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Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
BLOOMINGTON, MINN.–Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt, Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump and Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney established the first of seven offices dedicated to solving cold cases involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Crime Information Center, there are more than 1400 unresolved American Indian and Alaska Native missing person cases in the U.S. Of that, 136 cases are in Minnesota.
To address this crisis, President Trump signed Executive Order 13898 on November 26, 2019.
“President Trump created a task force to support Tribal communities, reduce the staggering number of violent crimes committed against American Indians and Alaska Natives and close out hundreds of cold cases,” said Secretary Bernhardt. “The Trump Administration is committed to justice and working alongside these Tribal communities to restore peace and prosperity.”
“While visiting the great state of Minnesota with Secretary Bernhardt, we are advancing two top priorities for the Administration: The Pledge to America’s Workers and supporting American Indian and Alaska Native communities,” said Advisor to the President Trump. “We are furthering President Trump’s commitment to forgotten men and women across our country and the Administration’s efforts to ensure that all Americans can live with dignity and the promise of a brighter future.”
President Trump's Executive Order established the Operation Lady Justice Task Force, a multi-agency effort co-chaired by Secretary Bernhardt and U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr. Its purpose is to enhance the operation of the criminal justice system and address the staggering number of missing and murdered American Indian and Alaska Natives in Tribal communities.
“Today’s opening of the first Missing and Murdered Native Americans Cold Case office demonstrates the commitment of the Operation Lady Justice Task Force to achieving the mandate set out for it under President Trump’s Executive Order,” said Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Sweeney. “Cold cases in Indian Country will be addressed with determination and the understanding that the victims in these cases will be accorded some measure of dignity and compassion – not only for them, but for their survivors, as well.”
The Cold Case Task Forces are in accordance with the President’s Executive Order and will be staffed with law enforcement personnel and newly appointed special agents from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS), along with personnel from other Operation Lady Justice Task Force partners including tribal law enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Offices of the U.S. Attorneys.
A way for top federal officials to engage, coordinate and work with tribal governments on developing strategies to address the crisis, the Operation Lady Justice Task Force is working to collect and manage data across jurisdictions; establish protocols for new and unsolved cases; establish multi-jurisdictional cold case teams; improve the response to investigative challenges; and provide clarity on the roles, authorities and jurisdiction for those involved. It is also charged with providing a report to the President of its work and accomplishments in meeting the executive order’s mandate.
Since 2019, the Department of the Interior and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) have undertaken a number of efforts to address the crisis, conducting criminal investigations, stopping illicit drug activity and solving missing and murdered cases.
The BIA-OJS and its partners have opened 200 percent more drug cases across Indian Country than in the last year of the Obama Administration, and their tribal law enforcement officers have seized approximately 6,000 pounds of narcotics worth $30 million in the past two years. Preventing further violence against American Indians and Alaska Natives is largely predicated on ending illicit drug activities and sex trafficking.
The BIA-OJS's partnership with the Department of Justice’s Missing and Unidentified Persons System, known as NamUs, has led to the development and implementation of new Tribal-affiliation data fields to assist law enforcement with capturing information to track missing and murdered persons in Indian Country. Since the addition of these new data fields last year, there has been a 60 percent increase in Native-person entries into the system.
Today’s opening will be followed by Cold Case Task Force office openings in the following cities:
- Rapid City, SD (August 4);
- Billings, MT (August 6);
- Nashville, TN (August 12);
- Albuquerque, NM (August 18);
- Phoenix, AZ (August 20); and
- Anchorage, AK (August 27).
https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/trump-administration-establishes-first-cold-case-task-force-office
Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney announced today a new internal policy governing how the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) processes tribal applications under the “Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership Act of 2012” (HEARTH Act).
The new policy, which is codified in the Indian Affairs Manual, details the process for BIA review and approval of tribes’ HEARTH regulations. The policy covers steps BIA will take from the moment of receipt in Central Office — when the 120-day statutory timeframe for review begins — to final approval and publication in the Federal Register. Under the policy, tribes will receive written acknowledgment of BIA’s receipt of the application within three (3) calendar days. The written acknowledgment will also state the due date of the 120-day review period and next steps. Tribes can then expect to hear directly from the HEARTH Act Coordinator to discuss any issues or recommendations.
The policy makes the review process as transparent as possible while institutionalizing the roles of each reviewer. Of particular importance is the description of the HEARTH Act Coordinator, who is assigned responsibility for shepherding tribal applications through the review process and ensuring that timeframes are met. By centralizing the review of HEARTH applications, the policy also ensures that tribes will receive consistent, predictable review regardless of their BIA region or agency.
