Native American Television

PRESERVING NATIVE CULTURE THROUGH MULTIMEDIA AND TELEVISION

NATV News
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.


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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. 
Interior Announces More Than $170 Million in Conservation Funding for States and Tribes to Reclaim and Repurpose Abandoned Coal Mines
February 6, 2020

WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt today announced the availability of Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Reclamation grants through the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE). A total of $170.9 million in grants will be provided this year for states and tribes to reclaim and repurpose abandoned coal lands.


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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.


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Sacred Wind Communications, Inc. and Microsoft Corp. announced a new agreement to bring broadband connectivity to rural New Mexico. As part of the Microsoft Airband Initiative (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/airband), Sacred Wind will use fixed wireless technologies, including TV white spaces (TVWS), the unused UHF and VHF spectrum, to deliver fast and reliable internet service to rural, underserved communities in Northwest New Mexico that currently do not have access to basic broadband services. 



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AML funds improve coal communities and the lives of their residents


WASHINGTON – U.S. Acting Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt today announced that the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) will provide $588,522 to the Hopi Tribe in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Reclamation grants, to clean up and repurpose abandoned coal mines. More than $291 million [1] in AML Reclamation funding will be available to states and tribes in FY 2019.

 

Click here for more info.

President’s FY 2020 Budget Proposes $936.3 Million for Bureau of Indian Education,Elevates Its Budget to Bureau-level Status Separate from Bureau of Indian Affairs    

March 11, 2019

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.  

 

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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. 

Legislation Headed to President

 

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, announced that the House of Representatives has passed S.825, the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium Land Transfer Act of 2017 today. The bill will now go to the President to be signed into law.

 

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Hoeven: Native Languages Have Played a Critical Role in Our Nation’s History

August 22, 2018

Secretary Zinke Fulfills Promise to Alaska: New Bureau of Indian Affairs Alaska Region Director Announced

July 9, 2018

Legislation Includes Hoeven Provisions to Strengthen Tribal Self-Governance for Agricultural Programs, Establish USDA Tribal Advisory Committee

 

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven (R-N.D.), chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, and a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today released the following statement after the Senate Agriculture Committee voted to advance the farm bill to the full Senate. Hoeven secured several priorities for Indian Country in the bill, including key provisions of the senator’s Cultivating Resources, Opportunities, Prosperity and Sustainability (CROPS) for Indian Country Act. The legislation strengthens tribal self-governance for USDA programs and promotes agribusiness and rural development opportunities for Native American farmers, ranchers and communities.

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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Senator Convenes Hearing to Highlight Successes in Tribal Self-Governance, Discuss Improvements for Future

 

 

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, today convened an oversight hearing titled “The 30th Anniversary of Tribal Self-Governance: Successes in Self-Governance and an Outlook for the Next 30 Years.” The hearing featured testimony from tribal leaders who discussed the progress that has been made through effective self-governance and provided recommendations for improving the program.

 

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WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, today delivered the following remarks at a committee oversight hearing titled “The President’s FY 2019 Budget Request for Indian Programs.”

 

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WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke signed an agreement with the Alaska Native King Cove Native Corp., which is made up of tribal members from the local Agdaagux and Belkofski tribes, to build a life-saving road between the Native village and the nearby all-weather airport in Cold Bay. The village of King Cove is an isolated area in the Aleutian peninsula that currently lacks any safe and reliable ground transportation for medical evacuation in the case of an emergency. There have been 18 deaths attributed to the lack of road access, either in plane crashes or the inability to receive timely medical treatment. In a community with no hospital or doctor, King Cove residents must fly 600 miles to Anchorage for most medical procedures.

 

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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.

 

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HOEVEN: AGRIBUSINESS IS CRITICAL FOR INDIAN COUNTRY Senator Holds Hearing to Examine Opportunities for Tribal Ranchers and Farmers

January 17, 2018

Modifications protect paleontological resources, Native American artifacts and other objects of historic or scientific interest while restoring traditional use and access to public land

 

SALT LAKE CITY – Acting upon the recommendation of U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, and with the support of Utah's governor, Congressional delegation, local officials, and residents, President Donald J. Trump today signed proclamations to adjust the boundaries and management of Utah's Bears Ears National Monument (BENM) and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM). The proclamations modify the boundaries of those monuments and result in five unique monument units within the two monuments which protect important objects of historical and scientific interest.

