Past News Items

Three 1965 honors graduates from Haskell Institute, the Bureau-operated vocational-technical school at Lawrence, Kansas, will be participants in a special graduation and award-presentation ceremony at the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1951 Constitution Avenue, N.W. at 2:00 P.M. today.

The lure of the Nation's Capital brought the students to Washington a few days before the graduation ceremonies at Haskell. Commissioner of Indian Affairs Philleo Nash will, therefore, present them with their diplomas and honors awards.

Washington, D.C. – Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today issued a decision to acquire a 21-acre parcel of land in Kay County, Oklahoma, in trust for the Kaw Nation of Oklahoma (Nation) for gaming purposes. The Tribe plans to construct and operate a small casino facility on the site, which also hosts the Tribe’s travel plaza that provides refueling to interstate traffic and will continue to operate on the site.

A roll to determine the members of the Pembina Band of Chippewa Indians eligible to share in awards totaling $237,127.82 in land claims funds is being prepared by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Area Office in Aberdeen, S. D., according to Louis R. Bruce, Commissioner of Indian Affairs.

The money comes from awards in settlement of Indian Claims Commission Dockets Nos. 18-A, 113 and 191 for the Pembina Band's one third interest in 7,488,280 acres of land in northwest Minnesota and northeast North Dakota, ceded under the treaty of October 2, 1863 (13 Stat. 667).

Where can a vacationer enjoy camping facilities, excellent hunting and fishing, while witnessing the pageant of a colorful and ancient pattern of life?

Indian reservations are the answer. Today, many tribes include recreational facilities in their plans for the economic development of their lands. Tourists are warmly welcomed to such areas, and, each year, the tribes play host to increasing number of visitors of all ages.

WASHINGTON - Assistant Secretary -Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn issued a Record of Decision this week to approve an application submitted by the Ewiiaapaayp Band of Kumeyaay Indians to lease up to 720 acres of reservation land to Tule Wind, LLC, for a portion of the Tule Wind Energy Project located near San Diego, California.

The lease approval will allow the Ewiiaapaayp Band, which is located in Alpine, California, to move forward with the construction, maintenance, and operation of up to 20 wind turbines and related facilities on the tribe’s trust lands.

The Federal Government has moved to protect Indian-owned livestock in Indian grazing areas of the southwest through joint action by Secretary of the· Interior Rogers C.B. Morton and Agriculture Secretary Clifford M. Hardin for the release of feed grain by the Commodity Credit Corporation.

The livestock affected are in numerous counties of Arizona and New Mexico that have been declared drought disaster areas, and in San Juan County, Utah. The CCC today authorized feed grain distributions to tribes owning the livestock.

Completion of a preliminary membership roll of the Ponca Indian Tribe of Nebraska, a step toward withdrawal of special Federal services to tribal members, was announced today by Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Interior announced today a proposal to create an administrative procedure and criteria that the Secretary of the Interior would apply if the Native Hawaiian community forms a unified government that then seeks a formal government-to-government relationship with the United States.

About thirty American Indians are being provided a course in co-operative management and leadership training that will enable them to successfully operate enterprises that vary from arts and crafts through campground, credit, farming, fishing, livestock, marketing, paddy rice, and tourism.

It began in mid-July at the University of Wisconsin and is funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

In response to recent inquiries from the press and from individuals, Commissioner of Indian Affairs Robert L. Bennett today issued the following statement concerning the distribution to Creeks of the award from their case based on an 1814 treaty: