Tribes Begin Five-Year Swift Fox Reintroduction at Fort Belknap
Release Program Developed With Conservation Partners
September 24, 2020
After an absence of more than 50 years, the swift fox has returned to the grasslands of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana. From Sept. 12 to 20, the Assiniboine (Nakoda) and Gros Ventre (Aaniiih) Tribes of Fort Belknap released 27 swift foxes in collaboration with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Defenders of Wildlife and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), kickstarting a five-year swift fox reintroduction program,
Click for more info.
|
HOEVEN CONVENES LEGISLATIVE HEARING TO RECEIVE TESTIMONY ON FIVE INDIAN BILLS
September 23, 2020
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, today convened a legislative hearing to receive testimony on five bills:
Click for more info.
|
HOEVEN STATEMENT AFTER HOUSE PASSES FIVE INDIAN BILLS, SENDING THEM TO THE PRESIDENT
September 22, 2020
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA), today released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed five Senate bills that were previously considered favorably by the SCIA. All five pieces of legislation have now been approved by both the Senate and House, and will now go to the President to be signed into law.
Click for more info.
|
CHAIRMAN HOEVEN AND VICE CHAIRMAN UDALL STATEMENT ON HOUSE PASSAGE OF TRIBAL SELF-GOVERNANCE SENATE BILL
September 21, 2020
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, welcomed the House of Representatives’ passage of S. 209, the Practical Reforms and Other Goals To Reinforce the Effectiveness of Self-Governance and Self-Determination (PROGRESS) for Indian Tribes Act of 2019.
Click for more info.
CHAIRMAN HOEVEN AND VICE CHAIRMAN UDALL STATEMENT ON HOUSE PASSAGE OF TRIBAL SELF-GOVERNANCE SENATE BILL
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, welcomed the House of Representatives’ passage of S. 209, the Practical Reforms and Other Goals To Reinforce the Effectiveness of Self-Governance and Self-Determination (PROGRESS) for Indian Tribes Act of 2019.
|
HOEVEN: HOUSE PASSES SAVANNA’S ACT, BILL GOES TO PRESIDENT TO BE SIGNED INTO LAW
Senator Cosponsored Legislation to Address Cases of Missing and Murdered Native Americans, Helped Secure Passage in the Senate
September 21, 2020
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, today issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed Savanna’s Act, legislation he cosponsored that requires reporting on missing and murdered Native Americans. The bill, which is named for Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind from North Dakota who was tragically murdered in 2017, also directs the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior to consult with Indian Tribes while developing national law enforcement guidelines.
Click for more info.
|
Assistant Secretary Tara Sweeney Announces $5.5 Million Available for IEED Energy Mineral Development Program Grants
September 21, 2020
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney announced today that approximately $5.5 million is available for Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) Energy Mineral Development Program (EMDP) grants to help federally recognized American Indian tribes, Alaska Native entities and tribal energy resource development organizations identify, evaluate or assess the market for energy or mineral resources to be developed. EMDP will fund about 25 to 30 grants. The application deadline is December 2, 2020.
Click for more info.
|
In Case You Missed It: Finding Solutions to Bring Connectivity to Alaska, Indian Country
September 21, 2020
Originally Published by: The Cherokee Phoenix
By: Tara Katuk Sweeney, U.S. Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs
As an Inupiaq, I grew up north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska, home to some of the most remote communities in the United States. Arctic living requires resourcefulness, respect for nature, and, most importantly, strong connections to community members. You can’t make it on your own, and like all tribal communities, social connectivity and kinship are critical to survival.
Click for more info.
|
Assistant Secretary Sweeney Announces Implementation of Distance Learning for BIE-operated Schools on the Navajo Nation
Bureau of Indian Education to implement nine weeks of distance learning for continuity of education
September 17, 2020
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs (AS-IA) Tara Katuk Sweeney recently announced that the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools operating on the Navajo Nation will open for students via distance learning for the first nine weeks of the 2020-21 school year. The BIE operates 32 schools within the Navajo Nation and has worked closely with tribal leaders to find the best way to implement the Return To Learn! plan. Under the plan, BIE schools have the flexibility to implement how it works for their specific needs and community conditions.
|
Trump Administration Finalizes the Return of American Indian Ancestral Remains and Funerary Objects from Finland
September 17, 2020
WASHINGTON – Last year, President Trump and President Niinistӧ of Finland finalized an agreement to return American Indian ancestral remains and funerary objects taken over a century ago from what is now Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt, Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney and other officials joined President Trump in the Oval Office to recognize the cultural and ancestral importance of these items being returned safely to the Mesa Verde region.
Click for more info.
|
Rare Opportunity to Pass Significant Self-Governance Reform Legislation this Year
September 16, 2020
This year has been difficult in getting Indian legislation through the Congress. First gridlock in the Senate, and then the COVID-19 pandemic have caused delays, resulting in an abbreviated legislative schedule.