 

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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. 

Oval Office

 

2:27 P.M. EST

 

     MR. MACDONALD:  Thank you, Honorable President of this great United States of America, President Trump.  Thank you for inviting us, Navajo Code Talkers, to the Capitol and to the White House of this great nation we call the United States.

 

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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.

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

 

A PROCLAMATION

 

      American Indians and Alaska Natives are inextricably linked with the history of the United States.  Beginning with the Pilgrims' arrival at Plymouth Colony and continuing until the present day, Native American's contributions are woven deeply into our Nation's rich tapestry.  During National Native American Heritage Month, we honor and celebrate the first Americans and recognize their contributions and sacrifices.

 

Click here to read more. 

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.

 

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National Park Service Awards Historic Preservation Grants to American Indian Tribes and Alaskan Native Groups 

August 16, 2017

Alaska Natives & Elected Officials Applaud Bold Action

 

 

ANCHORAGE -Flanked by members of Alaska’s energy sector and elected officials at the Alaska Oil and Gas Association annual conference, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke today signed a secretarial order to jump-start Alaskan energy production in the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska (NPR-A) and update resource assessments for areas of the North Slope, including the "1002 area" of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).

 

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. 

NATIONAL PARK WEEK, 2017

  

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

 

A PROCLAMATION

 

      This year we celebrate National Park Week as the National Park Service begins its second century as a critical guardian of America's Federal public lands.  During National Park Week, national parks across our country waive their entrance fees and welcome all explorers to experience, as past generations have, the history and splendor of our Nation's treasures.

 

Click here to read more. 

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. 

Top Highlights from the Sunday Shows

On The President’s Executive Order Protecting The Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry

January 29, 2017

White House Chief Of Staff Reince Priebus On NBC’s “Meet The Press”: The Trump Administration Will “Apologize For Nothing Here.”

 

PRIEBUS: “I don't think you want a grace period, Chuck, because then people who want to do bad things to Americans would just move up their travel date two days in order to get into the country before the grace period is over. I think it's one of these things that-- and if you ask a lot of the people at the customs and border patrol would just tell you you’ve got to just rip off the Band-Aid and you have to move forward. It wasn't chaos. The fact of the matter is 325,000 people from foreign countries came into the United States yesterday and 109 people were detained for further questioning. Most of those people were moved out. We've got a couple dozen more that remain, and I would suspect as long as they're not awful people that they will move through before another half a day today and perhaps some of these people should be detained further, and if they're folks that shouldn't be in this country they're going to be detained. So apologize for nothing here.”

 

Click here to read more. 

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.

 

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Interior Department and Army Corps Announce Restoration of Tribal Lands for the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation

December 20, 2016

Initiative promotes restoration of tribal homelands, self-determination and economic development

 

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – As part of President Obama’s commitment to help American Indian leaders strengthen self-sufficiency and self-determination, U.S. Department of Interior officials will remove liens placed on thousands of acres of tribal lands acquired under the Indian Land Consolidation Act (ILCA) program and return the revenues generated by these liens to tribal communities to use for reacquiring tribal homelands. The announcement was made today by U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior Michael Connor, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Lawrence S. Roberts, who leads the Office of the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs, and Michael S. Black, Senior Advisor to the BIA Director.

 

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. 

Mellon Auditorium

Washington, D.C.

3:52 P.M. EDT

 

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody.  Thank you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Welcome to the Eighth White House Tribal Nations Conference.  And what an amazing honor, and what a kind gesture for the honor song and the blanket and the hat. I have to say that I’m very glad that you also have a blanket for Michelle so she doesn’t steal mine.  (Laughter.)  She would, too.  I’m just saying.  (Laughter.)  But that was very moving, and is a reminder of the great friendships that we’ve developed over the last eight years.

