OPA

Strengthening local tribal programs, Indian education, and critical infrastructure projects are among the key components of the Fiscal Year 1998 Bureau of Indian Affairs' $1.73-billion budget request.

"This budget represents an increase of $127 million above the 1997 level to meet basic tribal priority needs. I want to emphasize that this budget reflects very low BIA administrative costs," said Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Ada E. Deer. "The entire administrative budget of the Bureau constitutes less than ten percent of its operating budget. I am proud to say that this administrative overhead is among the lowest in the federal government and allows more than 90 percent of funds to be delivered directly to the tribes."

Tribal Priority Allocations (TP A), which are the tribes' chosen spending priorities, are funded at $7 57 .3 million, an increase of $76.5 million over 1997. TPA is used for basic necessities such as tribal courts, law enforcement, housing repairs, social services, and adult vocational training. TP A programs comprise approximately one-half of the operating budget.

"The increase to TPA will allow tribes to collectively maintain an additional 1,250 miles of reservation roads," said Deer. "It also will allow tribes to hire another 400 law enforcement staff members, to repair an additional 75 homes for needy families, and to fund an additional 220 child welfare cases each month."

The Indian Education budget request for School Operations is $467 million and represents a $16.8- million increase over 1997 in order to meet a 3,000-student increase that is anticipated between now and the 1998-99 school year. The additional funds also are necessary so that the 185 BIA schools can maintain accreditation and provide safe transportation for an expected 52,400 Indian children. The budget also includes an additional $3 million for the 24 tribally controlled community colleges funded by the BIA.

To help meet infrastructure needs, the bureau requests $125.1 million for construction, which includes $49.2 million for education construction. Currently BIA schools require $475 million to bring them up national standards. Education construction includes $14 million to replace the Many Farms School in Arizona, which now has numerous safety problems that could endanger students. An additional $8 million is requested for various school facility improvement and repair projects. Because of overcrowded conditions at the Ute Mountain Ute Detention Facility in Colorado cited in a recent consent decree, the Bureau has requested $9.1 million for construction of a replacement facility. The budget also includes a $22-million request to repair structural deficiencies on high hazard dams on reservations. The total need for hazardous dam repair exceeds $400 million.

To fulfill requirements related to the federal Indian trust responsibility, an increase of $7.8 million is requested for critical programs such as environmental cleanup, water-rights studies and negotiations, and the Indian land title program.

Faith Roessel, a special assistant to Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt has announced her resignation. Roessel is a native of Round Rock, Arizona, and is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation.

Roessel served as a special assistant to Interior Secretary Babbitt, and had responsibility for issues that included military base closures involving Indian tribes, environmental justice, tourism, and tribes. Roessel also staffed the White House Domestic Policy Council's Working Group on American Indians and Alaska Natives, which Secretary Babbitt chairs. As special assistant to Secretary Babbitt for the Working Group, Roessel served as a liaison to the agency co-chairs of the five subgroups to help develop their work plans on interagency collaboration in: protecting the environment and natural resources that affect Indian people and lands; promoting reinvention opportunities to better serve Indian tribes; improving consultation between federal agencies and tribes; strengthening educational opportunities for Indian youths and adults; and recognizing and preserving Indian religious freedom. The Working Group, created at the urging of Secretary Babbitt, is a focal point in coordinating and carrying out President Clinton's policies toward tribal governments. President Clinton signed two executive orders originating from the Working Group.

"Faith has assisted me greatly in her counsel on Indian issues and helped create an interagency Working Group that is productive and result-oriented," said Secretary Bruce Babbitt. "She has taken on some tough issues for the department and I will miss someone of her caliber and dedication."

For the immediate future, Roessel plans to spend time with her family. She is married and has two young children. Prior to her current position, Roessel was the Interior Department's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. She joined the Clinton Administration in 1994 and has served as a political appointee of President Clinton in both capacities as Special Assistant and Deputy Assistant Secretary.

In Washington, D.C., Roessel has served as the director of the Navajo Nation Washington Office, senior staff attorney for the Native American Rights Fund, and legislative assistant for U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM). Prior to corning to Washington, Roessel was an associate in a Phoenix law firm.

Ada E. Deer, Assistant Secretary of lndian Affairs announced that Mr. M. Franklin Keel has been appointed as Area Director for the Eastern Area Office. "During this critical time for our Indian people we need dedicated, qualified, caring administrators to respond to the needs of our Indian people," Ms. Deer, said. "We welcome Mr. Keel to our senior management staff."