Once a tribe receives BIA approval for their HEARTH application, the tribe is authorized to negotiate and enter into leases without further approvals by the Secretary. Tribes may submit HEARTH applications for agricultural and business leases of tribal trust lands for a primary term of 25 years and up to two renewal terms of 25 years each. Leases of tribal trust lands for residential, recreational, religious or educational purposes may be executed for a primary term of up to 75 years. Interested tribes may submit their regulations by mail to:
U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs
Office of Trust Services, Deputy Bureau Director–Trust Services
Attention: Division of Real Estate Services
1849 C Street, N.W., MS-4620-MIB
Washington, D.C. 20240
The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues, communicates policy to and oversees the programs of the BIA and the BIE, provides leadership in consultations with tribes, and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter-departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on Indian matters.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs directly administers and funds tribally operated infrastructure, law enforcement and justice, social services (including child welfare), tribal governance, and trust land and natural and energy resources management programs for the nation’s federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes through four offices: Indian Services, Justice Services, Trust Services, and Field Operations. The Office of Trust Services’ Division of Real Estate Services (DRES) administers the HEARTH Act review process for tribal leasing regulations applications.
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https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/assistant-secretary-sweeney-announces-new-policy-ensure-expeditious
Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney announced today that she has approved two long-standing land-into-trust applications from The Osage Nation in Oklahoma for its casino projects in the cities of Bartlesville and Pawhuska. The applications were first submitted to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in 2014 and 2016, respectively.
The Nation lost more than 90 percent of its land base in 1907 when Oklahoma became a state and incorporated the Osage reservation as Osage County. The Nation relies on its own economic activities to fund its governmental programs and services. Approval of the two applications will provide the Nation with significant economic development opportunities.
“With this action, The Osage Nation can now move forward on its economic development plans and enjoy the benefits of its lands,” said Assistant Secretary Sweeney. “I congratulate Principal Chief Standing Bear and the Osage people on this achievement. Your success is a testament to your determination to bring greater prosperity to The Osage Nation now and for generations to come.”
“Land is central to the Osage way of life. We are celebrating today because the approval of our Pawhuska and Bartlesville trust applications returns some of our land to us with full tribal authority,” said Osage Nation Principal Chief Geoffrey M. Standing Bear. “Interior Assistant Secretary Tara Sweeney, her deputy, Mark Cruz, [Office of Indian Gaming] Director Paula Hart and Deputy Director Maria Wiseman each deserve high praise for their diligent and prompt action to approve our applications after they languished for nearly a decade in the dust bins of the federal bureaucracy. Now the Osage Nation will begin at once to turn dirt and construct new amenities on these parcels that will help boost our region’s economic recovery from this COVID-19 pandemic.”
In January 2014, the Nation submitted to the BIA an application to transfer into trust for gaming and other purposes approximately 125 acres of land, known as the Bartlesville Property and located within the Nation’s former reservation, on U.S. Highway 60 approximately two miles west of the city of Bartlesville. The Nation proposes to construct a casino of approximately 57,400 square feet and a hotel with 150 rooms and approximately 11,800 square feet of meeting space. The Department is taking the property into trust pursuant to Section 5 of the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) and under a determination that the trust parcel is eligible for gaming pursuant to Section 20 of Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). The Department also determined that the parcel is eligible for gaming pursuant to the “Oklahoma Exception” of Section 20 of IGRA, which authorizes gaming on lands acquired by the Secretary in trust for the benefit of an Indian tribe after October 17, 1988.
In 2016, the Nation submitted an application to transfer into trust approximately 63.1 acres of land known as the Pawhuska Property, also located in Osage County, for gaming and other purposes. The Nation will move its existing Pawhuska Osage Casino to 17 acres on the site and eventually replace it with a proposed casino and hotel project that will be located approximately 300 feet directly across Highway 99/60.
The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues, communicates policy to and oversees the programs of the BIA and the BIE, provides leadership in consultations with tribes, and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter-departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on Indian matters.
The Office of Indian Gaming acts as the primary advisor to the Secretary and Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs on Indian gaming and the requirements of Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), P.L. 100-497, and other federal laws. Its duties and responsibilities include the administrative review and analysis of IGRA’s statutory and regulatory requirements and related statutes as well as policy development and technical assistance to tribal and state stakeholders. OIG implements the Secretary’s responsibilities under IGRA and, as such, has a significant impact on economic development resulting from Indian gaming.