 

Click here to read more. 
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

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch and Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will announce today that, as a result of an initiative begun in the summer of this year, the United States has reached settlement with 17 additional tribal governments who 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. With these resolutions, the Obama Administration will have settled the vast majority of the outstanding claims, some dating back more than a century, with more than 100 tribes and totaling over $3.3 billion.

 

Click here for more info. 

Grand Foyer 

4:51 P.M. EDT

 

     THE PRESIDENT:  Well, welcome, everybody.  (Applause.) This is an exceptionally good-looking group.  (Laughter.)  And there are just so many friends here that it feels like one of our house parties.  (Laughter.)  But there’s no dancing this afternoon.  We’re here just to acknowledge what an extraordinary achievement has been accomplished by Mr. Lonnie Bunch -- (applause) -- and everybody who helped make this day possible. 

 

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Acting Assistant Secretary Roberts Announces Approval of $23.5 Million Loan Guarantee for Navajo Tribal Utility Authority

June 28, 2016

Initiative will result in Navajo-majority ownership of largest tribal telecommunications company in the United States


WASHINGTON – Acting Assistant Secretary –Indian Affairs Lawrence S. Roberts today announced the approval of a $23.5 million loan guarantee to the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) that will allow it to acquire a greater ownership interest in NTUA Wireless, LLC, a telecommunications services company serving the Navajo Nation.  The company is a partnership of NTUA and Commnet Wireless, a rural wireless service provider based in Atlanta, Georgia.


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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.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, June 14, the White Houseconvened the first-ever United State of Women Summit to mark the progress made by and for women and girls domestically and internationally over the course of this Administration and to discuss solutions to the challenges they still face.

CLICK HERE to see remarks by The President, Vice President, and First Lady.
NATV had the opportunity to cover a Bernie Sanders Rally held in DC. Here is a clip from the event.

Acting Assistant Secretary Roberts Announces Launch of BIA’s Tribal Leaders Directory as a Searchable Electronic Map

June 13, 2016

Secretary Jewell Joins Spokane Tribal Leaders to Mark Community’s Selection as a Presidential Promise Zone

June 9, 2016

Spokane Tribe of Indians in Washington State one of two tribes selected nationwide in final round of designations

SPOKANE, WA – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today joined leaders of the Spokane Tribe of Indians in Washington State to commemorate the tribe’s selection as a Promise Zone, which was announced by President Obama on June 6 as part of the third and final round of Promise Zone designations. The competitively-awarded designation provides custom tailored federal support for Spokane tribal leaders to address locally-defined revitalization goals, including creating jobs through investments in renewable energy, housing construction and technology centers, and reducing crime by revising an antiquated law and order code and implementing a community policing strategy, among other strategies.


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Acting Assistant Secretary Roberts Issues Final Regulations to Strengthen Implementation of the Indian Child Welfare Act, Focusing on Family Unification

June 8, 2016

Final rule will ensure consistent implementation of ICWA to promote greater stability for Indian children, their families and tribal communities


WASHINGTON– Acting Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Lawrence S. Roberts today announced final, updated measures to protect the rights of Indian children, their parents and their tribes in state child welfare proceedings. The measures, comprised in a final rule announced today, will  support the stability and security of Indian families and tribes by providing a more consistent interpretation of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA), regardless of the child welfare worker, judge or state involved.

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell Issues Statement on Upcoming French Auction of Tribal Sacred Objects

May 26, 2016

“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.

 

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Nearly 200 nursing schools and more than 50 pharmacy schools commit to prescriber training

 

Washington, DC—Today during an event at the White House, ten individuals from across the country will be honored as “White House Champions of Change” for their leadership in preventing prescription drug abuse and heroin use, increasing access to treatment, and supporting the millions of Americans in recovery. These individuals were chosen from more than 900 nominations. The event will feature remarks by White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell, and Director of National Drug Control Policy Michael Botticelli. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy will host a discussion with Allison Janney, Emily Osment, and Chuck Lorre from the Warner Bros. Television-produced CBS comedy series Mom.

 

Click here for more info. 

Funding will continue the President’s commitment to supporting access to high quality education for Native youth.

