Past News Items

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today issued the following statement on the passing of Billy Frank Jr., a member of the Nisqually Indian Tribe and chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission in Washington State:

Secretary of the Interior Rogers C.B.Morton, expressed "concern" today over recent events in Gordon, Nebraska, following the death of Mr. Raymond Yellow Thunder, an Oglala Sioux of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.

The Secretary noted that five persons were arrested and charged under a State law by local officials in Gordon, Neb., with various counts of false, imprisonment and manslaughter following the death of Mr. Yellow Thunder.

The Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs today announced completion of the membership roll of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, making possible a tribal referendum which will determine the future course of tribal affairs. The roll includes 442 persons.

Adult Poncas will shortly receive ballots on which to indicate whether or not they wish to divide their tribal assets and end the special relationship they now hold with the Federal Government by virtue of their Indian status.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Office of Justice Services (OJS) will hold the second of its 2014 tribal court trial advocacy training sessions for tribal court personnel on March 31 through April 3 in Denver, Colo. This session will focus on prosecuting individuals trafficking illegal narcotics.

Secretary of the Interior Rogers C. B. Morton announced today his approval of organizational changes in the Bureau of Indian Affairs that have 'been developed since Secretary Morton himself took the first step last July 23rd in naming John O. Crow to the re-activated position of Deputy Commissioner.

"The organization plan is one designed to tighten administrative management of the Bureau's operations in order to get the most mileage from the Federal dollars being spent for Indian programs," the Secretary said.

Allocations of nearly $10 million in recreation grants-in-aid for which States and territories may apply under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act were announced today by Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall.

The grants-in-aid allocations are the first announced under the new Act. To take advantage of the allocations, States or territories must match them in equal amounts. The money can be used for planning, acquiring, and developing outdoor recreation areas and facilities for public use.

WASHINGTON – Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) Director Dr. Charles M. Roessel today announced the selection of Dr. Venida S. Chenault as president of Haskell Indian Nations University (Haskell) in Lawrence, Kan. Chenault, an enrolled member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in Kansas, had been serving as vice president of academic affairs at Haskell since December 2004. Her new appointment is effective Jan. 12, 2014.

The U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today reaffirmed a commitment to improve housing conditions for Indians with the signing of an Agreement of Cooperation. It calls for development of a manual of Federal housing and related programs to spur Indian use of Federal housing aid.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs and HUD are operating jointly under a five-year plan to provide 6,000 dwellings a year for Indians.

The Department of the Interior today announced four proposed amendments to the Code of Federal Regulations governing trading with Indians.

The Department of the Interior (Department) is considering whether to propose an administrative rule that would comprehensively update 25 CFR part 140 (Licensed Indian Traders) in an effort to modernize the implementation of the Indian Trader statutes consistent with the Federal policies of Tribal self-determination and self-governance. The current regulations were promulgated in 1957 and have not been comprehensively updated since 1965.