Past News Items

WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Carl J. Artman and South Dakota Senator John Thune yesterday unveiled their joint proposal for a South Dakota Indian and Tribal Business Incubator Project to help accelerate economic development throughout the state’s nine federal Indian reservations. The project will target the Cheyenne River Sioux, Crow Creek Sioux, Flandreau Santee Sioux, Lower Brule Sioux, Oglala Sioux, Rosebud Sioux, the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, Standing Rock Sioux and Yankton Sioux tribes.

Regulations to govern the leasing of unassigned land on the Colorado River Indian Reservation in western Arizona until August 14, 1957, were announced today by Secretary of the Interior Douglas McKay.

WASHINGTON – Interior Associate Deputy Secretary James E. Cason today announced that the Indian Affairs Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) will be competitively awarding grants of up to $25,000 to federally recognized tribes interested in participating in DOI’s employment and training initiative known as the 477 Program. The IEED is seeking to encourage non-participating tribes to consider the using the 477 Program through grants that will help them develop plans for implementing the program in their communities.

Commissioner of Indian Affairs Glenn L. Emmons today expressed "extreme gratification If over the selection of Fred H. Massey, a Choctaw Indian from Oklahoma and Assistant Commissioner of the Indian Bureau, as the representative of the Department of the Interior to attend a two-week conference for career Government executives being held by the Brookings Institution at Williamsburg, Va., starting December 1.

WASHINGTON – Interior Associate Deputy Secretary James E. Cason today announced that the Indian Affairs Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development has given final approval for the Spokane Tribe of Washington State to participate in DOI’s 477 Demonstration Initiative, a comprehensive employment, training and welfare program for federally recognized tribes to address economic and workforce needs in their communities. With an enrolled population of just over 2,300 members, the Spokane Tribe is combating a 50 percent unemployment rate.

The wind-up of all Indian Bureau road maintenance responsibilities in Michigan has now been accomplished with the transfer of 18.3 miles serving the L'Anse Reservation and Potawatomie Indian lands to Barage and Menominee Counties, the Department of the Interior announced today.

BARONA RESERVATION, Calif., Nov. 17 U.S. Newswire -- Interior Secretary Gale Norton today surveyed fire damage suffered by the Barona Band of Mission Indians at the Barona Reservation. Approximately 6,300 acres of tribal land was burned as the Cedar fire spread across the community on Oct. 25,2003. The fire consumed 39 homes, two schools and reservation's electrical and telephone infrastructure. Secretary Norton said the Bureau of Indian Affairs has provided $723,000 in emergency assistance for dislocated tribal members in Southern California affected by October fires.

Award of a contract for construction of dormitory and dining facilities to accommodate Navajo Indian children attending public school at Flagstaff, Arizona, was announced today by the Department of Interior.

The successful bidder is Wilson Hockinson & Cantrall, Inc., of Albuquerque with a bid of $801,723. Six higher bids, ranging from $804,880 to $899,500, were submitted by contractor, from Arizona, New Mexico and Missouri.

WASHINGTON - Secretary Gale A. Norton issued an open letter to the residents of the White Mountains of Arizona today expressing her condolences to the friends and family members of those killed while battling wildfires in the region. Secretary Norton emphasized that the recent tragedies have underscored her determination to ensure that public firefighter safety be an issue of top priority within the Department.

Three personnel changes involving Indian Bureau positions in Montana and North Dakota were announced today by the Department of the Interior.

Charles S. Spencer, superintendent of the Blackfeet Agency, Browning, Mont., for the past three years, moves June 16 to the comparable position at the Flathead Agency, Dixon, Mont., replacing Forrest R. Stone who recently retired.

At Blackfeet Mr. Spencer will be succeeded by Howard F. Johnson, who transfers June 23 from the Navajo Agency, Window Rock, Ariz., where he has been agricultural extension supervisor since 1951.