 

WASHINGTON – Acting Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Lawrence S. Roberts announced today the 10 Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools eligible for funding for campus-wide replacement.  Publication of this listcompletes the process for identifying the Department’s top priority schools for campus-wide replacement developed through negotiated rulemaking required by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

 

Click here for more info. 

Statement by the President on the Passing of Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow

April 4, 2016

AmericasMart Building Two

Atlanta, Georgia

 

2:27 P.M. EDT

 

DR. GUPTA:  Mr. President, I'm going to start with you.  Obviously you have a lot going on, and this is a significant commitment.  You flew down here.  You're attending this conference.  You're going to make comments here.  Why this particular topic for you, sir?

 

Click here to read more. 

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. 

Acting Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Roberts Announces Critical Child Welfare Training for Tribes and Tribal Courts

March 3, 2016

Following a 2015 information-gathering phase, tribal consultation sessions to gather public comments begin in March

 

WASHINGTON – Furthering President Obama’s efforts to support American Indian and Alaska Native families and protect tribal communities, Acting Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Lawrence S. Roberts; U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Administrator Robert L. Listenbee; and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Acting Administrator Kana Enomoto today announced a draft revised BIA Model Indian Juvenile Code.  The Departments are seeking public comment on the draft, which will be the subject of listening and consultation sessions scheduled for March and April of 2016.

 

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FACT SHEET: Seven Years Ago, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Helped Bring Our Economy Back from the Brink of a Second Great Depression

February 25, 2016

This month marks the seven-year anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act). The President signed the Recovery Act into law on February 17, 2009—less than a month after taking office—as our economy teetered on the brink of a second Great Depression. In fact, by a number of measures, the economy was collapsing as fast or faster in late 2008 and early 2009 than it was when the Depression began. But the Recovery Act and the Federal government’s broader response to the crisis helped ensure that the U.S. economy not only climbed out of the crisis but emerged stronger than before—an historic turnaround in part attributable to what the Recovery Act did to restart near-term growth and build a new foundation for long-term economic strength.

 

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Request builds on commitment to Indian Country to promote tribal self-determination and self-governance through investments in education for Native youth, support to Indian families, public safety in tribal communities, full payment of contract support costs, tribal governance of land and natural resources, tribal resilience to climate change, and promotion of tribal culture

 

WASHINGTON – President Obama’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 budget request for Indian Affairs, which includes the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), reflects the Administration’s all-of-government approach to meeting the federal government’s responsibilities to the nation’s 567 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and building on the commitment to promote strong, resilient nations for today and for future generations.

 

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FACT SHEET: The President’s Fiscal Year 2017 Budget: Overview Meeting Our Greatest Challenges

February 9, 2015

South Court Auditorium

 

12:19 P.M. EST

 

     THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Thank you.  Everybody have a seat.  Thank you so much.  I heard you all were in the house so I wanted to stop by.  (Laughter.) 

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McKinley Senior High School

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

 

10:14 A.M. CST

 

     THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Louisiana!  (Applause.)  Hello, Baton Rouge!  Geaux Tigers!  (Applause.)  For those of you who are not aware, that’s “geaux” with an “x.”  I got it.

 

     Can everybody give Che a big round of applause?  (Applause.)  We could not be more proud of her.  I was backstage -- I asked her, “Are you nervous?”  She said, no, I got this -- (laughter) -- I’m fine.  That is a serious leader of the future. And we are so proud of her.  And I want to thank everybody at McKinley for hosting us today. 

 

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$45 million in construction funding as part of recently passed omnibus spending bill will finish projects on the 2004 BIE school construction list; opens door for new set

 

RED VALLEY, Ariz. – On the heels of President Obama’s State of the Union address where he committed to focusing on challenges and opportunities that will impact America for generations to come – including in Indian Country – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced $45 million to build the last previously identified Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) school construction projects. The schools slated to receive funding are the final two of 14 identified in 2004 by the Bush Administration as requiring the greatest need for replacement construction but never received Congressional funding.

 

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WASHINGTON, DC – The following individuals will be seated in the box with the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden and Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President, at the State of the Union Address on Tuesday.

