NEWS
9/26/12
WASHINGTON, Sept. 26, 2012—Officials from the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) have signed two memorandums of understanding (MOU) designed to foster improved access to USDA and BIA programs by tribes and tribal members. The memorandums apply to programs administered by the Farm Service Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Rural Development at USDA, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior (DOI). The MOUs will further improve the important government-to-government relationships and also the services offered between USDA, BIA and the tribal governments and the communities they serve.
Read More
9/22/12
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today applauded the Senate’s
confirmation of Kevin K. Washburn, a member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, to serve as
Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior. The Senate confirmed
Washburn’s nomination, which President Obama announced in early August, by unanimous consent
last night.
Read More
9/21/12
WASHINGTON -- Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today applauded President Obama’s
intent to nominate Vincent G. Logan, a member of the Osage Nation, as the next Special Trustee
for American Indians.
Read More
9/20/12
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In keeping with its mission to establish responsive, accountable, transparent, and customer-friendly management of Indian trust funds and assets, the Secretarial
Commission on Indian Trust
Administration and Reform reached out to Indian Country at its fifth public meeting of the year in Bismarck, N.D. All five Commission members – Chair Fawn
Sharp, Tex G. “Red Tipped Arrow” Hall, Stacy Leeds, Dr. Peterson Zah, and Robert Anderson – participated in the September 13-14, 2012, conference.
Read More
9/17/12
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Acting Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Donald “Del” Laverdure today announced that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has agreed to a request by the Spirit
Lake Tribe of the Fort Totten Reservation in North Dakota to assume administrative responsibility for its social services program. The Tribe, by letter dated September 14, 2012,
requested to voluntarily retrocede the social services program to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. In their letter, the Tribe stated that it had concluded this retrocession “would be in the best interest of the Tribe, its children, and its families, to voluntarily return the program to the Secretary of [the] Interior.”
Read More
9/13/12
TULSA, Okla. — The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs has added an extra session to the Interior Department’s series of listening meetings on sacred sites in Indian Country. A sixth session will be held on Tuesday, September 18, 2012, in Tulsa, Okla. The first five were held last month in Albuquerque, N.M., Billings, Mont., Prior Lake, Minn., Uncasville, Conn., and Portland, Ore.
Read More
9/7/12
WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services (OJS) will hold the
third of six training sessions to improve the trial advocacy skills of tribal court prosecutors,
defenders and judges on September 11-13, 2012, in Great Falls, Mont. This training session will
focus on cases dealing with the sexual assault of children and adults.
Read More
9/7/12
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Acting Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Donald E. “Del” Laverdure today issued a final determination on a petition for federal acknowledgment, declining to acknowledge the Brothertown Indian Nation (Brothertown) as an Indian tribe under federal law. Brothertown is located in Wisconsin and first submitted its petition in 1980.
Read More
9/6/12
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Secretarial Commission on Indian Trust Administration and Reform will
hold its next public meeting on Sept. 13-14, 2012, in Bismarck, N.D. It will be preceded by a public
facilitated discussion hosted by Commissioner Tex Hall in the afternoon of Sept. 12 in New Town,
N.D., for members of the public to share their perspectives about trust management and administration.
In addition, a youth-outreach session will be held the evening of Sept. 13 at the United Tribes Technical
College (UTTC) in Bismarck.
Read More
8/31/12
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Acting Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Donald E. “Del”
Laverdure today announced additional actions that Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) officials are
taking to aid the Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe in its efforts to improve child safety and protection on
its reservation. On August 24, Laverdure announced that he was sending in a “strike team” of
senior BIA officials to assess and evaluate efforts to improve the Tribe’s social services program
at the urging of U.S. Senator Kent Conrad.
Read More
8/27/12
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Acting Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Donald E. “Del”
Laverdure today issued the following statement on the recent passing of Shakopee Mdewakanton
Sioux Community Chairman Stanley R. Crooks:
“Stanley Crooks, the late chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community in
Minnesota, takes his place among the thoughtful, far-seeing and decisive tribal leaders that
Indian Country has produced throughout history.
