OPA

In an effort to close solid waste dumps located on tribal lands and help tribes develop alternative solid waste management options, the National Tribal Solid Waste Interagency Workgroup is seeking proposals from tribes for solid waste projects. The workgroup, representing 8 federal agencies, provides funding for tribes to assist with solid waste management and closing open dumps. There are over 1,100 open dumps on Tribal lands in the United States. The deadline for submitting a pre-proposal is November 19, 1999, with the final proposal due February 25, 2000. "The pre-proposal stage is so that the workgroup can determine if the project is feasible, and assist the tribes to develop final proposals, which will then be considered for funding," said Jerry Gidner, Chief, Division of Environmental and Cultural Resources Management for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. A copy of the solicitation letter providing information needed to submit a proposal can be downloaded from the Environmental Protection Agency's Web Site at www.epa/gov/tribalmsw/finance.htm#fy2000. During FY 1999 $1.6 million was awarded to 11 tribes and it is hoped that a similar amount will be available to fund projects in Fiscal Year 2000.

The effort to clean up or close the open dumps is well behind the schedule required to meet the federal government's deadline for compliance. "What to do with these open dumps is one of the biggest environmental issues in Indian country today. Its huge," said Gidner. According to a study by the Indian Health Service, it will take over $120 million dollars to assist the tribes in cleaning up or finding alternative waste disposal sites. "Last year the various federal agencies contributed probably less than $5 million dollars to the effort," Gidner said. "Given the modest amounts of funding that Federal agencies can contribute to this effort, we want to make the money go as far as possible, and avoid duplicating efforts. This workgroup provides a consolidated federal forum to coordinate funding to tribes for solid waste projects."

The National Tribal Solid Waste Interagency Workgroup was established in 1998 after Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt wrote to Carol Browner of the EPA asking for help in developing and implementing a federal plan to help tribes bring their waste disposal sites into compliance with the federal regulations. The interagency workgroup consists of representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Service, Department of Agriculture, Federal Aviation Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Agriculture and Defense.

For more information please contact: Melanie Barger Garvey, EPA, 202-564-2579; Steve Aoyama, HIS, 301- 443-1046.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs Kevin Gover announced today that he is transferring the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Division of Accounting Management from BIA's regional office in Albuquerque to a new Policy, Management and Budget Office in Washington, D.C. The new office will assist him in more effectively allocating BIA's resources.

The move was recommended by the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) in a study of BIA management and administration commissioned by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. NAPA urged Gover to elevate BIA's accounting function as part of an expansion of high-level staff support the Assistant Secretary needs to plan, organize, coordinate, control and direct the Bureau's many activities and programs.

Gover said in explaining the decision, Alt is absolutely imperative that we establish a top-notch, top-level accounting function to establish credibility with the executive branch, Congress and the Indian people we serve.

In the latest of a long series of poor annual report cards, the Interior Department's Inspector General faulted the Bureau for failure to obtain a clean audit, to record or account for loan costs properly, to collect debts on time, and to pay bills on time during Fiscal Year 1998. Further, there were material weaknesses in property management accounts, control over automated information management systems, and control over financial integrity reviews.

NAPA noted the complexity of BIA's mission, combined with the extremely limited staff oversight and coordination of line management, as key factors in the steady erosion of BIA's administrative capabilities.

Gover is asking all employees of the Division of Accounting Management to accept equivalent positions in Washington, D.C. AI know it's not easy to pull up stakes here and move to Washington - I went through that three years ago. But that's where I need your help.

Those employees who choose to relocate will be given full relocation benefits, and will be requested to report to the new office by February 13, 2000. Those who do not, will receive assistance in finding alternative employment, either within or outside the federal government. Approximately 65 BIA employees will be affected by the action. BIA employs an additional 320 people in Albuquerque who will not be affected.

Charles Chi bitty of Tulsa Oklahoma, the last surviving member of the Comanche Code Talkers, will receive the Citizen's Award for Exceptional Service from the Department of the Interior in a ceremony that will take place in the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon on November 30, 1999. The. Ceremony is to honor his role as a Comanche Code Talker during World War II where he and his fellow Comanche Indians were instrumental in saving many lives during the Normandy Invasion. Like the Choctaws in World War I and the Navajos in the Pacific Theater, the Comanche Code Talkers used their native language to prevent the enemy from intercepting radio messages involving troop movements being transmitted by Allied forces.

"Indian Country is proud of men like Charles Chi bitty and the other veterans who served in the armed forces during World War II. Like many before and after them, American Indians have contributed significantly to the effort of defending this country's interests during times of war," said Kevin Gover, Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs. "It is truly a great thing that we honor him and the memory of his fellow Comanche Code Talkers with this distinguished award."