 

For the President’s final State of the Union address, the individuals who will be seated in the guest box of First Lady Michelle Obama represent the progress we have made since the President first delivered this speech seven years ago – from the brink of a second Great Depression and two costly wars to an economy that is growing and renewed American leadership abroad. Their stories – of struggle and success – highlight where we have been and where America is going in the future, building on the best of what our country has to offer. The guests personify President Obama’s time in office and most importantly, they represent who we are as Americans: inclusive and compassionate, innovative and courageous.

 

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 “ABC News Special: President Obama’s State of the Union Address and the Republican Response” 
Live Stream

Visit to Saguaro National Park in Arizona supports Obama Administration initiative to connect next generation to the great outdoors 

 

TUCSON, Ariz. – As part of the Obama Administration’s Every Kid in a Park initiative, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today visited Saguaro National Park with a class of about 25 Native students from Santa Rosa Ranch School – funded by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) – at the Tohono O'odham Nation. Announced by President Obama earlier this year, the program connects the next generation to the great outdoors by providing free passes to fourth-grade students and their families at more than 2,000 federally managed lands and waters, including national parks, wildlife refuges, and national forests and grasslands.

 

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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. 

South Court Auditorium

  

2:36 P.M. EDT

 

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, first of all, Bill, thanks for moderating this.  Thank you to the Marshall Project.  I am particularly grateful to folks in law enforcement, some members of Congress who are here, people in prosecutors’ offices -- all of whom have taken a great interest in this.

 

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Charleston, West Virginia

  

2:45 P.M. EDT

 

     THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  Everybody, please have a seat.  Have a seat.  Thank you so much.  Well, hello, West Virginia!  (Applause.) Go, Mountaineers!  (Applause.)  It is great to be back in what is clearly one of the most beautiful states in the United States of America.  One of these days, I’m going to finally try a Tudor’s Biscuit.  (Laughter.)   

 

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Interior Department Proposes Pathway for Re-Establishing a Government-to-Government Relationship with the Native Hawaiian Community

September 29, 2015

Cabazon, Fond du Lac Band, Ponca Tribe, Quinault Indian Nation, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes to Begin Implementation of Land Buy-Back Program

 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior Michael Connor announced today that the Department has signed agreements with five additional tribal nations to implement the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program), which facilitates the purchase of individual interests in fractionated trust lands and consolidates ownership for the tribe with jurisdiction. The tribal nations are the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians in California; the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Minnesota; the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Quinault Indian Nation in Washington; and the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation in Idaho.

 

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Remarks as prepared for delivery

 

LOS ANGELES

 

Thank you, Sandra [Henriquez], for that kind introduction.  I want to thank you and Delilah [Rumburg], and the entire staff of the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape for all of your hard work to make NSAC 2015 a huge success.  And a special thank you to all of you—presenters and participants—for making the commitment to attend this conference and share both your passion and your knowledge.  It is truly inspiring to be in a room with so many people working day in and day out to make a real difference in the lives of so many victims and survivors every day.  Thank you.  And, it is my honor to be here with Valerie Jarrett, Carrie Bettinger-Lopez, and Debra Houry—just to show the true commitment of this Administration to address the issue of sexual assault—front and center. 

 

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President will announce a Federal coordinator for building climate resilience in Alaska, launch a remote Alaskan Communities Energy Efficiency Competition, and announce a city-led public-private partnership to achieve 99.7 percent clean energy on Kodiak Island.

 

Climate change is real, it is being driven by human activity, and it is happening right now—and nowhere is that more apparent than in Alaska, which is warming twice as fast as the continental United States. In Arctic Alaska, villages are being damaged by powerful storm surges, which once held at bay by sea ice, are battering the barrier islands where those villages sit. Alaska Native traditions that have set the rhythm of life in Alaska for thousands of years are being upended by decreasing sea-ice cover and changing seasonal patterns. Permafrost is melting, opening up sinkholes and causing damage to homes and infrastructure.

