety of critical minerals not currently being mined or processed in the U.S.

According to Goss, “Kristi brings exceptional leadership experience and a deep understanding of the policy, regulatory, and economic factors that influence infrastructure investment, resource development, and long-term economic growth.” NovaRed especially values Noem’s perspective and experience working across government and industry.

In a recent interview with Maria Bartorolo, Noem noted that the U.S. today gets 17% of its critical minerals from Canada. She hinted at a potential new bilateral agreement between the two nations that could increase that percentage and bolster the supply chain. Copper, one of NovaRed’s primary targets, is vital to defence, data centers, and the electric grid.  

While Noem is excited about her new role with NovaRed, she is also busy with the 13 nations already involved with Shield of the Americas and encouraging the other 26 Western Hemisphere nations to come on board. Her job there includes advising on border security, migration issues, and cartel interdictions, as well as on bringing U.S. capital and industrial expertise to hemispheric partners to grow their economies as they build out the hemispheric supply chain.

At DHS, one of Noem’s key jobs was tracking illegal immigration from China; mostly young males sent to create havoc within the U.S. who entered through both Mexico and Canada through very sophisticated schemes she likened to those of a travel agency. Strengthening America’s ties to Canada, she says, will help combat Chinese influence on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border.

This is a reply to the letter to the editor published on June 19, 2026. Duggan Flanakin is a CFACT Policy Analyst.