Read More
8/24/12
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Acting Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Donald E. “Del” Laverdure
today announced that, in addition to ongoing efforts by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to
address reported child safety and protection deficiencies at the Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe in North
Dakota, he is sending in a strike team of senior BIA officials from its Central Office to assess
and evaluate efforts to improve the Tribe’s social services program. The decision to deploy
senior officials to the region came at the urging of U.S. Senator Kent Conrad.
Read More
8/24/12
Portland, Ore. — The fifth and final in a series of listening sessions will be held on the morning of Tuesday, August 28, 2012. The Obama Administration recognizes that the protection of sacred sites on federal lands is integral to traditional religious practices, tribal identities and emblematic of sovereign tribal nations. These sacred site listening sessions are intended to assist in developing policies that result in effective, comprehensive and long-lasting federal protection of and tribal access to the places that are so important to the fabric and culture of tribal nations.
Read More
8/23/12
Uncasville, Conn. — The fourth of five in a series of listening sessions will be held on the
morning of Friday, August 24, 2012. The Obama Administration recognizes that the protection
of sacred sites on federal lands is integral to traditional religious practices, tribal identities and
emblematic of sovereign tribal nations. These sacred site listening sessions are intended to assist
in developing policies that result in effective, comprehensive and long-lasting federal protection
of and tribal access to the places that are so important to the fabric and culture of tribal nations.
Read More
8/23/12
WASHINGTON – The Justice and Interior Departments this week launched a new
training seminar for tribal and federal law enforcement on investigating and prosecuting sexual assault cases on tribal lands. More than 75 participants from throughout the United States
participated in the three day training course, which began on Monday, August 20, 2012. They included tribal and federal law enforcement officers, prosecutors and victim specialists from 23 tribal nations and 23 states. Topics included law enforcement response, children as victims and witnesses, forensic examinations with adult victims and developing a coordinated community response to sexual assault.
Read More
8/22/12
Prior Lake, Minn. — The third of five in a series of listening sessions will be held in the
afternoon of Thursday, August 23, 2012. The Obama Administration recognizes that the
protection of sacred sites on federal lands is integral to traditional religious practices, tribal
identities and emblematic of sovereign tribal nations. These sacred site listening sessions are
intended to assist in developing policies that result in effective, comprehensive and long-lasting
federal protection of and tribal access to the places that are so important to the fabric and culture
of tribal nations.
Read More
8/22/12
Prior Lake, Minn. — The fourth consultation session on the proposed rule to implement the Buy Indian Act will be held on the morning of Thursday, August 23, 2012. The Act provides Indian Affairs with the authority to set-aside procurement contracts for qualified Indian-owned businesses. The proposed rule describes uniform administrative procedures that Indian Affairs will use in all of its locations to encourage procurement of goods and services from eligible Indian economic enterprises, as authorized by the Buy Indian Act.
Read More
8/17/12
Sacramento, CA— The third consultation on the Buy Indian Act will begin Tuesday, August 21, 2012. The Buy Indian Act provides Indian Affairs with the authority to set-aside procurement contracts for qualified Indian-owned businesses. This proposed rule describes uniform administrative procedures that Indian Affairs will use in all of its locations to encourage procurement of goods and services from eligible Indian economic enterprises, as authorized by the Buy Indian Act.
Read More
8/15/12
Billings, Mont. — The second of five in a series of listening sessions will begin Thursday, August 16, 2012. The Obama Administration recognizes that the protection of sacred sites on federal lands is integral to traditional religious practices, tribal identities and emblematic of sovereign tribal nations. These sacred site listening sessions are intended to assist in developing policies that result in effective, comprehensive and long-lasting federal protection of, and tribal access to, the places that are so important to the fabric and culture of tribal nations.
Read More
8/14/12
Billings, MT - The second consultation on the Buy Indian Act will be held Wednesday, August 15, 2012. The Buy Indian Act provides Indian Affairs with the authority to set-aside procurement contracts for qualified Indian-owned businesses. This proposed rule describes uniform administrative procedures that Indian Affairs will use in all of its locations to encourage procurement of goods and services from eligible Indian economic enterprises, as authorized by the Buy Indian Act.
