Past News Items

Indian tribal leaders throughout the Nation are now being kept advised of legislative developments in the Congress through new services instituted by direction of Robert L. Bennett, Commissioner of Indian Affairs in the Department of the Interior.

Last year Bennett initiated procedures for detailed consultation with Indian tribal leaders in the development of major legislation to be sponsored by the Bureau, such as the recently proposed Indian Resources Development Act.

Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Ada E. Deer today signed a preliminary decision that proposes extending Federal acknowledgment to the Cowlitz Indian Tribe of Longview, WA. Assistant Secretary Deer said the petitioners meet the required criteria in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 25, Section 83.7 as modified by Section 83.8, which applies to petitioners who had prior unambiguous Federal acknowledgment.

Commissioner of Indian Affairs Morris Thompson has urged members of the Kickapoo Tribal Council to take action to resolve factional issues which have paralyzed the tribal government and interfered with the funding of needed tribal programs.

Headquarters for the 900-member tribe are at Horton, Kansas.

In a letter sent to each of the tribal council members, Commissioner Thompson expressed concern "about the unfortunate situation of the Kickapoo Tribe."

The Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service today announced that it will reimburse the Shoshone and Arapaho Indian Tribes a total of $130,000 during Fiscal Year 1994, for auditing costs for participating in the MMS Cooperative Audit Program.

The addition of the Shoshone and Arapaho Tribes, which are located on the Wind River Reservation in central Wyoming, brings the number of participating tribes to six, including the Navajo Nation, the Ute, the Southern Ute and the Ute Mountain Ute.

New regulations governing retail business and credit transactions at trading posts on the Navajo, Hopi and Zuni Reservations have been published in the Federal Register, Commissioner of Indian Affairs Morris Thompson announced today.

The purpose of the new regulations is to protect Indian consumers against excessive interest rates, high prices and other abuses.

Secretary of the Interior Manuel Lujan today signed an agreement implementing legislation to resolve a long-standing dispute over the water rights of the Fort McDowell Indian Community in Arizona.

"This settlement averts lengthy, costly litigation and uncertainty for the tribe and the Federal Government," Lujan noted. "Even more important is the fact that this settlement provides the opportunity for increased economic self-sufficiency and meaningful self-determination for the Community."

Commissioner of Indian Affairs Morris Thompson announced today that the lists of all adult persons (18 and over) of Osage Indian descent are being prepared by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. One will contain the names and known addresses of persons of at least 1/4 degree Osage blood; the other will list Osage descendant persons possessing less than 1/4 degree of Osage blood and their known addresses.

The lists will be used to conduct a poll among the Osage Indians to determine whether a change in the present structure of the Osage tribal government is desired.

Dear Tribal Leader: On July 30, 2020 I marked the second anniversary of my swearing in as the Department of the Interior's (Department) Assistant Secretary- Indian Affairs. As I hit the ground running, my goal has been to develop strong relationships with tribes to work on innovative solutions for lifting up tribal communities.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) announced today that it would reopen competition by conducting a new full-scale procurement for financial trust services to strengthen internal management and administration of more than $1.7 billion of Indian trust funds.

The former Secretary of Interior, Rogers C. B. Morton, has commended Commissioner of Indian Affairs Morris Thompson for recent accomplishments in Indian Affairs.

In an April 30 letter to the Commissioner, Morton noted major legislative achievements, the increased involvement of Indian people in BIA programs and the predominantly Indian leadership established within the Bureau.