Click for more info.
|
National Congress of American Indian's Tribal Unity Impact Days
September 16, 2020
This year, National Congress of American Indians’s Tribal Unity Impact Days will be going virtual. The event will feature two days of roundtable conversations with members of Congress, providing tribal leaders important opportunities to engage with legislators about the most pressing issues facing Indian Country before the end of the current session of Congress.
|
Trump Administration Opens Operation Lady Justice
Task Force Cold Case Office in Anchorage, Alaska
New office joins those already opened in Minnesota, South Dakota,
Montana, New Mexico and Arizona since July 27
August 26, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney was in Anchorage, Alaska, to open the sixth office to investigate cold cases involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. She was also joined by Commissioner Jean Hovland with the Administration for Native Americans and Bureau of Indian Affairs-Office of Justice Services Director Charles Addington. This is an initiative of Operation Lady Justice, the task force established to address missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The first cold case office was opened on July 27, 2020, in Bloomington, MN.
Click for more info.
|
Trump Administration Seized More Than 2,600 Pounds of Illegal Narcotics in Indian Country Last Year
Estimated Value of $19.6 million, more than double that of 2018
WASHINGTON – Today, the Trump Administration highlighted the efforts made in 2019 by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Joint Opioid Reduction Task Force in Indian Country, as law enforcement officials successfully led 14 operations across seven states, resulting in more than 313 arrests and the seizure of 2,607 pounds of illegal narcotics with an estimated street value of $19.6 million, more than double the price tag from the previous year. President Donald J. Trump has made it a priority of his administration to end the drug overdose epidemic that kills approximately 70,000 Americans each year.
Trump Administration Seized More Than 2,600 Pounds of Illegal Narcotics in Indian Country Last Year
Estimated Value of $19.6 million, more than double that of 2018
August 24, 2020
WASHINGTON – Today, the Trump Administration highlighted the efforts made in 2019 by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Joint Opioid Reduction Task Force in Indian Country, as law enforcement officials successfully led 14 operations across seven states, resulting in more than 313 arrests and the seizure of 2,607 pounds of illegal narcotics with an estimated street value of $19.6 million, more than double the price tag from the previous year. President Donald J. Trump has made it a priority of his administration to end the drug overdose epidemic that kills approximately 70,000 Americans each year.
Click for more info.
|
Operation Lady Justice Task Force’s Fifth Cold Case Office Opens at the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona
Phoenix location added to those in Bloomington, Rapid City, Billings and Albuquerque; first to be housed in a tribal police department
August 14, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney announced today that the fifth of seven offices being established under the Operation Lady Justice Task Force to investigate cold cases involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives will be located at the Gila River Indian Community Police Department in Sacaton, AZ. The Task Force’s first tribally housed cold case office opened August 13.
Click for more info.
|
Trump Administration Invests $1.2 Million in Tribal Broadband Grants
August 13, 2020
WASHINGTON – The Trump Administration announced today that the U.S. Department of Interior’s Indian Affairs Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) has approved National Tribal Broadband Grant (NTBG) program grants to 23 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and two Navajo Nation communities to study the feasibility of developing or extending broadband services in their areas.
Click for more info.
|
Fourth Operation Lady Justice Task Force Cold Case Office Opens in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Joins Bloomington, Rapid City and Billings openings
August 11, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney announced today the opening of the fourth of seven offices established under the Operation Lady Justice Task Force to investigate cold cases involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Click for more info.
|
Secretary Bernhardt Takes Action to Implement the Greatest Conservation Funding Law in US History
Nearly $20 billion to be invested over the next 10 years
August 11, 2020
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt established the Great American Outdoors Act Coordination and Implementation Task Force to implement the Department of the Interior’s portion of the Great American Outdoors Act, which was signed into law by President Donald J. Trump last week. The law will help address the historically underfunded, multi-billion-dollar deferred maintenance backlog at our national parks and public lands in addition to funding new public access projects across the country. $9.5 billion over the next five years will be dedicated to tackling deferred maintenance needs, and $900 million per year into perpetuity will be invested from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for new conservation and recreation opportunities.
Click here for more info.
|
Operation Lady Justice Task Force Opens Second Cold Case Office in Rapid City, South Dakota
Second of seven locations follows first opening in Bloomington, Minnesota on July 27
August 4, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, officials from the U.S. Departments of the Interior and Health and Human Services announced the opening of the second of seven cold case offices established through an initiative of Operation Lady Justice to investigate cold cases involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Click for more info.
|
HOEVEN HOLDS OVERSIGHT HEARING ON SAFELY REOPENING BIE SCHOOLS
July 29, 2020
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, today held an oversight hearing on “Preparing to Head Back to Class: Addressing How to Safely Reopen Bureau of Indian Education Schools.”
Click for more info.
|
COMMITTEE ADVANCES ELEVEN INDIAN BILLS DURING BUSINESS MEETING
July 29, 2020
WASHINGTON – The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, chaired by Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), today passed the following eleven bills at its business meeting:
Click for more info.
|
Trump Administration Establishes the First Cold Case Task Force Office for Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives
Seven Offices Being Established Across the Country to Handle Cold Cases in Indian Country
July 27, 2020
BLOOMINGTON, MINN. – Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt, Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump and Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney established the first of seven offices dedicated to solving cold cases involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Click for more info.
|
Assistant Secretary Sweeney Announces New Policy to Ensure Expeditious Processing of Tribal HEARTH Applications
Policy also institutionalizes role of Hearth Act Coordinator to ensure accountability for meeting timelines
July 23, 2020
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney announced today a new internal policy governing how the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) processes tribal applications under the “Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership Act of 2012” (HEARTH Act).