Read More
8/13/12
Albuquerque, N.M. — The first consultation on the Buy Indian Act will begin Tuesday, August
14, 2012. The Buy Indian Act provides Indian Affairs with the authority to set-aside
procurement contracts for qualified Indian-owned businesses. This proposed rule describes
uniform administrative procedures that Indian Affairs will use in all of its locations to encourage
procurement of goods and services from eligible Indian economic enterprises, as authorized by
the Buy Indian Act.
Read More
8/10/12
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Acting Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs Donald E. “Del” Laverdure today announced that the proposed rule implementing the Buy Indian Act has been published in the Federal Register. The Buy Indian Act provides Indian Affairs with the authority to set-aside procurement contracts for qualified Indian-owned businesses. This proposed rule describes uniform administrative procedures that Indian Affairs will use in all of its locations to encourage procurement of goods and services from eligible Indian economic enterprises, as authorized by the Buy Indian Act.
Read More
8/9/12
Albuquerque, N.M. — The first of five in a series of listening sessions will begin Monday, August 13, 2012. The Obama Administration recognizes that the protection of sacred sites on federal lands is integral to traditional religious practices, tribal identities and emblematic of sovereign tribal nations. These sacred site listening sessions are intended to assist in developing policies that result in effective, comprehensive and long-lasting federal protection of, and tribal access to, the places that are so important to the fabric and culture of tribal nations.
Read More
8/9/12
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of President Obama’s commitment to fulfilling this nation’s trust responsibilities to American Indians and Alaska Natives, the Office of the Secretary of the Interior will have the Secretarial Commission on Indian Trust Administration and Reform hold a public Webinar meeting on Monday, August 13, 2012.
Read More
8/9/12
WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services (OJS) will hold the second of six training sessions to improve the trial advocacy skills of tribal court prosecutors, defenders and judges on August 14-16, 2012, in Ignacio, Colo. This training session, which will focus on domestic violence, was originally scheduled to take place in Durango.
Read More
7/31/12
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Acting Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Donald E. “Del” Laverdure today announced that the U.S. Department of the Interior will conduct a series of listening sessions with federally-recognized tribes regarding American Indian sacred sites located on federal lands.
Read More
7/30/12
WASHINGTON -- Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today praised President Obama’s signing of the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership Act (HEARTH Act) which grants greater authority to federally recognized tribes to develop and implement their own regulations for leasing on Indian lands. The Act passed the House and Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support and was signed into law today by President Obama.
Read More
7/26/12
BISMARCK, N.D. —Government-to-government tribal consultation will occur Friday, July 27, 2012 in Bismarck regarding a proposal that would help the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) achieve the objectives of President Obama’s Executive Order 13592 concerning improving educational opportunities provided to American Indian and Alaska Native students.
Read More
7/23/12
SEATTLE, WASH.—Government-to-government tribal consultation will occur Tuesday, July 24, 2012 in Seattle regarding a proposal that would help the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) achieve the objectives of President Obama’s Executive Order 13592 concerning improving educational opportunities provided to American Indian and Alaska Native students.
Read More
7/20/12
WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services (OJS) will hold the first in a series of six training sessions to improve the trial advocacy skills of tribal court
prosecutors, defenders and judges. The July 24-26, 2012 training session will be held in Duluth, Minn., and will focus on domestic violence.
Read More
7/19/12
FLAGSTAFF, AZ—Government-to-government tribal consultation will occur Friday, July 20, 2012 in Arizona regarding a proposal that would help the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) achieve the objectives of President Obama’s Executive Order 13592 concerning improving educational opportunities provided to American Indian and Alaska Native students.
Read More
7/13/12
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Acting Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Donald E. “Del” Laverdure
today announced that he has named Thomas D. Thompson as director of the Indian Affairs
Office of Budget Management at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. Thompson, an
enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, comes to the Interior Department from
the Indian Health Service (IHS) in Phoenix, Ariz., where he had been serving as senior advisor to
the area director since June 2010.
Read More
6/29/12
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Acting Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Donald E. “Del” Laverdure today announced that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has provided $50,000 in a one-time emergency funding for the Emmonak Women’s Shelter in the Yup’ik Eskimo village of Emmonak, Alaska. The village’s only facility offering domestic violence protection is facing imminent closure due to a funding shortfall.
