Past News Items

The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior, announced today a new edition of its popular, "American Indian Calendar" is available for purchase from the Superintendent of Documents in Washington, D.C.

The calendar, a much-requested booklet, lists important Indian events primarily in the 25 states where there are Indians having a service relationship with the Federal Government, giving information on pow-wows, rodeos, dances, religious observances, and arts and crafts exhibitions.

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).

WASHINGTON – The Joint Tribal Leaders/DOI Task Force on Trust Reform will hold its next meeting on August 26-28, 2002 at the Hilton Anchorage Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska. At this meeting task force members will continue to look at reforming current trust management systems and processes to better serve American Indian and Alaska Native tribal and individual trust account beneficiaries.

The premier showing of the John Hoover collection of Eskimo art in bone, ivory and wood, is scheduled to open January 15 in the Department of the Interior's Art Gallery, 18th and C Streets, N.W.

The exhibit will be open free to the public, M6nday through Friday from 10:00 a. m. to 4: 00 p. m. and will run through March 29, according to Mrs. Stewart L. Udall, president of the Center for Arts of Indian America, exhibition sponsor.

WASHINGTON – Interior Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Neal McCaleb will address the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) 2002 Mid-Year Conference on June 18 in Bismarck, N.D. His speech “The Path to Prosperity” will focus on building strong, sustainable tribal economies. He also will announce the Bureau’s national conference on tribal economic development scheduled for September 16-19, 2002 in Phoenix, Ariz.

Robert L. Bennett, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, announced today that Owen D. Morken, Area Director based in Juneau, Alaska, will be reassigned to Washington, D.C., as Special Assistant to the Commissioner" for Alaskan Activities.

Charles A. Richmond, Superintendent of the Bethel, Alaska, Agency, will be promoted to be Juneau Area Director, Bennett said. The changes become effective on April 7.

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Interior Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Neal A. McCaleb today announced his approval of the United Auburn Indian Community of California’s application to acquire 49.21 acres of land into trust in Placer County, Calif., for the purpose of constructing and operating a Class III gaming facility. The Tribe has agreed to financial and other conditions that support state and county operations affected by the proposed casino, including the preservation of natural and scenic qualities of county lands.

Two contracts totaling $3.7 million for Indian family residential training programs in California and New Mexico have been renewed for 1968, Robert Lo Bennett, Commissioner of Indian of Affairs, announced.

The two programs, operated at deactivated Air Force bases, give Indians the academic, vocational and urban life training they need to live and work effectively in modern society, Bennett said.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs has changed the location of the public meeting scheduled for August 8-9, 2000, to address technical questions raised by state, local and tribal officials concerning the Department of the Interior’s March 31, 2000, proposed findings to acknowledge federal recognition of the Eastern Pequot Indians of Connecticut and the Paucatuck Eastern Pequot Indians of Connecticut.

In the Navajo tongue December is the month of "increasing cold and wind." When that "increasing cold and wind" is accompanied by eight days of snow, as it was last December, the Navajos are in trouble.

From December 12 to 20 it snowed, and the wind blew, on the Navajo and Hopi Reservations. Farther south, more than seven inches of rain fell on the Papago Reservation, which normally gets 11 inches in an entire year.