IA News Release

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 Direction emphasizes the importance of fostering collaborative relationships between the BIE, tribes, school boards, employees and other stakeholders. The BIE recognizes the dynamically changing environment of Indian education and expects to continue developing the Direction in response to feedback and new ideas from stakeholders.

“This is a Strategic Direction plan that takes into account the expertise of parents, teachers, students, administrators, tribal leadership and Indian education advocates,” said Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney. “I am grateful for the collective efforts given by those who dedicated their time and provided input into this project that supports tribal sovereignty which is a top priority for tribal communities and the Trump administration.”

“I applaud the efforts of the Bureau of Indian Education as they work to provide guidelines and a plan of action that will ultimately make sure we are able to provide students with the knowledge, skills and assistance needed to be successful in all facets of their education and in the future,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs John Tahsuda.

The BIE Strategic Direction brings the values of Excellence, Focus, Integrity, Respect and Service throughout the bureau to ensure students are provided a culturally relevant, high-quality education that prepares them with the knowledge and skills and behaviors needed to flourish in the opportunities of tomorrow. The Direction outlines six goals with strategies that will support and impact their successful implementation. These goals address the following:

• All students will enter kindergarten academically, socially and emotionally prepared to succeed in school;
• All students will develop the knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary for physical, mental and emotional well-being in a positive, safe, and culturally relevant learning environment;
• All students will develop the knowledge, skills and behaviors necessary to progress successfully through school and be prepared for post-secondary education and/or career opportunities;
• All students will graduate high school ready to succeed in post-secondary study and careers, and to think globally;
• All students will develop the knowledge, skills and behaviors needed to lead their sovereign nations to a thriving future through self-determination; and
• All students will benefit from an education system that is effective, efficient, transparent and accountable.

“We are excited to see this collaborative work among our staff, educators, tribes and stakeholders flourish into an effective tool that will guide our future work,” said BIE Director Tony L. Dearman. “It is part of our ongoing commitment to offer the best to our students, their families and communities.”

“There is nothing more important to the future of tribal nations than providing our youth a quality education,” said Jefferson Keel, President of the National Congress of American Indians. “Ensuring that quality starts with having a vision and a plan. We are encouraged that the Bureau of Indian Education has taken this step to improve performance at schools that serve our students.”

“NIEA supports ongoing efforts to improve transparency and invest in excellent systems for data management and accountability through the new Bureau of Indian Education Strategic Direction,” said National Indian Education Association Executive Director Ahniwake Rose. “As implementation begins, we look forward to working with tribes, BIE officials and school leaders to expand opportunities for tribes to exercise sovereignty in Native education through tribal choice and access to data critical for student achievement.”

“We applaud the Bureau of Indian Education for the important work they did to engage and formally consult with a range of stakeholders throughout the development of their new strategic plan. Through this process, the BIE has built strong partnerships, including with Indian tribes across the country, that will ensure the success of this effort,” said Council of Chief State School Officers Executive Director Carissa Moffat Miller. “This plan establishes a roadmap for providing an equitable education for all BIE students, and we look forward to our continued collaboration with the Bureau through its implementation.”

The Bureau of Indian Education implements federal Indian education programs and funds 183 elementary and secondary day and boarding schools (of which two-thirds are tribally operated) located on 64 reservations in 23 states and peripheral dormitories serving over 48,000 students. BIE also operates two post-secondary schools, and administers grants for 30 tribally controlled colleges and universities and two tribal technical colleges, and provides funding for higher education scholarships to Native youth. For more information, visit the BIE website.

WASHINGTON – Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs John Tahsuda spoke today of the courage and sacrifices of Indian Country’s fallen police officers during the 27th Annual Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service, which was held on the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers campus in Artesia, N.M.

The Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service honors tribal, state, local and federal law enforcement personnel working on federal Indian lands, and in the tribal communities located thereon, who have given their lives in the line of duty. It is also the occasion when the names of officers to be added to the Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial monument at the academy are formally announced.