Click for more info.
|
HOEVEN STATEMENT ON USDA ANNOUNCEMENT ON FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM ON INDIAN RESERVATIONS
July 20, 2020
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and the Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, as well as a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, provided the following statement after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced implementation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act’s provisions related to USDA’s Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).
Click for more info.
|
Spring 2021 White House Internship Program
July 17, 2020
The Spring 2021 White House Internship Program application is now open.
|
Assistant Secretary Sweeney Announces Approval of The Osage Nation’s Land-into-Trust Applications for Bartlesville and Pawhuska Casinos
Action on long-standing requests restores tribal lands, removes barrier to Nation’s gaming and other economic development projects
July 17, 2020
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney announced today that she has approved two long-standing land-into-trust applications from The Osage Nation in Oklahoma for its casino projects in the cities of Bartlesville and Pawhuska. The applications were first submitted to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in 2014 and 2016, respectively.
Click for more info.
|
Assistant Secretary Sweeney Announces Approval of the Fort Belknap Indian Community’s HEARTH Act Regulations
Action eliminates a barrier to tribe’s ability to address its housing needs and increase its economic self-sufficiency
June 29, 2020
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Mac Lean Sweeney today announced she has approved the Fort Belknap Indian Community of the Fort Belknap Reservation in Montana’s regulations under the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership (HEARTH) Act. The Act establishes the authority of federally recognized tribes to develop and implement their own laws governing the long-term leasing of Indian lands for residential, business, renewable energy, and other purposes.
Click for more info.
|
CHAIRMAN HOEVEN AND VICE CHAIRMAN UDALL INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN NATIVE AMERICAN HOUSING LEGISLATION
June 25, 2020
WASHINGTON – Senators John Hoeven (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and Tom Udall (D-NM), Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, today introduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act of 1996 (NAHASDA) and provide needed housing improvements for native communities.
Click here for more info.
|
DOI Signs Agreement with USDA to Increase Investment in Infrastructure on Federal and Tribal Lands
June 25, 2020
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of the Interior (DOI) forged a new partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) by signing the National Programmatic Agreement among the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Programs, National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation for Sequencing Section 106 (USDA-RD NPA).
Click here for more info.
|
Assistant Secretary Sweeney Announces NABDI Grant Program Funding Opportunity
June 24, 2020
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Mac Lean Sweeney announced
today that the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) is soliciting
applications for its Native American Business Development Institute (NABDI) grant program.
Click here for more info.
|
Trump Administration Supports Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans
June 24, 2020
WASHINGTON – The Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are seeking public comments to inform the land allotment program for Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans. The provision was enacted as a part of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, which was signed by President Trump, and the provision spearheaded by Senator Dan Sullivan, and would allow thousands of Alaska Natives who served our country during the Vietnam-era to receive up to 160 acres promised to them in previous Native allotment statutes. These veterans unfairly missed their opportunity to apply under previous laws because of their military service to our country.
Click here for more info.
|
National Park Visitor Spending Generates Economic Impact of More Than $41 Billion
June11, 2020
WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt today announced the annual economic benefit of national parks to the U.S. and local economies. In 2019, visitor spending in communities near national parks resulted in a $41.7 billion benefit to the nation’s economy and supported 340,500 jobs. Visitor spending increased by $800 million from 2018 to 2019 and the overall effect on the U.S economy grew by $1.6 billion. In the last five years, visitor spending has increased by $4.1 billion and the effect on the U.S. economy grew by $9.7 billion.
Click here for more info.
|
Assistant Secretary Sweeney Announces Applications Sought for IEED Tribal Energy Development Capacity (TEDC) Grants
June 9, 2020
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Mac Lean Sweeney announced today that the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) is soliciting applications for the Tribal Energy Development Capacity (TEDC) grant program.
Click here for more info.
|
HOEVEN: SENATE PASSES LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE WITH FOUR INDIAN BILLS
June 4, 2020
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, today released the following statement after the Senate passed S. 886, the Indian Water Rights Settlement Extension Act with a substitute amendment offered by Senators Tom Udall, Jerry Moran and Mitt Romney.
Click for more info.
|
Assistant Secretary Sweeney Announces $3 Million
Living Languages Grant Program Funding Opportunity
June 3, 2020
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Mac Lean Sweeney announced today that the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) is soliciting applications to the Living Languages Grant Program (LLGP). This $3 Million grant program will fund between 15 and 60 grants, ranging from $25,000-$200,000, to federally recognized American Indian tribes and Alaska Native entities to document, preserve and revitalize Native languages and build active speaker capacity.
Click here for more info.
|
ICYMI: Interior Continues to Safely Restore Access to Public Lands
May 26, 2020
WASHINGTON - This week, U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt traveled to New Mexico and Arizona before joining President Donald J. Trump at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland to commemorate Memorial Day. The Secretary met with Tribal leadership, staff from the National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and visitors to our public lands to ensure the Department of the Interior is safely restoring access to America’s public lands.
Click here for more info.
|
BIE Director Announces Haskell Indian Nations University President
May 15, 2020
Dr. Ronald J. Graham selected as Haskell Indian Nations University President
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Director of the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) Tony L. Dearman announced the selection of Dr. Ronald J. Graham as the new president at Haskell Indian Nations University (Haskell).