 

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Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center

Anchorage, Alaska 

 

5:00 P.M. AKDT

 

     THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you so much.  Thank you.  (Applause.) It is wonderful to be here in the great state of Alaska.  (Applause.) 

 

I want to thank Secretary Kerry and members of my administration for your work here today.  Thank you to the many Alaskans, Alaska Natives and other indigenous peoples of the Arctic who’ve traveled a long way, in many cases, to share your insights and your experiences.  And to all the foreign ministers and delegations who’ve come here from around the world -- welcome to the United States, and thank you all for attending this GLACIER Conference. 

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Remarks by The President After Roundtable with Alaska Native Leaders 

September 1, 2015

     THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I am thrilled to be in Alaska.  And I look forward to spending the next few days with everyday Alaskans to tell me what’s going on in their lives and what’s going on in this remarkable state.

 

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Endorsed by President Obama, Secretary Jewell Changes Name of Mount McKinley to Denali

 

ANCHORAGE, AK – In recognition of the long history of strong support from Alaska state, tribal and congressional leaders, and in resolution of an official request for a name change pending for 40 years, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced that the highest mountain in the United States and North America, formerly known as Mount McKinley, will be officially given the traditional Koyukon Athabascan name of Denali.

 

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Assistant Secretary Washburn Announces a New Program to Assist Tribal Social Services Agencies in Placing Children in Safe Homes

August 19, 2015

Assistant Secretary Washburn Announces Approval of Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s Probate Code

August 4, 2015

East Room

2:15 P.M. EDT

 

 

     THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Everybody, please have a seat.  Thank you. 

 

     Well, good afternoon, everybody.

 

     AUDIENCE:  Good afternoon.

Click here to read more. 

 

FACT SHEET: President Obama to Announce Historic Carbon Pollution Standards for Power Plants

August 3, 2015

The Clean Power Plan is a Landmark Action to Protect Public Health, Reduce Energy Bills for Households and Businesses, Create American Jobs, and Bring Clean Power to Communities across the Country

 

Today at the White House, President Obama and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy will release the final Clean Power Plan, a historic step in the Obama Administration’s fight against climate change. 

 

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First BIE-funded school to transition to full tribal control under Blueprint for Reform

 

ISLETA PUEBLO, N.M. – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Kevin Washburn and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) Director Dr. Charles ‘Monty’ Roessel today joined U.S. Senator Mark Heinrich and Isleta Pueblo Governor Edward Paul Torres Sr. to celebrate the landmark transfer of the pueblo’s elementary school to full tribal control. The transition is the first enabled by the Obama Administration’s Blueprint for Reform promoting educational self-determination for tribal communities and the President’sGeneration Indigenous (Gen-I) initiative to improve the lives of Native youth by removing barriers to their success.

 

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Educators Gather at the White House to Rethink School Discipline

 

The U.S. Departments of Education and Justice are hosting teams of superintendents, principals, and teachers from across the country today for “Rethink Discipline,” a day-long conference at the White House on creating positive school climates and implementing effective discipline practices. The conference seeks to advance the national conversation about reducing the overuse of unnecessary out of school suspensions and expulsions and replacing these practices with positive alternatives that keep students in school and engaged in learning, but also ensure accountability.

 

“Creating and sustaining safe, supportive schools is absolutely essential to ensuring students can engage in the rich learning experiences they need for success in college, work and life –that’s why rethinking school discipline is critical to boosting student achievement and improving school outcomes. Today’s conference shows that there are leaders across the country who are committed to doing this work. We are proud to stand as partners with these educators to say that we have to continue to do better for all of our students,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.


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The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Kansas and ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding during the period of May 4 to June 21, 2015.


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July 18, 2015

WASHINGTON – Following extensive environmental and economic analyses and robust tribal and public outreach, Deputy Secretary of the Interior Mike Connor today approved the Four Corners Power Plant (FCPP) and Navajo Mine Energy Project in northwestern New Mexico, under a plan that would minimize and mitigate the project’s projected environmental impacts while maintaining the substantial economic benefits of coal mining and energy production for the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe and local communities. 