Read More
6/28/12
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Acting Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Donald E. “Del” Laverdure lauded Darwin Cajero, a student at the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) in Albuquerque, N.M., who was a featured speaker at the sesquicentennial celebration of the Morrill Land-grant Act of 1862, this past Tuesday, June 26, 2012, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.
Read More
6/21/12
WASHINGTON – As part of the Obama Administration’s all of the above approach to American energy, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today approved a 350-megawatt solar energy project on tribal trust land of the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians (Tribe) in Clark County, Nevada. The project marks a milestone as the first-ever, utility-scale solar project approved for development on tribal lands, and is one of the many steps the administration has taken to help strengthen tribal communities.
Read More
6/21/12
WASHINGTON –Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will hold a news media teleconference today to announce a milestone in renewable energy development in Indian Country.
Members of the news media can join the 1:30 pm EDT teleconference by dialing 1-888-790-1963 and providing the access code INTERIOR
Read More
6/20/12
WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that Bureau of Indian Education Director Keith Moore will be leaving his position at the Department of the Interior. Selected by then-Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk, Director Moore led the nation’s only federal education system for American Indian and Alaska Native students and implemented President Obama’s national initiatives for educational advancement in Indian Country.
Read More
6/18/12
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Acting Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Donald E. “Del” Laverdure today announced that the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services (OJS) has issued a
handbook on best practices for reducing crime in Indian Country. The publication, “Crime-
Reduction Best Practices Handbook: Making Indian Communities Safe 2012,” was developed by the OJS based on the successful deployment of its strategy to meet the Department’s goal of
reducing violent crime on four reservations.
Read More
6/14/12
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The third public meeting of the Secretarial Commission on Indian Trust Administration and Reform was held in Albuquerque, N.M., on June 11-12, 2012.
Read More
6/14/12
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Acting Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Donald E. “Del” Laverdure has expressed his sincere condolences to the family of fallen Bureau of Indian Affairs wildland firefighter Anthony Polk, who was killed in the line of duty on June 8. His remarks were conveyed in a letter to the Polk family that will be read at a memorial service being held this afternoon on the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation in southwestern Arizona.
Read More
6/12/12
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of President Obama’s commitment to fulfilling this nation’s trust responsibilities to American Indians and Alaska Natives, the Office of the Secretary of the Interior will have the Secretarial Commission on Indian Trust Administration and Reform participating in a live radio-broadcast talk show on Wednesday, June 13, 2012.
Read More
6/10/12
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Acting Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Donald “Del” Laverdure today issued a statement regarding the unfortunate loss of a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Fort Yuma Agency firefighter on Friday, June 8, 2012.
Read More
6/8/12
WASHINGTON – Acting Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Donald “Del” Laverdure today posted on the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs blog “The First Anniversary of Let's Move! in Indian Country Brings Together Renowned Panelists and the Positive Accomplishments in Indian Country’s Quest for Healthier Living and Eating.”
Read More
6/7/12
As part of President Obama’s commitment to fulfilling this nation’s trust responsibilities to American Indians and Alaska Natives, the Office of the Secretary of the Interior will convene the Secretarial Commission on Indian Trust Administration and Reform’s third public meeting on June 11-12, 2012.
Read More
6/1/12
Acting Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Donald “Del” Laverdure today participated with the White House Senior Policy Advisor for Native American Affairs Jodi Gillette to moderate a panel of leaders from across Indian Country in celebration of the contributions made to the First Lady’s Let’s Move! in Indian Country (LMIC) initiative. The event, in honor of the one-year anniversary of the program’s launch, was streamed online at www.WhiteHouse.gov/live.
Read More
5/31/12
Tomorrow, June 1, 2012 at 1:30 p.m. EDT, the White House will host a panel discussion of leaders who have contributed to the progress of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! in Indian Country initiative and whose work can be expanded across Indian Country. The discussion will be streamed online at www.WhiteHouse.gov/live.
Read More
5/31/12
WASHINGTON – Acting Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Donald “Del” Laverdure today
praised a federal training program that is working to develop tribal courts by enhancing and
improving the trial advocacy skills of tribal court prosecutors, defenders and judges. The Tribal
Court Trial Advocacy Program is a joint effort by the U.S. Department of Justice and the
Department of the Interior that furthers the mandate of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010
(TOLA) to strengthen tribal sovereignty over criminal justice matters on federal Indian lands by
strengthening the skills of those who practice within the tribal court system.