Click here for more info.
|
Interior Proposal Enhances Public Safety for Mining Operations
May 13, 2020
New proposal would eliminate duplicative state and federal investigations, unnecessary delays in addressing mining complaints and violations.
WASHINGTON - The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) unveiled a proposed rule today to improve the processing of Ten-Day Notices (TDNs). The OSM allows state partners ten days to address a reported mining complaint or violation. By providing a timely review and direct coordination with state partners when a violation is identified, remediation will occur more quickly, reducing any associated safety hazards and eliminating duplicative state and federal investigations that can cause unnecessary delays in addressing concerns or potential violations. This proposal will help ensure both the safety of the general public and the protection of the environment.
Click here for more info.
|
HOEVEN: SENATE PASSES RESOLUTION HONORING CONTRIBUTIONS OF AMERICAN INDIAN, ALASKAN NATIVE AND NATIVE HAWAIIAN WOMEN
May 7, 2020
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, issued the following statement after the Senate passed a resolution he is cosponsoring to recognize the contributions of American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian women to the nation.
Click here for more info.
|
Interior and Partners Commit to Long-Term Initiative to Conserve the American Bison
May 7, 2020
10-year initiative provides framework for shared conservation goals
WASHINGTON - Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt today announced the Bison Conservation Initiative (BCI), a new cooperative initiative that will coordinate conservation strategies and approaches for the wild American Bison over the next 10 years. The Department of the Interior (DOI) and its partners have been successful in restoring the populations of the American Bison and supporting healthy herds. With unprecedented interest and cooperation among partners – including states, tribes, nations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) – bison conservation is well equipped to move beyond the confluence of strong analytical assessments and toward coordinated conservation action.
Click here for more info.
|
Assistant Secretary Sweeney Approves Agua Caliente Band’s Probate Code Request
May 7, 2020
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney today announced that she has approved the probate code of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in California. The Department of the Interior’s Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) will now apply the code when probating trust or restricted lands within the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation.
Click here for more info.
|
HOEVEN: TREASURY ANNOUNCES INITIAL ALLOCATION FROM $8 BILLION OF HISTORIC CARES ACT FUNDS TO INDIAN COUNTRY
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA), today issued the following statement on the announcement by the U.S. Department of the Treasury that it will allocate 60 percent of the $8 billion from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to assist tribes with COVID-19 relief efforts.
Click here for more info.
|
White House Re-Establishes Council on Native American Affairs to Support Continued Inter-Agency Coordination with Indian Country
April 28, 2020 - WASHINGTON - Today, the White House, in conjunction with U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt, re-established the White House Council on Native American Affairs under Executive Order 13647. The White House Council on Native American Affairs will continue the important inter-agency coordination of the Indian Country COVID-19 Response Team assembled by the White House in early March.
Click here for more info.
|
Indian Affairs Extends Deadline for the National Tribal Broadband Grant Program
Funding will be for feasibility studies on deployment or expansion
of high-speed internet in Native American communities
April 27,2020
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney announced an extension of the National Tribal Broadband Grant program (NTBG) grant application deadline. The NTBG is open to federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes and is published in Grants.Gov from the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED).
Click here for more info.
|
HOEVEN LEADS EFFORT TO ALLOW INDIAN GAMING ENTERPRISES ACCESS TO THE PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM
Senator Just Spoke with Treasury Deputy Secretary Muzinich who Outlined New Guidance
April 24, 2020
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA), today issued the following statement on the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Small Business Administration (SBA) determination to include all tribally owned businesses, including Indian gaming enterprises, as eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), consistent with congressional intent. Hoeven just spoke with Treasury Deputy Secretary Justin Muzinich, who informed the senator of the new Treasury guidance.
Click here for more info.
HOEVEN LEADS EFFORT TO ALLOW INDIAN GAMING ENTERPRISES ACCESS TO THE PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM
Senator Just Spoke with Treasury Deputy Secretary Muzinich who Outlined New Guidance
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA), today issued the following statement on the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Small Business Administration (SBA) determination to include all tribally owned businesses, including Indian gaming enterprises, as eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), consistent with congressional intent. Hoeven just spoke with Treasury Deputy Secretary Justin Muzinich, who informed the senator of the new Treasury guidance.
|
HOEVEN: SENATE CONFIRMS REAR ADMIRAL MICHAEL WEAHKEE AS INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE DIRECTOR
April 21, 2020
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, today issued the following statement after the Senate unanimously approved the nomination of Rear Admiral Michael Weahkee, of New Mexico, as the Director of the Indian Health Service (IHS) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Click here for more info.
|
Office of the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Statement on the Coronavirus Relief Fund Process
April 16, 2020
WASHINGTON – The CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund for Tribal Governments provides payments to state, local, and tribal governments navigating the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. Payments to tribal governments are to be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior and American Indian and Alaska Native tribes.
Click here for more info.
|
American Indian College Fund Honors 35 Tribal College Students of the Year
Students Awarded $1,200 Scholarship Funded by Adolph Coors Foundation
Denver, Colo., April 15, 2020
The American Indian College Fund honored 35 tribal college and university students named Student of the Year at their respective higher education institutions with a $1,200 scholarship. The American Indian College Fund Student of the Year Program is sponsored by the Adolph Coors Foundation.