Mr. Keel has been acting as the Eastern Area Director since September 1996. Prior positions with BIA include serving as the Deputy Director of the Office of Trust Responsibilities, Staff Assistant to the Director of the Office of Trust Responsibilities, Superintendent of Concho Agency in Oklahoma, and Senior Legislative Specialist on the Bureau's Congressional and Legislative Affairs Staff. Additionally, he also served as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Information Agency in Athens, Greece, and as an Administrative Assistant with the U. S. Naval Weapons Laboratory.

"Mr. Keel brings with him many years of experience and formal training to our upper level administrative staff," Ms. Hilda Manuel, Deputy Commissioner of Indian Affairs said.

Mr. Keel has earned a bachelor's degree at the Oklahoma College of Liberal Arts, and attended Oklahoma City University where he completed law school earning a Juris Doctorate degree. He also pursued graduate work at the University of Denver Graduate School of International Studies and at the George Washington University School of Public and International Affairs.

Mr. Keel a Choctaw and Chickasaw from Oklahoma has dedicated most of his career to Indian Affairs and has concentrated his efforts in the area of Indian Trust Administration within the Bureau. He is married to Ms. Kathie L. Pett - Keel. He has three sons, Christopher, Joseph and Andrew.

As Area Director for the Eastern Area he will oversee the operation and administration of the Bureau's Eastern Area Office which has responsibility for the Indian tribes in the eastern seaboard, which extends from Maine to Florida, and the Atlantic Coast to the Mississippi River.

Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Ada E. Deer today signed a preliminary decision that proposes extending Federal acknowledgment to the Cowlitz Indian Tribe of Longview, WA. Assistant Secretary Deer said the petitioners meet the required criteria in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 25, Section 83.7 as modified by Section 83.8, which applies to petitioners who had prior unambiguous Federal acknowledgment.

The Cowlitz Indian Tribe, concentrated in Lewis County, Washington, now will be subject to a 180-day public comment period, after which the Bureau of Indian Affairs will issue a final determination. If this final determination also is positive, members of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe will be eligible for certain rights and benefits accorded tribes that have federal recognition, which establishes that a special government-to-government relationship exists between the tribe and the United States. Currently there are 554 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes.

The BIA's Branch of Acknowledgment and Research found that the Cowlitz Indian Tribe represents the amalgamation of two separate bands, the Lower Cowlitz Indians and the Upper Cowlitz Indians. The Cowlitz negotiated a treaty with the Federal Government in 1855, but their chiefs refused to sign it because the treaty provisions would have removed them from their traditional homeland along the Cowlitz River. Both Cowlitz bands were headed by traditional chiefs from the mid-19th century through 1912. Since 1912, the group has maintained a single combined tribal organization that has elected officers and held regular meetings. The group has approximately 1,400 members.

The address of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe is 1417 15th Ave., #5, P.O. Box 2547, Longview, WA 98632- 8594, telephone: (360) 577-8140. The chairman of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe's General Council is John Barnett.

Public comment is sought on a proposal by the Secretary of the Interior to allow the statutory approval of Alaska Native allotment applications in cases where protests against such actions have been withdrawn. A notice requesting comment is published in today's Federal Register (62 Fed Reg 7033).

The proposed action by the Secretary would overrule an Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA) interpretation of Section 905 of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). In Section 905 of ANILCA, Congress provided for the approval of pending allotment applications as long as certain conditions are met and unless a timely and sufficient protest is filed. The 1906 Alaska Native Allotment Act was intended to give individuals the opportunity to obtain legal title to lands they used and occupied. Section 905 of ANILCA was enacted to expedite the approval of allotment applications and to fulfill the commitments of the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), which repealed the 1906 Alaska Native Allotment Act. Section 905 was enacted in 1980 to facilitate the approval of allotment applications that were pending on or before ANCSA was passed. The IBLA has ruled that allotment applications must be adjudicated even when the protesting party has dismissed its protest. Approximately 1,800 allotment applications could be approved as a result of the Secretary's proposal.

Interested persons and organizations may submit comments respecting the Secretary's proposal to lift this bar to statutory approval of uncontested allotment applications. The Secretary has requested a legal opinion from the Interior Department Solicitor on this matter. Written comments must be received by April 11. Comments should be mailed to the Bureau of Land Management, Administrative Record, Room 401LS, 1849 C Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20240. Comments may also be hand-delivered to the Bureau of Land Management, Administrative Record, Room 401, 1620 L Street, Washington, D.C. Comments may also be transmitted electronically, via the Internet to WOComments@wo.blm.gov. Please include "Attn: Secretarial Decision," and your name and address in the message. If you do not receive a confirmation that your Internet message has been received, contact that office directly at (202) 452-5030.