Read More
5/30/12
On Saturday, June 2, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly will break ground on the long-awaited Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project in New Mexico. Eventually the project will provide a 280-mile-long pipeline, two water treatment plants and delivery systems that will bring water to more than 250,000 people at more than 43 Navajo chapters, portions of the Jicarilla Apache Nation and the city of Gallup.
Read More
5/25/12
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Acting Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Donald “Del” Laverdure today issued decisions on two tribal gaming applications in California, determining that one of the proposed gaming sites meets the legal and regulatory requirements and one does not.
Read More
5/23/12
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that, as part of the Interior’s Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program, and in cooperation with five Interior agencies, the Bureau of Reclamation is approving two long-term research and experimental programs of high-flow releases and native fish protection to preserve and improve the Grand Canyon and its resources. Together, these decisions represent the most important experimental modification of operations of Arizona’s Glen Canyon Dam in over sixteen years.
Read More
5/22/12
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA. — The final government-to-government tribal consultation regarding the draft report on Indian Affairs Administrative Organizational Assessment and Bureau of Indian Affairs/Bureau of Indian Education streamlining plans will take place on Wednesday, May 23, 2012, at the Dimond Center Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska. The consultation is the final of seven that have taken place around the country in Arizona, Florida, South Dakota, Washington, Oklahoma and California. The first was held in Miami on April 12 and 13, 2012.
Read More
5/21/12
The Department of the Interior (DOI) today announced the publication of the United States Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (USEITI) Stakeholder Assessment prepared by the independent third-party facilitator, the Consensus Building Institute (CBI). The Stakeholder Assessment includes suggested options for establishing a Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG), which will be comprised of representatives from government, industry and civil society and will be responsible for overseeing implementation of USEITI. DOI has initiated a public comment period regarding the Stakeholder Assessment, which will include public listening sessions, a webinar and a workshop, and will run from May 18 through June 29, 2012. In addition, Interior will continue Tribal outreach regarding USEITI, and will convene a Tribal Consultation meeting at the National Congress of American Indians mid-year Conference June 17-20, 2012 in Lincoln, Nebraska. EITI is a voluntary, global standard for transparency in reporting revenues received for oil, gas and mineral extraction.
Read More
5/16/12
LINCOLN, CALIF. — The sixth government-to-government tribal consultation regarding the draft report on Indian Affairs Administrative Organizational Assessment and Bureau of Indian Affairs/Bureau of Indian Education streamlining plans starts Thursday, May 17, 2012, at the Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, Calif. The two-day consultation is the sixth of seven that will take place around the country in Arizona, Florida, South Dakota, Washington, Oklahoma and Alaska. The first was held in Miami on April 12 and 13, 2012.
Read More
5/10/12
WASHINGTON, D.C.— The Bureau of Indian Education Family & Child Education Program (FACE) has received national recognition for its exceptional work in promoting young children’s heath and preventing childhood obesity. The recognition came from the first lady’s Let’s Move! Child Care initiative, Acting Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Del Laverdure announced today.
Read More
5/9/12
Acting Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Donald “Del” Laverdure today
welcomed hundreds of tribal leaders and representatives attending the 2012 Tribal Self-Governance Annual Conference taking place this week in New Orleans, La.
Read More
5/8/12
DURANT, OKLA. — The fifth government-to-government tribal consultation regarding the draft report on Indian Affairs Administrative Organizational Assessment and Bureau of Indian Affairs/ Bureau of Indian Education streamlining plans starts Thursday, May 10, 2012 at the Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Okla. The two-day consultation is the fifth of seven that will take place around the country in Arizona, Florida, South Dakota, Washington, California and Alaska. The first was held in Miami on April 12 and 13, 2012
Read More
5/4/12
WASHINGTON – Acting Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Donald “Del” Laverdure honored three law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty, expressing his gratitude and
appreciation to their family members, friends and colleagues at the 21st Annual Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service.
Read More
5/4/12
Today, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Bureau of Land Management Director Robert Abbey will hold a news media teleconference regarding domestic oil and gas production on public and Tribal lands.