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https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/assistant-secretary-sweeney-announces-approval-osage-nations-land
Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney announced today that she has signed reservation proclamations for two land parcels totaling approximately 222.63 acres for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, a federally recognized tribe in Minnesota located southwest of the city of Minneapolis. The parcels will be added to the tribe’s existing reservation under the authority of the Indian Reorganization Act of June 18, 1934 (48 Stat. 984; 25 U.S.C. 5110).
“I am pleased to exercise the authority delegated to me by the Secretary of the Interior and issue these reservation proclamations for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community,” said Assistant Secretary Sweeney. “The rebuilding of tribal homelands is one of our most important goals and is consistent with our mission of supporting tribal self-determination and strengthening tribal sovereignty.”
“Making our trust land part of our tribe’s reservation territory helps us ensure that the land will be available for our tribe’s future generations,” said Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Chairman Keith Anderson. “We are glad that the U.S. Department of the Interior is taking this step and recognizing our tribal government authority over this land.”
“I’m proud of the fact that the Shakopee Mdewakanton Tribe has leveraged its tribal government status to become the largest employer in Scott County and an economic powerhouse in the 2nd District,” said U.S. Representative Angie Craig (D-MN). “The Shakopee Tribe could do this only by recovering its trust land base, and so I welcome the Interior Department taking further action to put the Shakopee Reservation back together at this time when the Tribe’s economic recovery from the pandemic is so critical to my District.”
“This is the right step for the Bureau to take, and it’s the right step to help the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community,” said U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN). “I appreciate the Bureau moving forward with this long-standing request to restore parts of the Shakopee Mdewakanton reservation, and we must continue to uphold our commitments to Tribes in Minnesota and across the country.”
The total acreage is comprised of two separate parcels adjacent to the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux reservation in Scott County:
- The Whipps 2 parcel containing 3.98 acres, more or less, which was brought into trust status in 2016, and
- The Inyan Ceyaka Otonwe (ICO) parcel containing 218.65 acres, more or less, which was brought into trust status in 2017.
A reservation proclamation is a formal declaration issued by the Secretary of the Interior, delegated to the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs, proclaiming that certain lands acquired for an Indian tribe are a new, or are being added to an existing, reservation. The request for a proclamation must originate from the tribe.
Restoring tribal homelands helps support tribal sovereignty because a tribe’s capacity to govern itself stems, in part, from exercising its sovereign powers over its reservation and increasing its economic land base to meet the needs of its citizens.
The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues, communicates policy to and oversees the programs of the BIA and the BIE, provides leadership in consultations with tribes, and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter-departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on Indian matters.
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https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/assistant-secretary-sweeney-signs-reservation-proclamations-shakopee
Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Mac Lean Sweeney today announced she has approved a business leasing ordinance submitted by the Catawba Indian Nation in South Carolina under the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership (HEARTH) Act. The Act establishes the authority of federally recognized tribes to develop and implement their own laws governing the long-term leasing of Indian lands for residential, business, agricultural, renewable energy, and other purposes.
With the Assistant Secretary’s action and pursuant to the HEARTH Act, the Nation is now authorized to enter into business leases on its trust lands without further approval by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).
“With its business leasing regulations approved, the Catawba Indian Nation is now better positioned to pursue its economic development goals,” Assistant Secretary Sweeney said. “The HEARTH Act is making a positive difference for tribes with approved land leasing regulations by opening Indian Country for business. It is an important way for them to bring the benefits of entrepreneurship and enterprise to their communities.”
“For decades, the Catawba people have sought to become economically self-sufficient and to put behind us years of economic difficulty,” said Catawba Indian Nation Chief William Harris. “Assistant Secretary Sweeney’s approval of our business lease ordinance greatly advances us along the path of self-sufficiency, empowering us to make decisions for ourselves with regard to the best business uses for our land. We intend to establish businesses which will lift up our people and our neighbors, as well. Interior has been very supportive of the Catawba Nation’s economic initiatives, for which we are deeply appreciative.”
“We have righted a great wrong,” said U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina). “This is great news for Catawba Nation and people in these border areas who will see an increase in employment opportunities. I want to thank the Trump Administration for their work in making this happen and all of those who fought long and hard with the Catawba Nation to turn this dream into a reality. For too long the Catawba Nation was treated unfairly by the federal government. That is no longer the case.”