Two officers’ names were added at this year’s ceremony, bringing the total number listed on the monument to 116:

• Navajo Nation Police Officer Houston Largo who was killed on April 12, 2017 while conducting a traffic stop of two individuals suspected in a reported domestic violence incident on Navajo Nation Reservation.
• Nelson Onepennee, Game Warden with Yakama Nation Police Department who was killed on April 11, 1980 while on patrol along the Columbia River when his vehicle left the roadway and plunged down a steep embankment.

“These two officers we honor today, like the other officers whose names are eternally remembered here at the Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, selflessly and courageously dedicated themselves to protecting and serving the tribal communities in which they worked and lived,” Tahsuda stated. “These heroes made the ultimate sacrifice, which is a testament to their dedication to public safety and justice for tribal communities.”

The 27th Annual Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service was livestreamed. To view the event, visit https://livestream.com/accounts/85948/BIAmemorial and type in the password “biamemorial”.

Held annually on the first Thursday in May, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services conducts the memorial service in conjunction with the International Association of Chiefs for Police (ICAP) Indian Country Law Enforcement Section and other law enforcement organizations and agencies, including the National Sheriffs’ Association and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers in Artesia. The latter is home to the memorial, service and academy.

The formal ceremony consists of full law enforcement honors with flag presentation, 21-gun salute, honor guard, traditional drum song and prayer, officer roll call, and family recognition. Each year, invited dignitaries provide keynote remarks at the ceremony.

The Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial was first dedicated on May 7, 1992, at the Indian Police Academy, then located in Marana, Ariz. The academy and memorial were later moved to their present site, where the latter was re-dedicated on May 6, 1993. The memorial’s design is based upon indigenous design concepts. Comprised of three granite markers sited within a circular walkway lined with sage, a plant of spiritual significance to many tribes, the memorial includes four planters filled with foliage in colors representing people of all nations. The planters represent the four directions and are located near the walkway’s entrance.

The earliest inscribed name dates back to 1852. In addition to those from BIA and tribal law enforcement, officers listed represent numerous law enforcement agencies including the U.S. Border Patrol, the New Mexico State Police, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Customs Bureau, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The list includes one female officer from the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety who was killed in 1998; a father and son, both BIA officers, who died in 1998 and 2001, respectively; and two FBI agents killed on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1975.

To view an image of the Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and a list of the inscribed names, visit http://www.fletc.gov/about-fletc/locations/artesia/indian-country-lawen….

WASHINGTON – Today U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke and the Bureau of Indian Affairs announced the selection of Eugene R. Peltola Jr. (of Yupik and Tlingit descent), from Orutsararmiut Native Council, a federally recognized tribal government, as Regional Director for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in Alaska. The BIA Alaska Regional Office oversees offices in Anchorage and Fairbanks, all of which provide services to 227 federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. The selection of Mr. Peltola, fulfills a commitment Secretary Zinke made to Alaska Natives while visiting in 2017.

“During my visit with the Alaska Federation of Natives board last June, I committed to give strong consideration to filling this position with a First Alaskan and I am very pleased that the Bureau of Indian Affairs has filled the Alaska regional director’s post with an incredibly qualified senior executive from one of our sister-agencies.,” said Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. “With his experience in working for Interior in the field as a refuge manager, as well as his deep knowledge of Alaska Native subsistence and land issues, Gene is the right person for this important post. Alaska is our starting point for reorganizing the Interior Department for the next 100 years.”

“I want to welcome Gene Peltola to the Bureau of Indian Affairs as the new director of our BIA Alaska Regional Office and to the BIA regional management team,” said PDAS Tahsuda. “The Alaska regional director post is vital to our mission of carrying out our trust responsibilities to Alaska Native tribes. I am gratified that, after so many years, it is now held by someone from Alaska who knows the Alaska Native people, their history and cultures.”