Read More
5/2/12
WASHINGTON – Acting Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Donald “Del” Laverdure will deliver the keynote address at the 21st Annual Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service being held Thursday, May 3, 2012, at the Bureau of Indian Affairs United States Indian Police Academy in Artesia, N.M. He will be accompanied by BIA Director Mike Black and BIA Office of Justice Services Deputy Bureau Director Darren Cruzan. The OJS hosts the event, which honors and commemorates tribal, state, local and federal law enforcement officers working on federal Indian lands and in tribal communities who have given their lives in the line of duty.
Read More
5/2/12
RAPID CITY, S.D. — The fourth government-to-government tribal consultation regarding the Indian Affairs Administrative Organizational Assessment Draft Report and Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education streamlining plans starts Thursday, May 3, 2012 at the Holiday Inn Rapid City – Rushmore Plaza, S.D. The two-day consultation is the fourth of seven that will take place around the country in Arizona, Florida, Washington, Oklahoma, California and Alaska. The first was held in Miami on April 12 and 13, 2012.
Read More
4/30/12
Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) Director Keith Moore announced today that the Circle of Nations-Wahpeton Indian Boarding School from Wahpeton, N.D. has been selected to receive the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Green Ribbon Schools award.
Read More
4/27/12
The Crow Tribe Apsáalooke Nation, the United States of America and the State of Montana executed the Crow Tribe-Montana Water Rights Compact in an historic signing ceremony today at the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Read More
4/26/12
On Friday, April 27, 2012, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will be joined by Crow Tribe Apsáalooke Nation Chairman Cedric Black Eagle and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer for the signing of a Crow Tribe-Montana Water Rights Compact. The compact seeks to resolve more than three decades of controversy, ensure safe drinking water for the reservation, and provide for the rehabilitation of the Crow Irrigation Project. The ceremony will take place at the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C. and members of the media and public may view a live stream of the event at www.doi.gov/live.
Read More
4/26/12
BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK, S.D. — Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis today announced the release of the final General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement for the South Unit of Badlands National Park, recommending the establishment of the nation’s first tribal national park in partnership with the Oglala Sioux Tribe.
Read More
4/25/12
SPOKANE, WASH. — The third government-to-government tribal consultation regarding the Indian Affairs Administrative Organizational Assessment Draft Report and Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education streamlining plans starts Thursday, April 26, 2012 at the Northern Quest Resort and Casino, Wash. The two-day consultation is the third of seven that will take place around the country in Arizona, Florida, South Dakota, Oklahoma, California and Alaska. The first was held in Miami on April 12 and 13, 2012.
Read More
4/18/12
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — The second government-to-government tribal consultation regarding the Indian Affairs Administrative Organizational Assessment Draft Report and Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education streamlining plans starts Thursday, April 19, 2012 at the Radisson Fort McDowell Resort Hotel in Fountain Hills, Ariz. The two-day consultation is the second of seven that will take place around the country in Arizona, Florida, Washington, South Dakota, Oklahoma, California and Alaska. The first was held in Miami on April 12 and 13, 2012.
Read More
4/16/12
As part of President Obama’s commitment to empowering Indian nations, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that their Departments will begin tribal consultations on a draft agreement to help expand educational opportunities and improve academic achievement for American Indian and Alaska Native students.
Read More
4/16/12
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the Bureau of Reclamation today has awarded a $10.75 million construction contract for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, setting the stage for construction to begin on the major water infrastructure project this summer. When completed, the project will provide a long-term, sustainable water supply to meet the critical needs of more than 43 Navajo chapters; the city of Gallup, New Mexico; and the Teepee Junction area of the Jicarilla Apache Nation.
Read More
4/12/12
The first government-to-government tribal consultation regarding the
Indian Affairs Administrative Organizational Assessment Draft Report and Bureau of Indian
Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education streamlining plans starts today at the Miccosukee Resort
in Miami, Fla. The two-day consultation is the first of seven that will take place around the
country in Arizona, Washington, South Dakota, Oklahoma, California and Alaska.