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REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT ON LAUNCH OF CONNECTHOME INITIATIVE, Durant High School, Durant, Oklahoma

July 16, 2015

 

"And Michelle and I believe we’ve got a special obligation to make sure that tribal youth have every opportunity to achieve their potential not just for the benefit of themselves and their communities, but for our entire nation; that all of you young people have a chance to succeed not by leaving your communities, but by coming back and investing in your communities, and that you have a whole range of options that can lift us all up.  And so we are really excited about what you’re doing, and we’re really excited about some of the work that’s going to be done not just here but all across the country.  That’s why I’m here today."

For a full transcript of remarks clik here.
NATV Is Awaiting Remarks From President Obama Where He Will Announce ConnectHome: Coming Together to Ensure Digital Opportunity for All American at Chocktaw Nation.

Paris Burris is awaiting the Presidents remarks on the Connect Home Initiative at Choctaw Nation.


Paris was one of the student fellows at the Native American Journalists Association conference this past weekend. She is the special projects editor of the University of Oklahoma newspaper, The Oklahoma Daily. Burris hopes to become a traveling journalist.


"NATV is so proud and excited to have her working with us.", says NATV Executive Producer Robert Cohencious.

WASHINGTON, DC – On Wednesday, July 15, the President will travel to Durant High School in Durant, OK, where he will deliver remarks on expanding economic opportunity for communities across the country, including the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Following his remarks, the President will depart Durant and travel to the Oklahoma City area, where he will remain overnight. On Thursday, July 16, the President will visit the El Reno Federal Correctional Institution outside of Oklahoma City, marking the first visit by a sitting President to a federal prison. While there, he will meet with law enforcement officials and inmates and conduct an interview for a Vice documentary that will air in the fall about the realities of our criminal justice system.  

Oval Office 

2:02 P.M. EDT

 

     THE PRESIDENT:  As many of you know, one of the great legacies of this incredible country of ours is our national parks and national monuments.  It is something that we pass on from generation to generation, preserving the incredible beauty of this nation, but also reminding us of the richness of its history.  And I am especially pleased to be able to announce three new designations that are going to be taking place in varied landscapes, but all of them speak to some incredible history.

 

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 The Renaissance Hotel

Washington, D.C.

 

11:30 A.M. EDT

 

     MRS. OBAMA:  Wow, look at all of you!  (Applause.)  Wow.  How are you guys doing?  Good?  (Applause.)  Having fun?  (Applause.)  That’s good.  You guys, rest yourselves.  You’ve been working hard.  You deserve a seat. 

 

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WASHINGTON – The First Lady will deliver remarks at the first-ever Tribal Youth Gathering.  The event will take place at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC. This event – cohosted by UNITY Inc., the largest Native youth organization in the country – focuses on creating a national dialogue around wellness, education, and opportunity for tribal youth. In her remarks, Mrs. Obama will speak to American Indian and Alaska Native youth from across the country about her Reach Higher initiative, the value of education, and the importance of pursuing their dreams.

 

As part of the President’s Generation Indigenous Initiative, the First Lady participated in a convening on Creating Opportunity for Native Youth. Additionally, as part of her effort to help build a healthier future for our next generation, Let’s Move! in Indian Countryhas partnered with 421 partners that represent community and tribal programs.

What You Need to Know About the Affordable Care Act

 

After nearly a century of work, after decades of trying, after a year of sustained debate, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law in 2010. Since then, health reform has become the law of the land and after more than five years under the law, it has been woven into the fabric of an improved American health care system, on which Americans can rely throughout life. And it’s probably impacting your life in ways you do not realize. Young adults can stay on their family’s plan. People losing jobs, changing jobs, or breaking out on their own no longer have to worry about whether they can get health insurance. Having a pre-existing condition or being a woman no longer means you pay for more coverage. And, affordability has improved – from insurance that is there for you when you need it to discounts on prescription drugs in Medicare. 

 

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Rose Garden

 

11:34 A.M. EDT

 

THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everybody.  Have a seat.  Five years ago, after nearly a century of talk, decades of trying, a year of bipartisan debate -- we finally declared that in America, health care is not a privilege for a few, but a right for all.

 

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