Past News Items

WASHINGTON – National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis this week announced $8.78 million of grants to 154 American Indian tribes to support their historic preservation offices in order to carry out national historic preservation program responsibilities on tribal lands.

A few weeks ago, on the busy Colorado river reservation near, Parker, Ariz., Sam Lockshin, President of Prest-Wheel, Inc., turned the keys to his firm’s branch plant over to two Colorado River Indians: Vincent Scott, superintendent and Myron Murdock, production planning manager.

It’s the first time that non-Indian businessman have transformed total management responsibilities to their Indian employees. People who watch such things believe it may be a trend in the making.

The Department of the Interior today announced a proposal to adopt new regulations governing the use of Indian government-owned fishing grounds by the Yakima, Umatilla, and Warm Springs Tribes and by other Columbia River Indians in the Pacific Northwest.

The lands affected are in Washington and Oregon, are under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior, and were made available to the Indians in lieu of fishing grounds flooded or destroyed when Bonneville Dam was constructed during the 1930's.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today praised President Obama’s signing of five major settlements for Indian Country, calling the agreements a milestone in empowerment and reconciliation for the Nation’s First Americans.

Applications for grant funds for Indian tribes and organizations to use in the establishment and operation of Indian child and family service programs are now being accepted, Interior Assistant Secretary Forrest Gerard announced today.

Travelers who are planning a trip to Washington, D. C., next month, can add an Indian Dance Festival to their itinerary. The Department of the Interior's Center for Indian Arts in America will stage a performing arts program made up entirely of Indians and scheduled for Carter Barron Amphitheatre on June 1, 3, 4 and 5. It will be produced by the staff and students of the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, and includes 75 performers representing 31 Indian tribes from all over the United States.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk today announced Darren A. Cruzan as Deputy Bureau Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Office of Justice Services (OJS). Cruzan, an enrolled member of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, comes to the position from the Department of Defense, Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA). The appointment became effective on September 27, 2010.

Sidney L. Mills, Acting Deputy Commissioner, announced today the appointment of three new Assistant Area Directors for the Bureau of Indian Affairs' office in Aberdeen, S. Dak.

Richard D. Drapeaux, formerly Deputy Area Director in Aberdeen will be the Assistant Area Director for Human Resources. This office will supervise the office of Employment Assistance, Social Services, Tribal Government, Law Enforcement, Housing and Indian Business Development.

Acting Secretary of the Interior John A. Carver Jr. today announced the resignation of Philleo Nash as Commissioner of Indian Affairs, effective March 15, 1966.

Mr. Nash, a former lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, was nominated by President Kennedy as Commissioner of Indian Affairs in August 1961.

Prior to this appointment he served for five months as a member of the Indian Affairs Task Force named by Secretary Udall.

WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today applauded the Senate’s confirmation of Tracie Stevens as chair of the National Indian Gaming Commission. The President nominated Stevens on April 28, 2010.

“Tracie Stevens brings to the commission a wealth of expertise and experience from a distinguished career working on both tribal government and gaming issues,” Salazar said. “She will be an outstanding chair of the National Indian Gaming Commission.”