Ada E. Deer, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs is thrilled to announce that there is $34.6 million in loan guarantee authority currently available to assist tribal and individual enterprises on or near Indian reservations.

"In 1974, the U.S. Congress passed the Indian Financing Act to assist Indian tribes, Native Alaska groups, and their individual members with financing of business enterprises to develop Indian reservation and tribal economies," Ms. Deer said. "Many tribes credit the loan guaranty program for spurring economic activity in their communities. The loan guaranty program is currently funded with authority to guarantee payment of up to 90 percent of the $34,615,385.00 in loans to eligible Native Americans. Tribal and American Indian entrepreneurs are encouraged to contact a local lending institutions to begin the process for a loan guaranty under this program."

The Bureau of Indian Affairs guaranteed loan program's general requirements are:

• Eligibility - A borrower must be a Federally recognized Indian tribe or Alaska Native group, or American Indian ( an enrolled member of a federally recognized Indian tribe or Alaska Native group), or a business organization with no less than 51 % American Indian ownership. The business must be on or near an Indian reservation.
• Loan Purpose - must be to finance American Indian and Alaska Native owned commercial, industrial, agriculture or business activity organized for profit.
• Loan Amount - A maximum of $5.5 million to a tribe or tribally owned business, and $500,000 to individuals or business entities other than tribes.
• Equity Requirements - a minimum of 20% of project funding in either cash or unencumbered assets to be used in the proposed business is required.
• Terms of Loan - maturity is determined by lenders making the loan and is based on the type of loan, (e.g., manufacturing, retail, construction, seasonal, etc.) and the applicant's repayment capability, except 30 years is the maximum maturity term. • Loan Guaranty - the percentage of a loan that is guaranteed is the minimum necessary to obtain financing, but may not exceed 90% of the unpaid principal and interest on the loan.
• Application Procedures - The applicant should work directly with a BIA approved lender and use the lenders' loan application and security documents. The applicant must have a fully completed business plan which demonstrates fiscal responsibility and sound management capability. The lender must initiate the request for a BIA Loan Guaranty. Complete guidelines can be obtained by referring to Title 25 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 103, or contacting the local BIA Area Office, see listing below.
• Initiation Request - Requests for BIA loan guarantees may be submitted to the appropriate BIA Agency or Area Office at any time during the fiscal year (October 1 - September 31) but approval is always subject to availability of funds.

"Loan guarantees have helped to finance Indian-owned business in construction, cattle ranching, commercial fishing, air carrier charter services, shuttle bus services, convenience/grocery stores, charter and sightseeing, hotel/conference centers, office building rentals, bulk fuel stations, and others," Nancy Jemison, Director of the Office of Economic Development said.

I am sad to announce that Mr. Thomas Richard Tippeconnic passed away on April 7, 1997 at the University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona. He was an Assistant Area Director for the Navajo Area Office, before retiring from the Bureau of Indian Affairs after 35 years of service. He spent most of his adult life working on the Navajo reservation.

He was born on February 10, 1937 in Phoenix, Arizona and was a member of the Comanche Tribe of Oklahoma. Mr. Tippeconnic earned a bachelors degree in Range Management from Oklahoma State University.

Mr. Tippeconnic is survived by his wife Alberta, two sons, Jon and Jay, a daughter-in-law, Lisa and three grandchildren, Thomas, Troy, and Tristan. He is also survived by a sister, Mary Jo Fox and four brothers, Norman, John, Robert, and David. He was preceded in death by his father and mother John and Juanita Tippeconnic and a sister Joan Marie.

"Mr. Tippeconnic will be greatly missed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs as a whole, but in particular by the Navajo Area Office," Ms. Deer said. "Tom always gave his best effort and was a dedicated employee. He will leave a long legacy of beneficial programs and opportunities for the Navajo people."

Mr. Tippeconnic will be laid to rest in the grasslands of the Wichita Mountains of Oklahoma. Memorial services will be held in Cache, Oklahoma at the Deyo Comanche Church at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 11, 1997 and the Fort Defiance Presbyterian Church, Fort Defiance, Arizona, on Monday April 14, 1997 at 10:30 a.m. The family requests that in place of flowers donations be made to the John W. Tippeconnic Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona.

I was briefed this morning for the first time by Special Trustee Paul Homan on his final Strategic Plan to reform trust fund management for Tribal and individual trust funds and resources.

The plan represents his views, independent from the Department of the Interior or the Office of Management and Budget. Before I make final recommendations, I intend to give the Strategic Plan close and thorough study.