Read More
4/11/12
WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Attorney General Eric Holder today announced the settlement of lawsuits filed by 41 federally-recognized tribes against the United
States, in which the tribes alleged that the Department of the Interior and the Department of the Treasury had mismanaged monetary assets and natural resources held in trust by the United
States for the benefit of the tribes. The announcement followed a 22-month-long negotiation between the tribes and the United States that has culminated in settlements between the government and tribes totaling more than $1 billion.
Read More
4/9/12
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk will be leaving the Department of the Interior after nearly 3 years of leadership. Echo Hawk, an enrolled member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, will resign his position effective April 27, 2012 to assume a leadership position in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Read More
4/2/12
WASHINGTON – Bureau of Indian Affairs Director Michael S. Black today announced that he has named Hankie Ortiz deputy bureau director of the BIA’s Office of Indian Services at the bureau’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. Ortiz is an enrolled member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma with Caddo and Comanche ancestry as well. She had been serving as director of the Office of Tribal Self-Governance at the Indian Health Service (IHS) since September 2007. Her appointment with the BIA became effective on March 26, 2012.
Read More
3/28/12
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) Director Keith Moore announced today that the Circle of Nations-Wahpeton Indian Boarding School in Wahpeton, N.D. and the Baca/Dlo' Ay Azhi Community School in Prewitt, N.M. have been nominated to receive the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Green Ribbon Schools award.
Read More
3/26/12
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk today announced he
has issued a final determination (FD) regarding the petition of the Central Band of Cherokee
(Petitioner #227) for federal recognition as an Indian tribe. The final determination found that
the petitioner, located in Lawrenceburg, Tenn., did not meet the mandatory criteria for
acknowledgment under the Code of Federal Regulations.
Read More
3/21/12
CATOOSA, Okla. – The Justice and Interior Departments today completed the first in a series of national level training courses, “Criminal Jurisdiction in Indian Country” (CJIC) to strengthen the ability of tribal and local law enforcement to participate in the investigation and enforcement of federal crimes in Indian country, fulfilling a key training requirement under the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 (TLOA).
Read More
3/16/12
The Department of the Interior today announced that there is a 15-day extension to the public comment period on the Cobell Land Consolidation Draft Plan. The public comment period will now end on April 3, 2012.
Read More
3/15/12
WASHINGTON –The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) today released the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposed 350-megawatt solar energy project on tribal trust land of the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians in Clark County, Nevada.
Read More
3/12/12
Assistant Secretary Larry Echo Hawk expressed his deepest condolences to the family and friends of the late Richard M. Milanovich, the Chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, praising him as a great American Indian leader who represented his people with heart and soul.
Read More
3/8/12
Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk was awarded the 2012 Governmental Leadership Award from the National Congress of American Indians for his leadership on behalf of the tribal nations and his work building the foundation for a new era in nation-to-nation relations.
Read More
3/7/12
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced $8.4 million in grants to 131 American Indian tribes to support Tribal Historic Preservation Offices under the National Historic Preservation Act. The National Park Service awards grants to these tribes to assist in carrying out national historic preservation program responsibilities on tribal lands.
Read More
2/29/12
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of President Obama’s commitment to fulfilling this nation’s trust responsibilities to American Indians and Alaska Natives, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will convene the first meeting of the Commission established to undertake a forward-looking, comprehensive evaluation of Interior’s trust management.
Read More
2/13/12
Media Advisory - News teleconference Monday, Feb. 13, 2012; 3 p.m. EST
Read More
2/13/12
WASHINGTON – President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget request for Indian Affairs, which includes the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), is $2.5 billion – a $4.6 million decrease below the FY 2012 enacted level. The proposed budget maintains the President’s commitment to meeting the government’s responsibilities to the 566 Federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes, while holding the line on fiscal responsibility and improving government efficiency.
Read More
2/2/12
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Department of the Interior today announced two important steps in the ongoing commitment to fulfilling this nation’s trust responsibilities to Native Americans. Today, Interior announced the publication of a draft plan and a request for comment on implementing the potential Cobell Land Consolidation Program. Additionally, Interior announced that the first meeting of the Commission established to undertake a forward-looking, comprehensive evaluation of Interior’s trust management of Native American trust funds is set for the first week of March.
