Past News Items

The Department of the Interior announced today it has submitted to Congress proposals for legislation that would end Federal trusteeship and supervision 0ver two small Indian reservations in western Washington.

The reservations affected are Lower Elwha embracing 372 acres in Clallam County near Port Angeles and Shoalwater Bay which comprises 334.75 acres in Pacific County southwest of Hoquiam. There are about 80 Indians in the Lower Elwha group and 11 residing on the Shoalwater Bay Reservation.

Under Secretary of the Interior James A. Joseph today announced his decision to revoke the 1965 Secretarial notice which adopted the land use laws of the City of Palm Springs and the State of California for Indian lands on the Agua Caliente Reservation located within the city.

Albuquerque, N.M. -- Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) will undergo a comprehensive evaluation visit March 21-23, 2011, by a team representing The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The public is being invited to submit comments on the school until next month. SIPI has been accredited by the Commission since 1975.

Promotion of Robert E. Robinson to the post of superintendent of the Fort Apache Indian Agency, Whiteriver, Ariz., effective November 25, was announced today by the Department of the Interior.

Robinson has been land operations officer at the Fort Apache Agency since 1955. He succeeds Albert M. Hawley who is transferring to the staff of the Indian Bureau's area office at Phoenix as, projects development officer.

Daniel D. McDonald, Director of Tribal Resources Development for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, died Saturday, April 16.

A Nez Perce/Flathead Indian, McDonald was one of four program directors in the Bureau. His office was responsible for assisting Indians through the development of business enterprises, credit and financing, and manpower training and placement programs. It also provided technical assistance to tribes in road construction and maintenance. He was appointed to this position in April, 1974.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, November 3 at 1:00 PM Eastern, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk, White House Senior Policy Advisor for Native American Affairs Kim Teehee, and White House Associate Director for Intergovernmental Affairs Jodi Gillette will hold a conference call with interested reporters to discuss the upcoming White House Tribal Nations Conference.

WHAT: Conference Call to discuss the White House Tribal Nations Conference

Award of a $1,121,000 contract for the construction of new school facilities on the Navajo Indian Reservation at Rock Point, Arizona was announced today by the Department of the Interior.

The contract calls for the construction of a 7-classroom academic building with multipurpose room and administrative unit, a 192-pupil dormitory, a kitchen and dining hall, and other related facilities. The construction, when completed, will replace the old stone 2-classroom school building and two temporary classrooms and will allow an additional 120 pupils to be enrolled.

Acting Commissioner of Indian Affairs Raymond V. Butler announced today the appointment of Wayne H. Chattin, Jay T. Suagee, and Joe G. Weller to top positions in a newly created Division of Self-Determination Services within the Office of Indian Services in Washington, D.C.

The division will have responsibilities related to the implementation of Public Law 93-638, the Indian, Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act.

WASHINGTON – Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs George T. Skibine today issued a proposed finding not to acknowledge the petitioner known as the Brothertown Indian Nation (Petitioner #67) as an Indian tribe. This petitioner, located in Fond du Lac, Wisc., has 3,137 members.

Award of a $1,437,000 contract for the construction of school facilities at Toadlena, New Mexico, on the Navajo Indian Reservation was announced today by the Department of the Interior.