Past News Items

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Department of the Interior today announced the launch of a new, comprehensive resource for Indian landowners and tribal governments seeking information about the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program).

Appointment of Leon V. Langan, Gallup, N. Mex., and Thomas M. Reid, Albuquerque, N, Mex., as consultants to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs Glenn L, Emmons was announced today by Acting Secretary or the Interior Ralph A. Tudor.

Frederick S, Bigjim, an Eskimo, has been appointed Superintendent of the Bureau of Indian Affairs agency at Bethel, Alaska, Interior Assistant Secretary Forrest Gerard announced today.

Bigjim, who has a Master's degree in education from Harvard, has been an administrator and instructor at the Kuskokwim Community College at Bethel.

A graduate of the University of Alaska, Bigjim was Executive Officer for that university's Rural Education Affairs Division in Anchorage in 1975-76. He has also served as Director of Alaska Methodist University’s Intercultural Studies program.

WASHINGTON – As part of President Obama’s commitment to strengthen the nation-to-nation relationship with Native Americans and Alaska Natives, Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced the availability of a discussion draft of potential changes to the Department of the Interior’s Part 83 process for acknowledging certain Indian groups as federally recognized tribes. The discussion draft is intended to provide tribes and the public an early opportunity to provide input on potential changes to the Part 83 process.

Appointment of Ralph M. Shane as superintendent of Fort Berthold Indian Agency, New Town, N. Dak., was announced today by Secretary of the Interior Douglas McKay.

Mr. Shane has been supervising highway engineer at Fort Berthold for three years. He joined the Bureau of Indian Affairs in November 1936, as an engineering draftsman at the same agency and a year later was promoted to junior road engineer. In January 1939, he transferred to the Sacramento, California agency as chief of road survey party.

An Interior Department task force working on the reorganization of the Bureau of Indian Affairs has scheduled field conference meetings in five locations between January 30 and February 8. Notice of the meetings is being published in the Federal Register.

The purpose of the meetings is to receive comments concerning issues and problems involving the BIA reorganization. Persons wishing to testify are asked to give four days' prior notice.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today issued the following statement on the passing of Chickasaw Nation Ambassador Charles Blackwell:

“Today, Indian Country lost a distinguished leader whose eloquence and diplomacy in promoting self-determination for the Chickasaw Nation and all tribes was legendary. As the Chickasaw Nation’s ambassador to the United States, Charles Blackwell personified the nation-to-nation relationship, giving his people a voice at the highest levels of government.”

Secretary of the Interior Douglas McKay today announced that membership rolls will be required for the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians under recently enacted legislation providing for termination of Federal supervision over the property and affairs of western Oregon Indians in the next two years.

A plan for the use and distribution of $300,000 awarded to the Shawnee Indians by the Indian Claims commission is being published in the Federal Register, Commissioner of Indian Affairs Morris Thompson announced today.

The award represents additional compensation for some 24,000 acres of land in Kansas sold in 1869.

According to the plan, approved by Congress and made effective March 5, 1976, approximately 40 percent of the award will go to the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma and the balance to the Cherokee Band of Shawnee.

WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services (OJS) will hold the first of three training sessions to improve the trial advocacy skills of tribal court judges and prosecutors in dealing with driving-under-the-influence (DUI) and driving-while-intoxicated (DWI) cases. The session will be held Feb. 27 through March 1 in Albuquerque, N.M.