Read More
1/25/12
MINNEAPOLIS— A federal indictment unsealed in part late yesterday charges 24 alleged
members of the Native Mob gang with conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity and
other crimes. The Native Mob is a regional criminal gang that originated in Minneapolis in the
early 1990s. Members routinely engage in drug trafficking, assault, robbery, and murder.
Membership is estimated at 200, with new members, including juveniles, regularly recruited
from communities with large, young, male, Native American populations. Association with the
gang is often signified by wearing red and black clothing or sporting gang-related tattoos.
Read More
1/19/12
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools can now apply for the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon School program (ED-GRS), which provides national recognition for schools using outstanding environmental programs and techniques, BIE Director Keith Moore announced today.
Read More
1/12/12
WASHINGTON — A partnership among Department of the Interior agencies and American Indian communities in North Dakota has spurred a 400 percent increase in revenues from increased domestic energy production over last year – providing substantial economic benefits to the tribal government and individual mineral owners.
Read More
1/6/12
WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) will hold tribal consultation meetings for tribal leaders to review and provide input on the proposed rules on leasing in Indian Country. The proposed rules will establish subparts to 25 CFR Part 162 (Leasing and Permits) addressing residential leasing, business leasing and wind and solar resource leasing on Indian trust lands. Tribal leaders were notified of the upcoming consultation in a letter dated November 28, 2011.
Read More
1/3/12
WASHINGTON, D.C.— In a letter to the Tejon Indian Tribe of California, Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk reaffirmed the federal relationship between the United States and the Tejon Indian Tribe. The Assistant Secretary’s letter confirms that the Tribe has a relationship with the federal government
Read More
12/20/11
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk today took action on two tribal gaming applications from tribes in Michigan and New York.
Read More
12/15/11
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Bureau of Indian Education Director Keith Moore announced today that BIE-funded schools across Indian Country will have the opportunity to participate in the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Green Ribbon Schools program, and will soon invite them to apply to the BIE to be nominated for this national recognition.
Read More
12/8/11
DENVER — The Department of the Interior’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) today published a Federal Register Notice establishing an Indian Oil Valuation Negotiated Rulemaking Committee charged with bringing clarity and consistency to oil valuation regulations governing production on American Indian lands.
Read More
12/6/11
WASHINGTON - Tomorrow, Wednesday, December 7 at 10:30 am eastern, Federal
Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate and White House Director of
Intergovernmental Affairs Cecilia Munoz will hold a press conference call with reporters to
make an announcement regarding tribal nations and federal disaster aid.
Read More
12/2/11
WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar kicked off the White House Tribal Nations Conference today at the Interior Department, emphasizing President Obama’s commitment to reform, restructure and rebuild federal relations with Indian Country and underscoring initiatives that are building safer and stronger American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
Read More
12/1/11
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk today announced a Tribal Consultation Policy for the Department of the Interior, launching a new era of enhanced communication with American Indian and Alaska Native tribes. The new policy emphasizes trust, respect and shared responsibility in providing tribal governments an expanded role in informing federal policy that impacts Indian Country.
Read More
11/30/11
WASHINGTON -- As part of President Obama’s commitment to fulfilling this nation’s trust responsibilities to Native Americans, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today named five prominent American Indians to a national commission that will undertake a forward-looking, comprehensive evaluation of Interior’s trust management of nearly $4
billion in Native American trust funds.
Read More
11/28/11
WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk today announced a sweeping reform of federal surface leasing regulations for American Indian lands that will streamline the approval process for home ownership, expedite economic development and spur renewable energy development in Indian Country.
Read More
11/28/11
Today, November 28, 2011, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk will hold a media teleconference to announce a sweeping reform of federal leasing regulations for American Indian lands that will help to expedite economic development and spur renewable energy development in Indian Country.
Read More
11/18/11
WASHINGTON – Bureau of Indian Affairs Director Michael S. Black today announced that he has named Bryan Rice deputy bureau director of the BIA’s Office of Trust Services at the
bureau’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. Rice, an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, had been serving as the OTS’s assistant director for resource protection since August 2009. His appointment became effective on October 23, 2011.
Read More
11/1/11
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk today announced that he has named businesswoman and attorney Karen J. Atkinson, an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes in North Dakota, as director of the Indian Affairs Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development.
Read More