Click here for more info.
|
Indian Affairs to Assist Tribes Eligible to Receive Funding from Treasury Under the Coronavirus Relief Fund
April 14, 2020
WASHINGTON - Monday, April 13, 2020, the Department of the Treasury launched the web portal for state, local, and tribal governments to provide their information for the disbursement of the Coronavirus Relief Fund payments. Eligible tribal governments will receive payments to help offset the costs of their response to the coronavirus pandemic. Payments will be paid no later than April 24, 2020, once registered through the web portal entitled Eligible Units: Submission Required for Receipt of Coronavirus Relief Fund Payments.
|
How the coronavirus threatens Native American communities
(By: Anagha Srikanth - The Hill)
The pandemic poses some unique challenges in Indian Country.
In Navajo, the novel coronavirus is called “Dikos Ntsaaígíí-Náhást'éíts'áadah.” Naming the enemy was just the first step.
The Navajo Nation declared a public health state of emergency on March 11, two days before President Trump announced a national state of emergency. Two members of the tribe in the southwest United States have tested positive for COVID-19. They were both from the same region of the territory stretching across parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, but had also recently traveled.
Click Here For Full Article.
|
Native American Agriculture Fund announces
2020 Request for Applications
April 1, 2020
FAYETTEVILLE, AR - The Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF), a private charitable trust devoted to serving Native farmers and ranchers, announced its second Request for Applications (RFA) today. Grant awards will be made to 501(c)(3) organizations, educational organizations, Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and Native CDFIs, and state and federally recognized Tribes. Funding areas include business assistance, agricultural education, technical support, and advocacy services to existing and aspiring Native farmers and ranchers.
Click here for more info.
|
CARES Act Provides Critical Assistance for Tribal Governments
March 28, 2020
WASHINGTON – The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, signed into law by President Trump on Friday, provides critical relief for Indian Country to address the COVID-19 pandemic, including over $500 million in direct appropriations to Indian Affairs and an unprecedented $8 billion for Tribes.
|
Secretary Bernhardt's Statement on President Trump Signing the CARES Act
March, 27, 2020
Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt issued the following statement today in response to President Trump signing the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act into law:
Click here for more info.
|
Assistant Secretary Sweeney Announces BIE’s Approved Standards, Assessments and Accountability System
March 26, 2020
WASHINGTON – Today, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney announced that the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) published its Standards, Assessments and Accountability System (SAAS) Final Rule under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The SAAS Rule will provide the BIE with the ability to operate under a single unified assessment system intended to bolster professional development and student performance. This framework and consistency across the 23 states where BIE funded schools are located is critical to improving services and providing the high-quality education that BIE students and Tribes deserve. The Rule also defines “School Year” and “Agency Plan,” and clarifies requirements for comprehensive and targeted school support and improvement activities.
|
HOEVEN: U.S. SENATE PASSES HISTORIC LEVELS OF FUNDING FOR INDIAN COUNTRY IN PHASE III CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE
March, 26, 2020
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, today released the following statement after the United States Senate passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the third phase of legislation to address coronavirus response and mitigation efforts across the country, including American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
Click here for more info.
|
HOEVEN CONVENES LEGISLATIVE HEARING TO RECEIVE TESTIMONY ON TWO INDIAN BILLS
March, 4, 2020
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, today convened a legislative hearing to receive testimony on two bills:
Click here for more info.
|
NATV NEWS LIVESTREAM POLITICS 2020
|
NATV ANNOUNCES WORLDWIDE BROADCASTING & LIVESTREAM PRODUCTIONS
Washington DC Producer, Elizabeth Lorenzen, covering The White House Tribal Nations Conference at the Department of Interior.
LEESBURG, VA, February 12, 2020 — Robert Cohencious, NATV Washington DC Bureau Chief and Producer from The White House, US Senate, and House of Representatives, announces today the acquisition of live broadcasting into its arsenal of production offerings. LiveU and Boxcast will be the platform that is being implemented for this state-of-the-art modality. LiveU and Boxcast is currently in use with broadcast networks around the globe. NATV was introduced to many options but decided on LiveU and Boxcast because of its wide appeal to networks around the world. LiveU was in full force during coverage of the Super Bowl and will be used by NBC Sports during the coverage of the Summer Olympics. Robert stated that NATV is so pleased to be part of that environment and looks forward to serving Indian Country. NATV will soon be providing programing to Indian Reservations throughout the US and Canada from The White House, Senate, Congress, DOI, and other related Agencies that effect or represent Native America. NATV, since 1989, provides the Native American community direct and immediate information from The White House, US Senate, and House of Representatives.
LiveU and Boxcast is driving the live video revolution, providing live video streaming for TV, mobile, online, and social media. NATV will be providing high-quality and flawless live video, transmitted from anywhere in the world, through the use of their patented bonding and video transport technology. LiveU creates a consistent bandwidth and a reliable connection so you can acquire, manage and distribute high quality remote live broadcasts over IP.
Additional information can be acquired by reaching out to NATV in their Leesburg, VA office.