Mr. Chibitty was born near Medicine Park, Oklahoma on November 20, 1921. He attended Haskell Indian School in Lawrence, Kansas. Enlisting in the United States Army in 1941, he joined sixteen other Comanches to make up part of the 4th Infantry Division, 4th Signal Corp, known as the Code Talkers. While in the Army, Mr. Chibitty was a champion boxer and was described by military newspapers as packing dynamite in both hands. For his efforts, Corporal Chibitty earned the World War II Victory Medal, the ETO (5 bronze Star) Victory Medal, the European/African/Middle East Campaign Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal.

On November 3, 1989, the French Government awarded Mr. Chibitty the Chepalier de I-ordure National dusMerit Medal which was presented to him by Premier Messmer, Prime Minister of France under President Charles DeGulle. In 1992, Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney presented Mr. Chibitty a Certificate of Appreciation to recognize him for his service to the United States of America stating. "In a very real sense, thousands of service members and this country owe their lives to you and your fellow Code Talkers."

Mr. Chibitty has also been honored in the past by the Governor of Oklahoma with a Special Proclamation recognizing his tremendous contribution to the state of Oklahoma and United States. Mr. Chibitty is also known throughout Indian Country for his championship dancing in the fancy, straight and traditional categories and is a 32nd degree Mason, Shriner and a member of the Elks Lodge in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The award ceremony will take place at the Pentagon in the Hall of Heroes, located on the second floor "A" Ring between the sixth and seventh corridors on November 30,1999 starting at 10:00 AM. Coverage of the ceremony is open to the media. Reporters interested in attending should contact Susan Hansen, DOD Public Affairs, at 703-693-6858.

This report provides a portrait of the American Indian and Alaska Native population in the United States and discusses the largest specified tribal groupings, reservations, Alaska Native village statistical areas (ANVSAs), and areas outside reservations and ANVSAs (outside tribal areas) at the national level. It is part of the Census 2000 Special Reports series that presents demographic, social, and economic characteristics collected from Census 2000.

In Census 2000, 4.3 million people, or 1.5 percent of the total U.S. population, reported that they were American Indian and Alaska Native. This number included 2.4 million people, or 1 percent, who reported only American Indian and Alaska Native as their race. Table 1 shows the number of people reporting a single detailed tribal grouping and a tally of the number of times the grouping was reported.

Census 2000 reported on six major race categories: White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and Some Other Race.3 The term “American Indian or Alaska Native” refers to people having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment. It includes people who reported American Indian and Alaska Native or wrote in their principal or enrolled tribe. When the terms “American Indian” and “Alaska Native” are used separately in this report, they refer to two distinct populations.

Continue reading the report from Census.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Acting Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs Aurene M. Martin today announced she has issued a Notice of Proposed Finding whereby she proposes to decline to acknowledge that the Golden Hill Paugussett Tribe (petition #81) in Trumbull, Conn., exists as an Indian tribe within the meaning of Federal law. The proposed finding is based on a determination that the petitioner does not satisfy three of seven mandatory criteria for Federal acknowledgment under 25 CFR Part 83, the Federal acknowledgment regulations, and therefore does not meet the requirements for a government-to-government relationship with the United States.

Since 1823, the evidence shows that the historical Golden Hill Indians ceased to exist as a distinct community, as required by criterion 83.7(b).

Between 1802 and 1973, the evidence does not show an entity with an internal political process, as required by criterion 83.7(c). Since 1973, a few individuals formally organized into a more visible and active political entity. However, there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate significant social interaction within the group, or widespread support for or involvement in political processes.

Thirdly, the petitioner does not meet the standard set by criterion 83.7(e). The petitioner has not shown that its membership consists of individuals who descend from a historical Indian tribe or tribes. There is insufficient evidence to verify that the petitioner's ancestors descended from a historical tribe. Although the petitioner submitted several membership lists, none are sufficient to meet the criterion.

The petitioner has met the other four mandatory criteria for Federal acknowledgment. The portion of the group claiming descent from the historical Golden Hill has been identified consistently as an American Indian entity from 1900 to the present as required by criterion 83.7(a). In accordance with 83.7(d), it submitted a copy of its governing document and membership criteria. None of the petitioner's members are currently enrolled with any Federally acknowledged tribe [83.7(f)]. The Golden Hill has never been the subject of legislation terminating or forbidding the Federal relationship [83.7(g)].

The proposed finding is based on the available evidence and has been considered under a court-approved negotiated agreement. The agreement only modified the timeframes for issuing the proposed finding. It did not modify the regulatory timeframes following the issuance of the proposed finding or the standards required to demonstrate that the criteria are met.