A tribe with land leasing regulations approved by the Secretary of the Interior, which include an environmental review process set forth in the HEARTH Act, can negotiate and enter into business leases without further Secretarial approval. By granting tribes greater autonomy to regulate leasing on their trust lands, the Act greatly expedites leasing for economic development in Indian Country.
In addition, since it authorizes tribes to negotiate and enter into agricultural and business leases of tribal trust lands with a primary term of 25 years and up to two renewal terms of 25 years each without the Secretary’s approval, the Act also facilitates long-term economic stability in tribal communities.
With today’s announcement, the number of tribes whose leasing regulations have been approved under the HEARTH Act now stands at 51.
Signed on July 30, 2012, Congress enacted the HEARTH Act, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, as an amendment to the Indian Long-Term Leasing Act of 1955 to promote tribal self-determination. For more information and a list of tribes with HEARTH Act leasing regulations approved prior to today’s announcement, visit the Indian Affairs HEARTH Act web page.
The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues, communicates policy to and oversees the programs of the BIA and the BIE, provides leadership in consultations with tribes, and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter-departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on Indian matters.
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https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/assistant-secretary-sweeney-announces-approval-catawba-indian
Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Mac Lean Sweeney today announced she has approved the Fort Belknap Indian Community of the Fort Belknap Reservation in Montana’s regulations under the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership (HEARTH) Act. The Act establishes the authority of federally recognized tribes to develop and implement their own laws governing the long-term leasing of Indian lands for residential, business, renewable energy, and other purposes.
Today’s announcement means the Community now has the ability to lease its tribal trust property or tribally restricted lands using its own leasing regulations, and can begin moving forward on addressing the acute lack of housing on its reservation.
“I’m pleased to announce that the Fort Belknap Indian Community has received approval of its HEARTH Act residential leasing regulations, which eliminates a barrier to building up its housing stock and raising its level of economic self-reliance,” said Assistant Secretary Sweeney. “Housing is an elemental need for families and an anchor for communities that is painfully lacking throughout Indian Country. Given its critical housing shortage, I’m pleased that the Fort Belknap Indian Community can now move forward on meeting its members’ housing needs.”
“The Fort Belknap Indian Community is heartened by the Department’s approval of our Residential Leasing Act because it is an important first step in letting us help ourselves by providing the option to take charge of our own residential leases, reduce bureaucratic burdens and thereby foster a reservation environment better suited to mortgage lending and private investment to offer our Tribal members a real chance at the American dream of home ownership,” said Fort Belknap Indian Community Council President Andrew Werk, Jr. “The Department’s approval today clears the way for us to streamline processes and enjoy the access to the private market long absent from our reservation, with private lenders deterred by the length and complexity of federal leasing and loan guarantee processes. Assistant Secretary Sweeney’s approval offers us a fresh start to address persistent, difficult issues.”
“Today’s announcement is great news for the Fort Belknap Indian Community in Montana,” said U.S. Senator Steve Daines. “Implementation of the HEARTH Act is about cutting red tape and getting the folks of Fort Belknap the resources needed to address homelessness and the housing needs of the tribal community.”
Upon one-time approval of their regulations by the Department, tribes gain the authority to process land leases without Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) approval, thereby greatly expediting leasing approval for homes and small businesses in Indian Country. With today’s announcement, the number of tribes whose land leasing regulations have been approved now stands at 50.
The Fort Belknap Indian Community requested the Department’s approval last September of its Residential Leasing Act which it submitted for review and approval under the HEARTH Act to meet its housing needs.
“We have suffered in a housing crisis for many years, with overcrowded conditions where often 13-18 people live in a two-bedroom house, with our housing waitlist hundreds of families and years long, with no housing inventory and no new construction since 1995, and virtually no access to the private mortgage market – just like many of our sister tribes in the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains,” President Werk continued. “That we are first among those tribes, and the first large land base tribe to have a HEARTH ordinance approved is an honor. I hope we can be an example for our sister tribes as to how the HEARTH Act puts us in control of our residential/housing destiny and truly supports our self-determination.”
Councilman Warren Morin, Chair of the Fort Belknap Indian Community Council Land Committee and Mountain Gros Ventre Representative, also praised Assistant Secretary Sweeney’s leadership on supporting Fort Belknap’s self-determination and housing efforts: “I was privileged to attend Assistant Secretary Sweeney’s confirmation hearing and I told her then that housing was one of the most critical issues facing our people and that numerous federal hurdles added to those burdens. She pledged to work with us and she did, with her team participating with our Council, Tribal staff, Senator Daines’ office, and Housing and Urban Development leadership and staff to work together on a vision that opens the door for us to restore the dignity of housing for our people, so that every Fort Belknap child can feel safe and secure in their own home, with their own bed and knowing that their Tribal community is able to be nimble and responsive to meet the needs our people because we are in the driver’s seat to make our own residential leasing and housing choices.”
The Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership, or HEARTH, Act, which Congress passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, was signed on July 30, 2012. For more information and a list of tribes with HEARTH Act leasing regulations approved prior to today’s announcement, visit the Indian Affairs HEARTH Act web page.
The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues, communicates policy to and oversees the programs of the BIA and the BIE, provides leadership in consultations with tribes, and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter-departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on Indian matters.
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https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/assistant-secretary-sweeney-announces-approval-fort-belknap-indian
Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of the Interior (DOI) forged a new partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) by signing the National Programmatic Agreement among the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Programs, National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation for Sequencing Section 106 (USDA-RD NPA).
“Having the Bureau of Indian Affairs as part of the USDA’s National Programmatic Agreement will greatly enhance the tribes’ ability to finance their Section 106 compliance for the USDA’s Rural Development infrastructure investments that cross their lands,” said Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney. “The NPA supports and encourages the consideration of impacts to historic property and cultural resources early in project planning, protects the tribal consultation process, and benefits tribal applicants eligible for USDA Rural Development programs.”
“Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA is committed to being a strong partner to rural communities in building stronger and more prosperous futures because we know that when rural America thrives, all of America thrives,” said Deputy Under Secretary for USDA Rural Development Bette Brand. “This agreement will create a more seamless experience for rural leaders seeking to access USDA programs essential for rural infrastructure build-out.”
The USDA-RD NPA is used by USDA Rural Development to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) when investing in water, power, waste treatment and telecommunications projects on federally managed lands, including federal Indian reservations. Tribal communities greatly benefit from such development, and DOI is proud to partner with USDA Rural Development on helping them meet their Section 106 compliance requirements. In addition to Section 106 requirements, all USDA Rural Development applicants must undergo an environmental review process before construction can begin.
The NPA also follows President Trump’s Executive Order 13821 “Streamlining and Expediting Requests to Locate Broadband Facilities in Rural America” dated January 8, 2018. Adhering to the NPA also furthers Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt’s priorities of informing land-use planning processes especially for public use and access; reducing administrative and regulatory burdens; supporting tribal self-determination, self-governance and sovereignty; and fostering partnerships to achieve a balanced stewardship and use of the nation’s public lands.
The NPA provides a way for USDA Rural Development to invest in infrastructure development projects in rural communities by allowing USDA Rural Development to obligate funds for a federal undertaking prior to completing the Section 106 process for projects on federally owned and controlled lands. An undertaking is a project, activity, or program funded, permitted, licensed or approved by a federal agency that can take one to five or more years to complete.
With the NPA, rural applicants, including tribes, who have difficulty obtaining resources to undertake and complete the Section 106 review process, including the analysis of project alternatives, can be confident that USDA Rural Development low-interest loans and grants will be available to assist them with Section 106 compliance, creating more project certainty for proponents.
Section 106 requires federal agencies to take into account the effects of their undertakings on historic properties and cultural resources and to provide the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) with a reasonable opportunity to comment. Federal agencies are also required to consult using Section 106’s four-step process with State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs), Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPOs), Indian Tribes (including Alaska Natives), and Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHOs).
The USDA-RD NPA applies only to USDA Rural Development compliance with Section 106 and does not fulfill compliance with other federal historic preservation laws such as the Archeological Resources Protection Act and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a key recommendation of the task force. To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB).
The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues, communicates policy to and oversees the programs of the BIA and the BIE, provides leadership in consultations with tribes, and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter-departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on Indian matters.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov. To subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit USDA’s GovDelivery subscriber page.
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https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/doi-signs-agreement-usda-increase-investment-infrastructure-federal
Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Mac Lean Sweeney announced today that the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) is soliciting applications for its Native American Business Development Institute (NABDI) grant program, which has a total of $900,000 to fund feasibility studies for tribal economic development projects in Opportunity Zones.
This program seeks to fund some 20 to 25 grants, ranging in value from approximately $25,000 to $75,000, to enable federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and entities to undertake feasibility studies of proposed economic development projects, businesses and technologies located in designated Opportunity Zones. These grants are also intended to fund applicants to obtain qualified guidance on how the development projects, businesses or technologies they propose can attract investments from an Opportunity Fund.