### If you would like more information about this topic, please call Robert Cohencious or Elizabeth Lorenzen at 703-554-2815, or email studio@natvnews.com
|
HOEVEN ADDRESSES THE 2020 EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WINTER SESSION OF THE NATIONAL CONGRESS OF AMERICAN INDIANS
February 12, 2020
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, today addressed the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) at its 2020 Executive Council Winter Session.
Click here for more info.
|
Oil Production from Department of the Interior Managed Leases Surpasses 1 Billion Barrels for the First Time in History Under the Trump Administration
February 11, 2020
WASHINGTON - The Department of the Interior announced today that over one billion barrels of oil were produced in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 from leases on federal and American Indian-owned lands and offshore areas – a historic milestone. This is greater than a 29 percent increase in production compared to the end of the previous Administration, which totaled 808.7 million barrels in FY 2016, and represents a 122.5-million-barrel increase in production compared to FY 2018.
Click here for more info.
|
Arizona national monument, home to sacred Native American burial sites, is being blown up for the border wall
February 7, 2020
CBS News - A national monument in Arizona, home to rare species and sacred Native American burial sites, is being blown up this week as part of construction for President Trump's border wall, Customs and Border Protection confirmed to CBS News. "Controlled blasting" inside Arizona's Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument began this week without consultation from the Native American nation whose ancestral land it affects, according to the congressman whose district includes the reservation.
|
Trump Administration Launches Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives
January 29, 2020
WASHINGTON – The Department of the Interior, the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services today held the first meeting of a White House task force to address the incidence of missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives.
|
Chairman Simermeyer announces bulletin and advisory group at the New Mexico Tribal Gaming Symposium
January 29, 2020
THE PUEBLO OF SANTA ANA, N.M., Jan. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Indian Gaming Commission Chairman E. Sequoyah Simermeyer addressed Tribal Regulators in New Mexico, announced new NIGC Bulletin on Sports Books, and forecasts plans for a public facing advisory group on Agency bulletins.
|
Thirteen Native students receive scholarships from Shakopee Mdewakanton tribe, University of Minnesota
December 12, 2019
Prior Lake, Minn. – The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) and the University of Minnesota today announced the newest class of scholarship recipients for the SMSC Endowed Scholarship program. Theyinclude 13 Native American students from 11 different tribes.
Click here for more info.
|
WASHINGTON – Senators Jon Tester (D-MT), John Hoeven (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Tom Udall (D-NM), Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, today announced that the Committee has approved S. 257, legislation to provide rental assistance for homeless or at-risk Indian veterans. The bill, which passed the Senate last Congress with the support of the Administration, would authorize a joint tribal housing initiative between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program, among other things. Chairman Hoeven is an original cosponsor of the bill.
Click here for more info.
|
Allows Tribes more options to streamline job training programs
WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced today the completion of a historic interagency memorandum of agreement (MOA) between 12 federal agencies for expanded participation by federal agencies in the 477-Demonstration Project (“477-initiative”). The MOA is a key requirement identified in amendments provided under the Indian Employment, Training, and Related Services Consolidation Act of 2017, Public Law 115-93, as signed by President Donald Trump on December 18, 2017. The 477-initiative was initially created by Public Law 102-477, the Indian Employment, Training and Related Services Demonstration Act of 1992, 25 U.S.C. section 3401 et seq., which allows federally recognized Tribes to integrate employment and training-related, formula-funded federal grants into a single plan with a single budget and single reporting system to improve effectiveness of those services, reduce joblessness in Indian communities, while reducing administrative, reporting, and accounting costs.
Click here for more info.
|
Newest and largest Native philanthropic organization launched website today, seeks public input on priorities
FAYETTEVILLE, AR. – The Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) launched its website today and is soliciting public feedback to inform NAAF’s priorities and future funding activities. NAAF plans to begin its first round of grantmaking in 2019. To view the survey and find additional information about NAAF, please visit NativeAmericanAgricultureFund.org.
Click here for more info.
|
Over 9,000 Fentanyl pills and hundreds of pounds of other drugs seized
WASHINGTON - From May 15, 2018 through May 26, 2018, the Department of the Interior (DOI) Opioid Reduction Task Force conducted a Criminal Interdiction Operation in and around Tribal reservations in Arizona, seizing 9,050 Fentanyl pills, 48.2 pounds of methamphetamine, 1.2 pounds of heroin, 863 pounds of marijuana, one-half pound of cocaine, and $30,000 in cash. In total, the drug bust yielded a seizure of 913.5 pounds of illegal narcotics, with a street value of approximately $4,791,417.00, and led to 86 total arrests. The operation in Arizona is the second led by Interior’s Joint Task Force, which Secretary Zinke established to help achieve President Donald Trump's mission to end the opioid epidemic.
Click here for more info.
|
Senators Lead Bipartisan Effort to Include Indian Country Priorities in Farm Bill
WASHINGTON – Senators John Hoeven (R-ND) and Tom Udall (D-NM), chairman and vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, respectively, this week introduced bipartisan legislation to support tribal self-governance, agricultural production in Indian Country, and enhanced agribusiness and rural development opportunities for Native American farmers, ranchers, and communities. The Cultivating Resources, Opportunity, Prosperity and Sustainability (CROPS) for Indian Country Act (S. 2804) would authorize tribes to exercise greater self-governance for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs, such as forestry and nutrition, and update several other key USDA authorizations to better serve Tribes.