The Notice of Proposed Finding on the Golden Hill Paugussett will be published in the Federal Register. As provided by 25 CFR 83.10(i), the petitioner or any individual or organization wishing to challenge or support the proposed finding shall have 180 days after the notice's publication date to submit arguments and evidence to rebut or support the proposed finding before any final determination is issued.

The Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs has responsibility for fulfilling the Department's trust responsibilities and promoting self-determination on behalf of tribal governments, American

Indians and Alaska Natives. The Assistant Secretary, who oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Federal Acknowledgment Process, is also responsible for providing services to approximately 1.4 million American Indians and Alaska Natives from the 562 federally recognized tribes.

Note to Editors: The abbreviated version of the Mandatory Criteria for Federal Acknowledgment that accompanies this press release may be viewed via the Department's website at www.doi.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Acting Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs Aurene M. Martin today announced that she has confirmed Terry Virden, a member of the White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, as Deputy Commissioner for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). "Terry Virden has been a strong advocate for the BIA," said Martin. "I am confident that he will continue to guide the Bureau with a steady hand now and into the future." The Deputy Commissioner is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the nearly 180-year-old federal agency.

Virden, a 25-year veteran of the BIA, had been acting Deputy Commissioner since July 1, 2002 when he was chosen for the post by former Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs Neal McCaleb. Prior to his appointment, Virden had served as director of the BIA's Office of Trust Responsibilities.

Virden's career with the Bureau began in 1977 as a Reservation Forester on the Lac du Flambeau Reservation in Wisconsin. In 1981, he was promoted to Forest Development Officer at the Great Lakes Agency in Ashland, Wisc., where he provided technical assistance to ten tribes in the state. In 1983, he accepted the position of Timber Sales Forester in what was at that time the Bureau's Minneapolis Area Office (now the Midwest Regional Office). From 1990 to 1993, Virden served as the region's Area Forester.

In September 1993, Virden moved to the BIA's Central Office in Washington, D.C., as Assistant Chief Forester. In April 1994, he was selected for the position of Chief Forester for the BIA and served in that capacity until July 1995 when he was named Director of the Office of Trust Responsibilities.

Virden was born and raised in Northern Minnesota. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Management from the University of Minnesota (1977). He is a member of the Minnesota Forestry Association and the Society of American Foresters, Appalachian Chapter.

The Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs has responsibility for fulfilling the Department's trust responsibilities and promoting self-determination on behalf of the 562 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments. The Assistant Secretary also oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs, an agency with 10,500 employees nationwide, which is responsible for providing services to approximately 1.4 million individual American Indians and Alaska Natives from the federally recognized tribes.

Note to Editors: A photo of Terry Virden may be viewed via the Interior Department's web site at www.doi.gov.

WASHINGTON, DC - At a press conference at the National Press Club today, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced budget increases for Indian Country initiatives and joined Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson and other Administration officials and Indian leaders in announcing a new Native American-focused training course. Called "Working Effectively with Tribal Governments," the online course is now available to federal employees.

"This new online training is just one of the programs by which we are supporting the efforts of Native Americans to improve their lives," Secretary Kempthorne said. In a preview of the Department of the Interior budget to be unveiled on Monday, he announced proposed FY 2009 budget increases for two Department of the Interior initiatives begun in FY 2008-the Improving Indian Education Initiative and the Safe Indian Communities Initiative.

In order to assist tribes in suppressing the distribution of methamphetamine by organized crime and drug cartels, the Administration's budget proposal would sustain the full $24 million in funding for the Safe Indian Communities Initiative provided by Congress in 2008, plus add $3million more for the initiative, for a total of $27 million in 2009. Likewise, in 2009 the Administration proposes not only to maintain the full funding for the Improving Indian Education Initiative but also to increase it to more than $25 million.

"The Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Indian Affairs will not cease to provide support for these programs until we shut down the peddlers of poison who are victimizing Native American families - and particularly Indian children," said Kempthorne. "It is not enough, however, to simply-protect Indian children from drugs and crime. We must also help them to achieve a brighter future through better educational opportunities in Indian Country."

Administrator Johnson and the other Administration officials then launched the new on-line training course for federal employees. Joe Garcia, President of the National Congress of American Indians, gave the invocation at the National Press Club event. In addition to Kempthorne and Johnson, other participants included Jovita Carranza, Small Business Administration Deputy Administrator; Janet Creighton, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs; Carl Artman, Assistant Secretary of the Interior - Indian Affairs; Jeffrey Sedgwick, Acting Assistant Attorney General; and John Nau, Chairman, President's Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

This new online training was produced by the interagency Federal Employee/Workforce Native Education and Training workgroup. A subcommittee of the Indian Affairs Executive Working Group, it identified the need for a primer available to all federal employees charged with the important responsibility of working with Indian tribes.

