Past News Items

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today issued a decision approving a request by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe to acquire 170 acres of land into trust in the town of Mashpee, Mass., for tribal governmental, cultural and conservation purposes, and 151 acres in trust in the City of Taunton, Mass., for the purpose of constructing and operating a gaming facility and resort. The lands in both Mashpee and Taunton will become the tribe’s first lands held in trust.

Commissioner of Indian Affairs Louis R. Bruce announced today the appointment of Curtis Geiogamah, 44, a Kiowa Indian from Mountain View, Okla., as Assistant Area Director (Administration) of the Phoenix Area Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs. He replaces Albert Lassiter who is retiring.

Geiogamah has served as the Administrative Officer of the Navajo Area Office for the past six years and prior to that time he was Budget Officer in another Area Office that also served the Navajo Tribe.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs has announced the award of two contracts that will make on-the-job training available for 134 Indian workers.

A $65,375 contract was awarded to the First Seneca Corp. of New York State to train 124 Seneca Indians in occupations relating to the textile mill products industry. First Seneca is a corporation formed to promote industrial development on the two Seneca Reservations, in western New York. Most of the trainees will be employed as sewing machine operators and fitters in the production of pillows and other soft goods.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell joined Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) Director Dr. Charles M. “Monty” Roessel today in announcing important funding to help further the Department of the Interior’s goal to transform and improve the quality of education students receive at tribal schools funded by the BIE.

The proposed revision codifies for the first time many rules, practices and procedures previously contained only in memoranda and instructions, and is designed to bring all procedures into line as far as practicable with the general philosophy of current court rules and practices. Included are a proposal that would modernize regulations relating to the probate of estates of deceased Indians is being published in the Federal Register, the Board of Indian Appeals in Interior's Office of Hearings and Appeals announced today.

A $700,000 contract to provide on-the-job training for 1,481 Navajo Indians has been signed with the Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corp., the Bureau of Indian Affairs announced today. The training will take place at Fairchild's Semiconductor plant at Shiprock, N. Mex.

The largest of several electronics plants now located in Indian areas, Fairchild currently employs 366 Navajos in the operation at Shiprock which commenced 14 months ago.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Department of the Interior, in partnership with the Crow Tribe, will enter into an agreement for hydropower development on the Yellowtail Afterbay Dam, downstream of Yellowtail Dam and Powerplant, on the Bighorn River near Fort Smith, Montana.

The agreement is part of the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010. Under the settlement, the Tribe holds the exclusive right to develop and market power generation on the Yellowtail Afterbay Dam.

Secretary of the Interior Walter J. Hickel announced today that he has approved an “executive realignment” of top positions in the Bureau of Indian affairs.

“These changes will help make the Bureau more responsive to the needs of the Indian people and will provide the necessary flexibility in developing and carrying out programs to meet those requirements.” Secretary Hickel said.

BIA SCHOOL OFFICIAL NAMED TO INTER-STATE BOARD--Dr. William J. Benham, Jr., Director of Schools for the Navajo Area of the Bureau of Indian Affairs' school system recently was appointed to the board of directors of the Southwestern Cooperative Educational Laboratory. Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona and New Mexico are represented on the 16-member panel.

Washington, D.C. – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk today announced that on December 20 the Bureau of Indian Affairs began its 2010 impaired driving prevention campaign, “Don’t Shatter the Dream,” which is being conducted by BIA and tribal law enforcement agencies in Indian Country through January 2, 2011.