Past News Items

The Department of the Interior is proposing to amend the federal regulations used in determining whether to take land into trust on behalf of Indians. The proposed amendments will be published in the Federal Register on Monday, April 12. Their publication will open up a 90-day period of public comment.

Ada E. Deer, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs announces that the Office of Indian Education Programs (OIEP), within the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Projectneat, Inc., have entered into a partnership whereby Projectneat will provide Internet appliances to every elementary and secondary school in the BIA school system by September 1, 1997.

Four Northwest Indian Tribes will receive in-lieu fishing sites on the Columbia River, which they are entitled to through treaty rights, thanks to a memorandum of understanding signed today by the Department of the Interior and the Department of the Army.

Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt will brief the news media Thursday, April 8 at 1 p.m. on the President's FY 1994 budget request for the Department of the Interior. The briefing will be held in the auditorium of the South Interior Building, 1951 Constitution Ave. NW.

Interior Assistant Secretary Ross Swimmer Thursday told Senator James McClure that every option will be examined before a final decision is made concerning the relocation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) agency office in Lapwai.

“I assured Senator McClure that we would look at remodeling the present site; other sites in the area; or new construction. We will not make a decision until all of those have been considered,” Swimmer said.

On September 1, 2020, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) approved the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas’ (Tribe) Part 3 Business Leases, Chapter 27 Leasing Code under the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership Act of 2012 (HEARTH Act). With this approval, the Tribe is authorized to enter into business leases without further BIA approval.

Secretary of the Interior Manuel Lujan announced that effective November l, 1991, the Bureau of Reclamation will implement interim operating criteria at Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River. The criteria will remain in effect until the Glen Canyon Dam Environmental Impact Statement (GCDEIS) is completed in late 1993 and final criteria for the operation of the facility are approved and implemented

Interior Assistant Secretary Eddie F. Brown and United states Peace Corps Director Paul D. Coverdell today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that provides for cooperation between the two agencies in recruitment of returned Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV) to work in Bureau of Indian Affairs-funded (BIA) schools on Indian reservations.

Washington, DC--Secretary of the Interior Manuel Lujan announced today that President Bush intends to nominate Martin L. Allday of Midland, Texas as the Department's Solicitor. Allday will assume his post at Interior upon confirmation by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

"Martin Allday is a veteran attorney, a strong executive, and a distinguished leader of his profession and his community," said Secretary Lujan. "I am delighted that he has accepted the challenge of serving the President and the American people as the Interior Department's Solicitor."

More than 6400 man-years of employment will be created on Indian reservations in 27 states by projects to be funded through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) with funds received under the 1983 Emergency Jobs Act, Interior Assistant Secretary Ken Smith announced today.

Smith said that tentative allocations of $114.5 million to reservation projects had been completed and that· the funds would be transmitted to Bureau area offices in the field in the next few days.