Past News Items

The Department of the Interior today announced the selection of Robert D. Holtz, Indian Bureau area director at Minneapolis since 1955, to head the Bureau's area office at Portland, Oregon, effective May 1. He replaces Don C. Foster who retires April 14 after 26 years with the Bureau and seven years as area director at Portland.

In his new post Holtz will supervise all Indian Bureau operations in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. His successor at Minneapolis has not yet been named.

Washington, D.C. – The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) announced today the release of the BIE Strategic Direction (“Direction”) for 2018-2023. The Direction is designed to improve the ability of the BIE to increase its services to Native students by organizing management activities, setting priorities, and ensuring efficient and effective utilization of staff and resources.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs has asked Congress for Federal funding of $1.011 billion for Fiscal Year 1981, an increase of approximately $5 million over 1980 funding.

For the operation of Indian programs, the Bureau requested $823.3 million, which includes $264.7million for education programs; $221.2 for Indian services; $74.6 for economic development and employment programs; $80.1 for natural resources development; $44.1 for trust responsibilities, and $138.6 for general management and facilities operations.

The Department of the Interior today invited the submission of proposals for leasing and development of three separate parcels of undeveloped Indian land comprising nearly 13,000 acres with a frontage of about 10 miles along the Colorado River in the States of Arizona, California and Nevada.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of President Obama’s Generation Indigenous (“Gen-I”) initiative to remove barriers standing between Native youth and their opportunity to succeed, Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced two Indian Affairs initiatives offering learning and training opportunities to Native youth: the Native American Water Corps internships and the Energy Challenge for Native Youth.

Commissioner Louis R. Bruce of the Interior Department's Bureau of Indian Affairs, today announced the approval of a 1965 claims judgment for more than $4.9 million to the Creek Nation of Oklahoma.

The judgment represents more than $1 million in Indian Claims Commission docket 276 and $3.9 million in docket 276. Decision to begin payment was recommended by Claude Cox, Principal Chief of the Creeks; Ed Johnson, Chairman of the Creek Indian Council; and Virgil Harrington, Area Director of the Bureau's Muskogee, Okla. Area Office.

Owen D. Morken, career employee of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, will take over as new Director for the Bureau at Juneau, Alaska, January 2, 1966, Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall announced today.

Morken has been assistant area director for economic development at Aberdeen, South Dakota, since the spring of 1962. At Juneau he succeeds Robert L. Bennett, who is now the Deputy Commissioner of Indian Affairs in Washington, D. C.

WASHINGTON – Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Director Michael S. Black will deliver the keynote address at the 25th Annual Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service being held Thursday, May 5, 2016, at the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Indian Police Academy in Artesia, N.M. He will be accompanied by BIA Office of Justice Services Deputy Bureau Director Darren Cruzan.

Regulations have been issued to govern distribution of I $5,199,660.20 for the Miami Indians of Oklahoma and Indiana, Louis R. Bruce Commissioner of the Interior Department's Bureau of Indian Affairs, announced today. The new regulations establish qualifications for enrollment and the deadline for filing applications to update the roll of Miami Indians prepared pursuant to a 1966 Act of Congress.

Nearly 400 more Indian college students received scholarships from the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs this year than in 1964, Commissioner Philleo Nash reported today.

BIA awarded college scholarships to 1,718 students--an increase of 30 percent over last year's figure, he said. Grants amounted to $1,225,000, or an average of $700 per student.