“Historically, NABDI studies have placed tribal economic development opportunities at the doorstep of investors, lenders and other government granting agencies,” said Assistant Secretary Sweeney. “This year, these grants will leverage the possibilities and advantages of investments in Opportunity Zones. We look forward to all the dynamic and creative submissions.”
Opportunity Zones were added to the tax code by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on December 22, 2017 (26 U.S.C., 1400Z-1 and 1400Z-2). An Opportunity Zone is an economically distressed community where new investments, under certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment. Opportunity Funds are set up either as a partnership or corporation for investing in eligible property or businesses located in an Opportunity Zone (26 U.S.C. 1400Z-2(d)). A map and list of Opportunity Zones are at https://www.cdfifund.gov/Pages/Opportunity-Zones.aspx.
IEED’s solicitation for NABDI funding and details on how to apply can be found in the Federal Register and at Grants.gov.
NABDI is a competitive, discretionary program. To qualify for funding, applicants must submit a proposal and a supporting tribal resolution to IEED no later than September 28, 2020, using the standard Application for Federal Assistance SF-424 and the Project Narrative Attachment Form, both of which can be found at https://www.grants.gov/.
Proposals will be evaluated on their potential to create jobs and stimulate economic activity within a Native community, the applicant’s willingness to consider implementing recommendations resulting from the feasibility study, and the applicant’s focus on obtaining qualified guidance on how to attract investment from an Opportunity Fund.
IEED is administering this program through its Division of Economic Development (DED).
Questions about NABDI may be addressed to: Mr. James R. West, Native American Business Development Institute (NABDI) Manager, Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, Room 6049-B, 12220 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, Virginia 20191; telephone: (202) 595-4766; e-mail: jamesr.west@bia.gov.
Please visit the Indian Affairs website for more information about IEED’s programs and Services at https://www.indianaffairs.gov/as-ia/ieed.
The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues, communicates policy to and oversees the programs of the BIA and the BIE, provides leadership in consultations with tribes, and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter-departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on Indian matters.
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https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/corrected-release-assistant-secretary-sweeney-announces-900000
Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Mac Lean Sweeney announced today that the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) is soliciting applications for the Tribal Energy Development Capacity (TEDC) grant program.
TEDC will fund approximately 15 grants, ranging in value from approximately $10,000 to $1,000,000 to federally recognized American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages and entities, and tribal energy resource development organizations to fund feasibility studies for the managerial, technical, and institutional capacity to develop energy resources and account for the resulting energy production and revenues.
In past years, TEDC grants have enabled tribes to enact energy regulations, conduct feasibility studies to form tribal utility authorities, and develop other kinds of legal infrastructure needed to regulate and manage energy resources.
“Tribes with lands that are abundant in hydrocarbon and renewable energy resources have assets that can help them achieve their economic self-sufficiency and self-determination goals,” Sweeney said. “Through IEED’s Tribal Energy Development Capacity grants program, we are working to aid tribal governments in realizing the benefits of their energy resources now and into the future. I encourage any tribe wishing to build its managerial, technical and institutional capacity for developing its energy resources to apply for a TEDC grant this year.”
IEED’s solicitation for TEDC funding and details on how to apply can be found in the Federal Register and at Grants.Gov.
TEDC is a competitive, discretionary program. To qualify for funding, applicants must submit a proposal and a supporting tribal resolution to IEED no later than August 24, 2020, using the standard Application for Federal Assistance SF-424 and the Project Narrative Attachment Form, both of which can be found at www.grants.gov.
Applications will be evaluated principally on a proposal’s clarity and completeness, its expected contribution to the applicant’s capacity to regulate and manage energy resources, and the extent to which the anticipated outcome of the proposal meets the applicant’s stated goals.
IEED is administering this program through its Division of Energy and Mineral Development (DEMD).
Questions about TEDC may be addressed to: Mr. Payton Batliner, Economic Development Specialist, DEMD, 13922 Denver West Pkwy, Suite 200, Lakewood, Colorado 80401; telephone: (720) 999-1414; e-mail: payton.batliner@bia.gov.
Please visit the Indian Affairs website for more information about IEED’s programs and services: https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/ieed.
The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues, communicates policy to and oversees the programs of the BIA and the BIE, provides leadership in consultations with tribes, and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter-departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on Indian matters.
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https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/assistant-secretary-sweeney-announces-applications-sought-ieed
indianaffairs.gov
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