Click here for more info.
|
Project will bring in $30M in annual revenue and create 200 permanent jobs
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – At a signing ceremony today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke approved the Shawnee Tribe’s application to put 102.98 acres of land in Guymon, Texas County, Oklahoma, into federal Indian trust status for gaming. The Shawnee Tribe proposes to develop a 42,309-square foot gaming facility on the site comprised of a 20,206-square foot gaming floor, a restaurant, retail space, and office spaces for the Shawnee Tribe Gaming Commission. When completed, the project is expected to generate a $30 million annual impact for the local economy, including creating 200 permanent jobs. The federally recognized tribe, landless for well over 160 years, is headquartered in Miami, Okla., and has approximately 2,500 members.
Click here for more info.
|
Company to significantly increase annual philanthropic giving to American Indian/Alaska Native communities over five years, launches company-wide initiative to better serve Indian Country
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) today announced a five-year, $50 million commitment to American Indian/Alaska Native communities to help address their unique economic, social and environmental needs. The company will expand philanthropy programs, work to improve products and services to meet the financial and banking requirements of the American Indian/Alaska Native community, and help create a greater awareness of American Indian/Alaska Native culture, history and contributions.
Click here for more info.
|
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior and retired U.S. Navy SEAL Commander Ryan Zinke participated in the Reading of the Names and the Vietnam War Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. The secretary read 60 names. The event marks the 35th anniversary of The Wall. It spans 3 days and features over a thousand volunteers reading every name of the fallen who are enshrined on The Wall.
Media use B-roll of the scene and the Secretary reading names can be downloaded here.
|
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke sent a draft report to the president which included his findings and recommendations on national monuments that were under review as a result of the April 26, 2017 executive order. The report summary can be read here. The extensive 120-day review included more than 60 meetings with hundreds of advocates and opponents of monument designations, tours of monuments conducted over air, foot, car, and horseback (including a virtual tour of a marine monument), and a thorough review of more than 2.4 million public comments submitted to the Department on regulations.gov. Additionally, countless more meetings and conversations between senior Interior officials and local, state, Tribal, and non-government stakeholders including multiple Tribal listening sessions.
Click here for more info.
|
WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke issued the following statement today which was read during the 26th Annual Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service at the United States Indian Police Academy in Artesia, N.M. The ceremony formally announced the names of three fallen law enforcement officers from the Navajo and Chickasaw Nations as new inscriptions to the Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Monument.
Click here for more info.
|
WASHINGTON – Ring in spring with a visit to a national park during National Park Week, April 15 through 23. Throughout the country, hundreds of programs and events will encourage visitors to explore new places and enjoy new experiences. More information is available at www.nationalparkweek.org.
Click here for more info.
|
February 16, 2017—Mesa, Arizona— Nationally renowned trainers and presenters will kick off the UNITY Midyear Conference on Friday in Tempe, Arizona. Robert Johnston, Choctaw/Muscogee Creek, Juanita Toledo, Jemez Pueblo, Marcus “Emcee One” Guinn, Osage/Potawatomi, and Sleepyeye LaFromboise, Seneca/Dakota/Sac and Fox/Kickapoo/Potawatomi, are set to provide leadership training to more than 350 Native youth and youth advisors from around the country. The UNITY Midyear Conference, with a theme of Creating Balance through Cultural Awareness, takes place at the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel and Conference Center in Tempe, Arizona from February 17 - 20. Click here for more info.
|
Eureka Productions tag along as a couple supporters from outside the protest visit and report what they saw and heard in early November at Standing Rock during the demonstrations against the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Video by Eureka Productions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd5qu6lI-FA
|
President’s Action Follows Decades-Long Campaigns by Members of Congress, Tribes, Local Conservationists to Protect Areas of Extraordinary Cultural Importance and Natural Beauty
WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack today joined tribes, members of Congress, state and local officials, and local business and community leaders in applauding the President’s designation of the Bears Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah and the Gold Butte National Monument in southeastern Nevada. Representing the best of America’s natural wonders, today’s designations complete what tribes, members of Congress, state and local officials, and local business and community leaders have sought for decades, but Congress failed to take action.
Click here for more info.
|
PAGE, Ariz. – The U.S. Department of the Interior today released the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for a Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan (LTEMP) for Glen Canyon Dam operations. The LTEMP will provide a framework for adaptively managing Glen Canyon Dam over the next 20 years with the goal of creating certainty and predictability for water and power users while protecting environmental and cultural resources in Grand Canyon National Park and the Colorado River ecosystem.
