Past News Items

A significant first step toward the resolution of Indian water-rights claims in New Mexico will be taken Monday, April 6, in Albuquerque, N.M., when Chief U.S. District Court Judge John E. Conway signs an order that finally adjudicates the water rights of the Jicarilla Apache Tribe in the Rio Chama Basin in northern New Mexico. The order, which is a Partial Final Judgment and Decree, will determine the tribe's water rights on the east side of its reservation. The signing will take place in the U.S. District Court, 500 Gold SW, 13 floor east courtroom, at 1:30 p.m.

Ada E. Deer, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs expresses her approval that the United States Supreme Court decided Monday, May 13, 1996 not to hear the Katie John case which involves subsistence fishing rights in Alaska.

"This is a great victory for American Indians and Alaska Natives," said Ms. Deer. "Many of our people still depend on subsistence fishing and hunting as a means to provide food for their families. Subsistence living is a culturally based practice and I view it as a fundamental, aboriginal right."

Rising enrollment at Bureau of Indian Affairs schools and a decline in federal funds per student mean that American Indian children will experience such serious problems as fewer teachers and less time in the classroom next fall.

"American Indian children deserve a decent education in accredited classrooms and safe, uncrowded dormitories to prepare them for the challenges of the 21st Century. These outrageous cuts are especially egregious because our schools already are drastically underfunded; says Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Ada Deer.

Ada E. Deer, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs is pleased to announce that on June 3, 1996 the Department of Justice on behalf of the Department of the Interior petitioned the United States Supreme Court to review the Eighth Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals holding that Sections of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, (IRA) (25 U.S.C. 461 et seq.), is unconstitutional (69 F.3d 878).

Section 5 of the IRA provides in part that:

Calling it "a tremendous step forward in addressing the needs of technologically needy students on remote Indian reservations," Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt announced today that Microsoft Corporation has contributed over $350,000 in software, computers and cash to Four Directions, a project of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) that will electronically link Indian schools using the Internet and provide new technology opportunities to Native American students in eight states.

The accomplishments of Patrick A. Hayes, Esq., former Area Director of the Albuquerque Area Office will be recognized at the graduation ceremony of the Water Resource and Engineering Surveying Technical Training Programs on August 15, 1996, Hilda Manuel, Deputy Commissioner for Indian Affairs announced today. The Water Resource Technical Training is being held at New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico in August 1996 through September 1996.

Secretary Bruce Babbitt announced today that the final rule to implement amendments to the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act will be effective on August 23. "This rule, developed with tribal governments, will promote Indian self-sufficiency by allowing tribes and tribal organizations to more easily contract from the federal government for services provided to their members," Secretary Babbitt said.

The Devil's Lake Sioux Tribe of North Dakota has officially changed its name to SPIRIT LAKE TRIBE, Ada E. Deer, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs announced today.

According to the elders of the Tribe, who maintain the oral history of the lake for which the Tribe was named, it was always known to the Sioux as "Spirit Lake." Therefore, for members of the Tribe it has always been considered wrong to refer to the lake as "Devil's Lake."

Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Ada E. Deer signed a preliminary decision in which she proposes to deny Federal recognition of the Duwamish Tribal Organization of Renton, WA, a petitioner for Federal acknowledgment as an Indian tribe.

"The petitioner failed to meet three of the fundamental criteria contained in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 25, Section 83.7," Ms. Deer said.

Ada E. Deer, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, will appear on ABC's Unity '99 hosted program which is a nationally televised electronic town hall meeting on Affirmative Action. The program is scheduled to be aired on Wednesday, June 12, 1996 which is telecasted from Chicago, on channel 7. This program is replacing ABC's Nightline on the 12th.

The broadcast will take place on WLS-TV (ABC), Channel 7, at 11:30 EDT; 10:30 CDT.