Alaska Regional Director Peltola said, “Being an Alaskan born Alaska Native, I feel very honored and privileged to be selected for the position of regional director for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Alaska. This will provide me the opportunity to contribute to the continued betterment of our people, and, have a voice in the manner which subsistence opportunities are presented for Alaska Natives and other rural residents of the state. I look forward to the new challenges this responsibility brings and being able to contribute to the consultation and reorganization of the Department of Interior. The decisions that we make today will carry forth and affect not only Alaska Natives, but many others for generations to come.”

“Alaska Federation of Natives is pleased with the appointment of Gene Peltola Jr. as the new Alaska BIA Area Director,” said AFN President Julie Kitka. “The BIA plays a critical role in Alaska working closely with our tribes and tribal consortiums on behalf of our people. We thank Secretary Ryan Zinke for his strong support of self-determination and efforts to strengthen the federal trust responsibility.”

In his most recent capacity at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as the Federal Subsistence Management Program lead, Regional Director Peltola was responsible for coordinating and implementing subsistence management on all federal lands in Alaska on behalf of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the USFWS, and the U.S. Forest Service.

While he has worked in both the public and private sectors since 1984, Peltola’s 34-year federal career has been with the USFWS in Alaska, where he worked at 3 National Wildlife Refuges including as a zone supervisor for Refuge Law Enforcement and Refuge Manager for the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge.

Peltola has served in local government, on corporate boards, and owned and operated two businesses. From October 2010 to September 2012, he served as vice-mayor and council member for the city of Bethel, Alaska.

While serving the city of Bethel, he sat on the boards of three Alaska Native village corporation entities: Bethel Solutions, LLC, a holding company of an Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA)-established village corporation specializing in commercial real estate construction Bethel Services, Inc., a subsidiary of an ANCSA-established corporation specializing in government contracting and Bethel Native Corporation, the village corporation for the community of Bethel.

Bena MN – The Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke was among the dignitaries to speak at the dedication of the newly constructed Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig High School on the Leech Lake reservation, a replacement building resulting from the combination of efforts made over 25 years. The new building replaces the metal clad pole barn, a structure originally built as an auto mechanic shop and bus garage. It lacked proper insulation that made regular classroom sessions difficult during Minnesota’s harsh winters.

“The Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig school project between the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the tribe is a great example of what is possible when we work together in consultation with tribes,” said Secretary Zinke. “All Native American kids deserve a world-class education. 48,000 American Indian students and their families count on the Department of the Interior to deliver this kind of experience at school, and we'll do everything we can to help give them world-class facilities."

The Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs John Tahsuda joined Secretary Zinke on a tour of the new building, which is equipped with a state-of-the-art library and a kitchen designed to teach the preparations of traditional foods. Indian Affairs through the Office of Facilities Property, and Safety Management and Division of Facilities Management and Construction partnered with the school and tribe to make this project possible.

“Indian Affairs is a proud partner with both the Tribe and the school’s leadership,” said PDAS Tahsuda. “The journey to build a real school for the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig students has been a long one, but this is a proud moment for the many who speared this effort. Indian Affairs is proud to help fund this state-of-the-art facility.”

“We want to remember this day as a win for Tribal education and future generations who will benefit from the school which will provide a safe, welcoming hub for students, teachers, and members of the community,” said Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Chairman Faron Jackson, Jr.

“Almost 300 students will attend the new high school this fall,” said Superintendent Mary Trapp. “It has taken 25 years for this vision to become reality. It is a dream come true for the generation of students who are proud of the education they earned here, but who had endured the failing infrastructure around them.”

The contract was awarded in 2017 and the builders aimed to build the facility within a year.

The new Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig High School will also serve as a community center. It uses geothermal heating technology which proves a cleaner and more sustainable source of energy. The installation of large windows in each classroom allows more natural light and a visual connection to the surrounding landscape. The media library will allow for students to take advantage of long distant learning opportunities.

The Administration proposed legislation to establish the Public Lands Infrastructure Fund in the FY 2019 budget to provide up to $18.0 billion to address needed repairs and improvements in the BIE schools, as well as the national parks and national wildlife refuges.