Past News Items

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) is soliciting grant proposals from federally recognized tribes for projects that promote the assessment and development of energy and mineral resources on Indian trust lands. IEED has $11 million available in FY 2014 for grants, which is a historic level of investment that will support tribes seeking to put their energy and mineral assets to work for their communities.

Commissioner of Indian Affairs Louis R. Bruce, today announced that Flore Lekanof, 45, an Aleut and Acting Director of Community Services of the Bureau of Indian Affairs will be Director of Alaska Native Affairs and assume the duties of that post immediately. In that capacity he will coordinate Bureau efforts that will result from enactment of Alaska Native land claims legislation.

The Department of the Interior has recommended enactment of legislation (H.R. 8917) to provide for distribution of $1,750,000 in judgment funds to the 0maha Tribe of Nebraska.

The award, by the Indian Claims Commission, represents additional compensation for lands in what is now western Iowa and the northwestern Missouri to which the Omahas and other Tribes owned recognized title when the United States made treaties with them in 1825 and 1830.

Live Stream
Sally Jewell, Secretary of the Interior
2014 SIPI Commencement Address
at
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI)
Albuquerque, NM
Thursday, April 17, 2014
ustream.tv/channel/sipi-it
Live Stream begins at 10 a.m. (MST)

Regulations for preparing a roll of the Northwestern Band of Shoshone Indians eligible to share in the distribution of $15.7 million were issued today by the Secretary of the Interior Rogers C. B. Morton, Commissioner of Indian Affairs Louis R. Bruce announced.

To stimulate greater economic growth and development on Indian reservations, the Department of the Interior has asked Congress to increase by $35 million the authorized amount of the revolving loan fund of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Under a bill proposed by the Department, authorization for the program would be boosted from $27 million to $62 million and the Bureau would be permitted to make grants of not more than 20 percent of the borrowed amount in connection with the loans under certain circumstances.

WASHINGTON, DC – The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) published in the Federal Register on Jan. 29 a notice with the updated listing of all federally recognized tribes in the United States, as required by law. The list is maintained, updated and published by the BIA’s Office of Indian Services, Division of Tribal Government Services. The list was last published on May 6, 2013.

Commissioner of Indian Affairs Louis R. Bruce today announced the award of a $1,040,677 contract to Skousen Corporation, Albuquerque, N. M. to build 10.838 miles of road on the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation. It 'will open up a recreation complex at stone Lake that is to include a 20 room lodge, trailer camp, boat docks, and wild game park.

The contract is for grading, draining, plant-mix bituminous base and seal coat surfacing of a road beginning at New Mexico state Road 537 and going to stone Lake. It is scheduled for completion late in 1972.

Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall today appealed to the increasing millions of visitors to Interior-administered recreation areas throughout the United States to "arrive safely, play safely, and return home safely."

WASHINGTON – The Secretarial Commission on Indian Trust Administration and Reform has added a public meeting on Dec. 10, 2013, to its schedule, which will be held via webinar. The meeting will gather public comments to help the Commission complete a comprehensive evaluation of the Department of the Interior’s administration of nearly $4 billion in Indian trust assets and will offer recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior about how to improve in the future.