Past News Items

The Department of the Interior today announced several major changes in the Federal regulations governing the conduct of elections of officers of the Osage Indian Tribe of Oklahoma.

Owners of “headright” interests in the Osage Tribe’s mineral estate 21 years of age or over are eligible to vote in these elections. While most of the headright owners live in Oklahoma, a substantial number are residents of southern California.

Rogers C. B. Morton, Secretary of the Interior, was honored as an "advocate or the American Indian" in an award given him by the Crow Indian Tribe of Montana. The presentation ceremony was held October 16 in the Secretary's office.

The framed document presented to Morton by the Crow Chairman, Pat Stands, cited his leadership in promoting Indian self-determination and his role in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement. The restoration of Blue Lake to the Taos Pueblo and Mount Adams to the Yakima Tribe were also mentioned.

WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Carl J. Artman today announced that the Indian Affairs Office of Indian Gaming (OIG) has cancelled its October 25, 2007, tribal consultation meeting on tribal gaming revenue allocation plans (RAPs), which was to be held at the Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino in Lakeside, Calif., due to Southern California’s wildland fire emergency, which is occurring near the facility’s location.

Approval of $1,852,000 in additional Accelerated Public Works projects was announced today by Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall. The funds will be invested in a wide range of forest conservation activities in 19 States. Most of the work is scheduled to begin within 30 days.

Secretary Udall said the projects will provide approximately 4,200 man months of on-site employment and generate additional jobs by creating a demand for goods and services.

Morris Thompson, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, announced today that four American Indian tribal councils in the Great Lakes Area have been awarded contracts totaling over $90,000 under the Tribal Government Development Program of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in order that their governments can be made more effective.

The four tribal councils are Red Cliff Tribal Council, Bayfield, Wisc., $22, 000; Bad River Tribal Council, Ashland, Wisc., $24,850; Bay Mills Executive Council, Brimley, Mich., $25,000; and St. Croix Chippewa Council, Webster, Wisc., $18,850.

The State of Idaho, the Nez Perce Tribe, and the U.S. Department of the Interior finalized a major water rights agreement for the Snake River today. The settlement resolves a number of water rights issues as part of the Snake River Basin Adjudication (SRBA).

Awards of contracts totaling $6,950,700 for the construction of school facilities at Teec Nos Pos, Arizona, and Chuska, New Mexico, on the Navajo Indian Reservation, were announced today by the Department of the Interior. In both cases, the successful low bidder was Bateson-Cheves Construction Company of Mesa, Arizona.

Commissioner of Indian Affairs Morris Thompson today announced the appointment of two Superintendents of Bureau of Indian Affairs agencies in the Pacific Northwest - the Umatilla, Western Washington Agencies --and one Assistant Superintendent -- within the Yakima Agency.

WASHINGTON - Combatting a methamphetamine crisis in Indian Country and promoting higher academic achievement in Indian schools are key initiatives in President Bush's FY2008 budget for the Department of the Interior, Secretary Kempthorne said today.

Appointment of Don Y. Jensen to the post of superintendent of the Cherokee Indian Agency, Cherokee, North Carolina, effective August 3, was announced today by the Department of the Interior.

Jensen, superintendent of the Northern Cheyenne Agency, Lame Deer, Mont., for the past six years, succeeds Darrell T. Fleming, who is transferring to the Gallup area office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs as assistant area director. A successor for Jensen at Lame Deer has not yet been selected.