"The training is rich with information - respectful of the rich historical and cultural heritage the tribes we are working with - which will better prepare government employees who collaborate with Native American/Alaska Native communities," said EPA Administrator Johnson.

"The public safety of our Nation's citizens is paramount to our mission and we are pleased to partner with our fellow federal agencies to develop a training program that helps all of us work more effectively with tribal governments," said Jeffrey L. Sedgwick, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs.

EPA, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the Department of Justice developed the online training with support from numerous agencies including the Department of the Interior, Forest Service, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, the General Services Administration, the Department of Energy and the Small Business Administration. The training is hosted by the Office of Personnel Management.

The training modules within the course include "Introduction to Tribal Concepts," which covers concepts essential to understanding the unique political status of federally recognized Indian tribes--such as tribal sovereignty, the government-to-government relationship and the federal trust responsibility. It also contains information on Native American demographics, and explains tribal land status and the definition of "Indian Country."

The "Federal Indian Law and Policy" module outlines the history of tribal-federal relations, explains the complex issues of jurisdiction in Indian Country and provides links to various federal statutes that pertain to Indian tribes.

The last module, "Cultural Orientation and Tips for Working More Effectively with Tribal Governments," provides essential cultural information that can greatly increase the quality of cross-cultural communications.

Program oversight in the development of the on-line training was provided by the President's eTraining Initiative, an e-Government initiative managed by OPM. Technical assistance was provided by GoLearn.gov, a training service provider that offers a wide range of e-Learning products and services.

"As demonstrated by the modules developed for this program, the President's eTraining initiative provides the infrastructure, processes, and expertise needed to develop and deliver world-class on-line training," according to Karen Evans, Administrator of E-Government and Information Technology.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and Rep. Rick Renzi of Arizona will join Hopi and Navajo leaders at a historic signing ceremony in Phoenix, Ariz., tomorrow. Representatives of the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe will sign a compact resolving a long-standing dispute over access to sites for traditional tribal religious observances.

Signing the agreement will be Todd .Honyaoma, Vice Chairman of the Hopi Tribal Council, and Joe Shirley, President of the Navajo Nation. The signers, Secretary Kempthorne and Rep. Renzi will make remarks.

Also participating in the ceremony will be Navajo Nation Council Speaker Lawrence T. Morgan; Navajo Attorney General Louis Denetsosie and other officials of the Navajo Nation; Cedric Kuwaninvaya, Chairman of the Hopi Land Team and other members of the Hopi Tribal Council.

Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs will be represented by BIA Director Pat Ragsdale; Director of Trusts Arch Wells; Western Regional Director Allen Anspach; and Navajo Regional Office Acting Director Omar Bradley.

WHO: Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne; U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi; Joe Shirley, President of the Navajo Nation; and Todd Honyaoma, Vice Chairman of the Hopi Tribal Council; and other Hopi, Navajo, State and Federal officials.

WHAT: Signing Ceremony for historic compact to resolve dispute over access to traditional religious sites

WHEN: 4 p.m. Friday, November 3, 2006

WHERE: Heard Museum, Monte Vista Room, 2301 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona.

MEDIA: All credentialed news media are invited to attend

WASHINGTON – As part of its efforts to improve and reform the management of the Indian trust for the benefit of all Indians, the Department of the Interior has revised existing—and drafted new—federal Indian trust regulations to implement the American Indian Probate Reform Act (AIPRA) and the Fiduciary Trust Model. The Department held an initial comment period on the first drafts of new regulations from January through April of this year. After incorporating comments, the proposed AIPRA regulations will be published in the Federal Register in coming weeks. A 60-day public comment period will commence when the proposed regulations are published. Interior is seeking input and comments from tribal representatives on these regulations at public meetings in South Dakota, Montana, and Minneapolis.

The intent of the regulatory initiative is to clarify existing regulations and create new regulations that would: improve services to Indian trust beneficiaries; facilitate productive use of Indian land; promote consolidation and reduced fractionation of trust asset interests; and incorporate changes to the probate process made possible through the American Indian Probate Reform Act.

The following proposed regulations will be discussed at the consultation:

• Probate of Indian Estates (25 CFR 15)
• Rules applicable to probate hearings and appeals (43 CFR 4)
• Creation of a new Code of Federal Regulations part addressing tribal probate codes (25 CFR 18)
• Life Estates and Future Interests (25 CFR 179)
• Indian land records and title documents (25 CFR 150)
• Conveyances of Trust and Restricted Land, Removal of Trust or Restricted Status (25 CFR 152)

In conjunction with the public comment period, Interior encourages tribes, tribal leaders, trust beneficiaries and other individuals working with and on behalf of these groups to submit comments on the proposed regulations. These may be submitted in writing to Michele Singer, 1849 C Street, N.W., MS4141-MIB, Washington, D.C. 20240.