However, based on a brief review and today's briefing, I have significant concerns. First, it adds another new layer of bureaucracy by creating a quasi-private, quasi-government agency to manage and administer trust funds. Creating new bureaucracies does not necessarily serve the goal of solving problems. Second, it requires large, new budget outlays, and we will need to evaluate each aspect of the proposal. Third, and most important, it seems to lack a fundamental understanding of the relationship of sovereign tribal governments and federal trust responsibilities. Indian Tribes are sovereign nations, not business enterprises to be run for profit.

I cannot support, and I believe that most tribes will not support, the separation and dissipation of the government-to-government trust relationship that extends well beyond funding to upholding the social, economic and cultural best interests of tribes and individual tribal members.

Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Ada E. Deer today announced that the Bureau of lndian Affairs will assume the operations of law enforcement for the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma effective immediately for a period of approximately two months. This period will allow the Nation to resolve internal difficulties which have recently developed.

The decision by the BIA is based upon recent events that have occurred at Cherokee. "The BIA is committed to ensure that law and order is maintained within the Cherokee Nation," Ms. Deer said. "We will assume the Cherokee Nation's law enforcement program as a cooperative effort with the Nation and local officials."

This action does not indicate any BIA position in the Cherokee Nation's internal dispute over local matters and the Nation must use its own governmental procedures to resolve the conflict between the judiciary and the executive branch. "Of course, the BIA will provide necessary technical assistance and advice as requested, but BIA's law enforcement's mission will be to ensure the safety of the community and its property," Ms. Deer said. "The BIA is prepared to assist the Nation in this assumption initiative until the situation has stabilized and the Nation is able to reassume its own law enforcement program".

The BIA Muskogee Area Office will be the field office responsible for initiating this action. The Official in charge during the transition of the Law Enforcement Program is Criminal Investigator Mr. Perry Proctor.

Ada E. Deer, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs announces that the Office of Indian Education Programs (OIEP), within the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Projectneat, Inc., have entered into a partnership whereby Projectneat will provide Internet appliances to every elementary and secondary school in the BIA school system by September 1, 1997.

Projectneat, is an independent, non-profit public charity organized under I.RS. 501(c)(3) and is based in Santa Clara, California. Founded in July, 1996, it has assembled a team of leading companies and associations to donate the hardware and software to connect schools to the Internet. Projectneat's mission is to connect every K-12 school in America to the Internet, with emphasis being placed on connecting under served schools first.

"This initiative will connect the 187 schools serving American Indian students in 23 states providing access to the information superhighway and expanding education programs at the schools," Ms. Deer said. "We are thrilled that our American Indian students will have this access because there is a wealth of educational material available on the Internet that they will now be able to use. This is truly a dynamic initiative."

The Internet appliance provided by Projectneat, is a simple push-button access system which displays information on a large television screen instead of a computer monitor. These devices are considerably cheaper and easier to use than a conventional computer hook-up, because of the 27" TV screen, an entire class may share information in a classroom setting. In addition, one system can serve an entire school. Schools will be able to access the Internet by dialing in through the Educational Native American Network (ENAN) which has been sponsored by the OIEP since 1988.

"The installation of this equipment addresses one of OIEP's primary goals -- to connect every school and tribal community to each other and the world -- as well as President Clinton's challenge to link every school to the Internet," Joann Sebastian Morris, Director of the Office of Indian Education Programs said. "I am very excited about this program. It will provide our isolated, rural schools a resource that they have not previously had."

The BIA's OIEP provides educational services to reservations across the Untied States from Maine to the State of Washington. More than one half (105) of the 187 schools are operated by Indian tribes through grants from the BIA with the remainder operated by the OIEP.

"This partnership is a natural one, as our initial goal states we want to serve schools in rural areas and BIA schools certainly fall into this category. Our preliminary discussions with the BIA have been very positive and many important milestones have already been achieved," Mr. Tom Rahimi, President, Projectneat said. "The distribution of the equipment will happen during the 8th, week of July in conjunction with a conference at Snowmass, Colorado."

"I can think of no better way to bring excitement to our classrooms then connecting them to the vast information superhighway. Our students have much to learn from others and a great deal to contribute to the pool of information available on the Internet," Mr. Peter Camp, Projectneat Coordinator said. "Through Projectneat Indian students will have the same access that other students have in urban areas."

For additional information on Projectneat, access www.projectneat.org. The Office of lndian Education Program's home page may be accessed through the BIA's home page www.doi.gov/bureau-indianaffairs.html. Mr. Camp, BIA Project Coordinator can be reached at (202) 208-4411 and Mr. Tom Rahimi, Projectneat's contact is at (408) 235-7760.