Click here for more info.
|
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch and Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell to Announce Settlements of Tribal Trust Accounting and Management Lawsuits
September 26, 2016
|
The White House Summit on The United State of Women
|
Maggie Dunne, Founder and CEO of Lakota Children's Enrichment, was a Solutions Seminar Speaker during The White House Summit on The United State of Women. Lakota Children's Enrichment, Inc. is a for purpose nonprofit that empowers youth on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota through opportunities in the arts, education, sports, leadership and mentorship.
lakotachildren.org
|
Cierra was nominated through public submissions to attend The White House Summit on The United State of Women. Cierra has witnessed firsthand the power of overcoming struggle to bring about change and help others in her community, especially in the Cherokee Nation. A 17-year-old advocate, Cierra has traveled across Indian Country to educate youth, especially other Native American young women, about sexual assault and address solutions that will empower youth and improve enforcement, transparency, and accountability. As a melanoma cancer survivor, Cierra has also dedicated her time to helping tribal health facilities, and in 2013, was honored as a White House "Champion of Change" for her extraordinary work to promote healthy lifestyles to reduce the risk of cancer in native communities. This year, Cierra will host the Charles Head Memorial Native Youth Summit on efforts to put an end to sexual assault, a conversation she brought to the table in her participation at the United State of Women Summit.
|
NATV had the opportunity to cover a Bernie Sanders Rally held in DC. Here is a clip from the event.
|
Mesa, Arizona (June 10, 2016) – Education institutions, armed forces, businesses, corporations and government agencies have an opportunity to interact with as many as 2,000 American Indian and Alaska Native youth at the National UNITY Conference from July 22-26, 2016 in Oklahoma City. UNITY, which stands for United National Indian Tribal Youth, will host an Education & Career Expo on Monday, July 25, at the Oklahoma City Renaissance Convention Center. The Education & Career Expo promises to be a premier event that will highlight exhibitors and workshops to help youth create strategies that will lead to promising educational and career futures.
|
“Access to a job in the summer and beyond can make all the difference to a young person – especially those who don’t have access to many resources and opportunities.”
- President Barack Obama
A young person’s first job brings more than just a steady paycheck – the experience teaches young people life and work skills that serve them long after the job is done. Summer is a critical time for young people to get access to first jobs that can provide important skills, experiences and networks for their future. At the same time, summer opportunities have been shown to divert youth from criminal involvement and reduce overall violence in communities. That is why, in February, the White House launched the Summer Opportunity Project to increase the number of young Americans participating in evidence-based summer opportunity programs, decrease the percentage of youth experiencing violence over the summer, and—more broadly—make sure that young Americans have the support they need to get their first job. This work builds on the President’s My Brother’s Keeper Task Force recommendation strengthening the case for summer youth employment and launching a cross-sector campaign to reduce summer learning loss and increase the number of job and internship opportunities for all young people.
Click here for more info.
|
Water challenges are facing communities and regions across the United States, impacting millions of lives and costing billions of dollars in damages. These challenges are particularly problematic in predominantly poor, minority, or rural communities, where water inequality can go hand-in-hand with socioeconomic inequality. Recent events, including record-breaking drought in the West, severe flooding in the Southeast, and the water-quality crisis in Flint, MI, have elevated a national dialogue on the state of our Nation’s water resources and infrastructure. This dialogue is increasingly important as a growing population and changing climate continue to exacerbate water challenges. Accordingly, we must work together to build a sustainable water future—one in which everyone has access to the safe, clean, and affordable water they need, when and where they need it.
Click here for more info.
|
Click here to visit the Museum's website.
|
“ABC News Special: President Obama’s State of the Union Address and the Republican Response”
Live Stream
|
Today, the White House Council on Women and Girls in collaboration with the Anna Julia Cooper Center at Wake Forest University will host a daylong forum on Advancing Equity for Women and Girls of Color, which will focus on empowering and increasing opportunity for women and girls of color and their peers. The forum will bring together a range of stakeholders from the academic, private, government and philanthropic sectors to discuss ways that we can break down barriers to success and create more ladders of opportunity for all Americans, including women and girls of color. Forum participants will highlight a range of issues, including economic development, healthcare, criminal justice, vulnerability to violence, hip-hop, and images of women in the media. Today, the Council on Women and Girls will release a progress report, “Advancing Equity for Women and Girls of Color,” as a follow up to the 2014 report, and announce independent commitments to close opportunity gaps faced by women and girls, including women and girls of color.
Click here for more info.
|
Click Here to watch the Opening Remarks by Valerie Jarrett
|
Click Here to watch the Armchair Session with President Obama.
|
Click Here to watch the Opening Remarks by Secretary Jewell.
|
Washington tribal leaders call on Congress and federal agencies to honor treaty rights
Washington, D.C.—At the 7th Annual White House Tribal Nations Conference, Northwest tribes stood in solidarity to protect treaty rights. Tribal leaders gathered from many nations—representing thousands of tribal members from the shores of Lummi, Tulalip, Swinomish, and Quinault, to the rivers and mountains of Yakama, Hoopa Valley, and Spokane— to oppose the nation’s largest coal terminal being built on Lummi’s sacred burial grounds, Xwe'chieXen, known as Cherry Point, in the Salish Sea.
Click here to read more.
|
UNITY announces its #IwillLive initiative during National Suicide Prevention Week and call for moment of silence on
World Suicide Prevention Day
September 4, 2015 – Mesa, Arizona— United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc. (UNITY) is encouraging all Native youth to participate in its #IwillLive campaign during the National Suicide Prevention Week, September 7-13, 2015. Earlier this year, the National UNITY Council (NUC), comprising of Native youth representatives from across the United States, passed the National Suicide Prevention Initiative resolution, later renamed the "I Will Live" Initiative, in an effort to further bring attention to the suicide epidemic among Native youth in Indian Country, and to save lives.
|
| |
