OPA

Washington, April 27, 2011—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack welcomed St. Louis Rams Quarterback Sam Bradford to the Agriculture Department today and joined him in urging Native American youth to spend the summer pursuing healthy outdoor activities. Bradford, an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, participated with over 30 Native American students at USDA's People's Garden in planting a Native American garden, called The Roots of American Agriculture.

"Through programs like 'Fuel Up to Play 60' and Let's Move!, the Obama administration is helping get kids active in order to help them have a healthy future," said Vilsack. "Our partners at the NFL and across the country are key to engaging kids in an exciting way that teaches them that physical activity can be fun, while also important to their health."

Bradford and Vilsack noted that a recent study of four year-old children found that obesity is more than twice as common among American Indian/Alaska Native children than among white or Asian children. In 2002, nearly 15 percent of those receiving care from the United States Indian Health Service (IHS) were estimated to have diabetes.

The USDA People's Garden Initiative promotes the establishment of school and community gardens to grow healthy food, people and communities across the country. Over 30 Native students helped plant the garden. Those participating included students representing Eastern and Western tribes, Southeast Alaska, and a class from a Native elementary school in Tuba City, Arizona. The garden showcases heirloom Native American crops and planting techniques and celebrates the tremendous contributions Native Americans have made to the foods we eat today.

Bradford and Vilsack were joined at USDA by Robin Schepper, executive director of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Campaign; Keith Moore, the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Education Director, and Janie Hipp, Senior Advisor to Secretary Vilsack with the USDA Office of Tribal Relations.

The First Lady's Let's Move! initiative, which aims to end childhood obesity, has also since joined in support of Fuel Up to Play 60 and USDA's HealthierUS Schools Challenge, which are both helping to combat this issue and provide access to nutrition information.

Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by the National Dairy Council (NDC) and the National Football League (NFL), with additional partnership support from USDA. The program encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods (low-fat and fat-free dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains) and achieve 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Fuel Up to Play 60 is designed to engage and empower youth to take action for their own health by implementing long-term, positive changes for themselves and their schools.

On April 22, 2010, Bradford was selected by the St. Louis Rams as the first overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. He grew up in Oklahoma and spent his college career with the Oklahoma Sooners. In 2008, Bradford became the second sophomore to win a Heisman Trophy. In his first season in the NFL, Bradford won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award after setting the record for most completions by a rookie in NFL history.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk will deliver the keynote address at the 20th Annual Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service being held Thursday, May 5, 2011, at the United States Indian Police Academy in Artesia, N.M. The Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS) holds the event to honor and commemorate tribal, state, local and federal law enforcement officers working on federal Indian lands and in tribal communities who have given their lives in the line of duty.

This year, seven names will be added bringing the total number of fallen officers listed on the memorial to 96. Those to be added are:

• BIA Deputy Special Officer A.H. Scott, killed June 22, 1925
• Uintah and Ouray Tribal Police Officer Joshua Yazzie, killed June 2, 2010
• City of Hoonah, Alaska, Police Officer Anthony Michael Wallace, killed August 28, 2010
• City of Hoonah, Alaska, Police Officer Matthew Dean Tokuoka, killed August 28, 2010
• U.S. Border Patrol Agent George Debates, killed December 19, 2004
• U.S. Border Patrol Agent Michael Vincent Gallagher, killed September 2, 2010
• Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Police Officer Merrill Allen Bruguier, killed October 9, 2010

The BIA-OJS will hold the service in conjunction with the International Association of Chiefs of Police Indian Country Law Enforcement Section, the National Sheriffs’ Association, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) and the U.S. Border Patrol. The memorial is located on the FLETC campus in Artesia.

The Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial was first dedicated on May 7, 1992, at the Indian Police Academy, which was then in Marana, Ariz. The academy and the memorial were later moved to their present site. The memorial was re-dedicated there on May 6, 1993.

The earliest name inscribed on the memorial dates back to 1852. In addition to those from BIA and tribal law enforcement, officers listed represent 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.

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 races. The planters represent the four directions and are located near the walkway’s entrance.

WHO: Larry Echo Hawk, Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior.

WHAT: Assistant Secretary Echo Hawk will deliver the keynote address at the 20th Annual Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial Service. The names of seven fallen officers will be added to the memorial this year.

WHEN: 10:00 a.m. (local time), Thursday, May 5, 2011.

WHERE: United States Indian Police Academy, DHS Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, 1300 West Richey Avenue, Artesia, N.M. Phone: 505-748-8151.

CREDENTIALS: This invitation is extended to working media representatives, who are required to display sanctioned media credentials for admittance to the event.

WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk conveyed the nation’s gratitude to the families of seven police officers who were being remembered and honored at the 20th Annual Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service held today at the United States Indian Police Academy in Artesia, N.M. The Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS) holds the memorial service each year to honor and commemorate tribal, state, local and federal law enforcement officers working on federal Indian lands and in tribal communities who have given their lives in the line of duty. The Assistant Secretary was joined by BIA Director Mike Black and OJS Deputy Director Darren Cruzan.

“As law enforcement officers stand together as brothers and sisters to protect one another, so this administration will stand with you,” Echo Hawk said. “On behalf of a grateful nation, President Obama and Secretary Salazar, we honor and remember your sacrifice – now and for future generations.”

This year, seven names were added to those already inscribed on the Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, bringing the total number to 96. Those added at today’s ceremony were:

• BIA Deputy Special Officer A.H. Scott, killed June 22, 1925
• Uintah and Ouray Tribal Police Officer Joshua Yazzie, killed June 2, 2010
• City of Hoonah, Alaska, Police Officer Anthony Michael Wallace, killed August 28, 2010
• City of Hoonah, Alaska, Police Officer Matthew Dean Tokuoka, killed August 28, 2010
• U.S. Border Patrol Agent George Debates, killed December 19, 2004
• U.S. Border Patrol Agent Michael Vincent Gallagher, killed September 2, 2010
• Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Police Officer Merrill Allen Bruguier, killed October 9, 2010

In his remarks, the Assistant Secretary drew upon his law enforcement experiences in Idaho as chief general legal counsel to the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, as a county prosecuting attorney and as state attorney general.

In addition to Assistant Secretary Echo Hawk, other speakers included New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, Artesia City Mayor Phillip Burch, National Sheriffs’ Association President B.J. Roberts, International Association of Chiefs of Police Indian Country Law Enforcement Section President Joe LaPorte, FLETC Deputy Director Ken Keene and U.S. Border Patrol Division Chief Manuel Padilla.

Following the service, the Assistant Secretary presented folded American flags to representatives of the families of Officers Scott, Tokuoka and Wallace and to family members of Officers Bruguier and Yazzie. Officials of the U.S. Border Patrol presented flags to family members of Agents Debates and Gallagher.

The Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial was first dedicated on May 7, 1992, at the U.S. Indian Police Academy, which was then in Marana, Ariz. The academy and the memorial were later moved to their present site on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) campus in Artesia. The memorial was rededicated there on May 6, 1993.

The earliest name inscribed on the memorial dates back to 1852. In addition to those from BIA and tribal law enforcement, officers listed represent 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.

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 races. The planters represent the four directions and are located near the walkway’s entrance. The BIA-OJS holds the memorial service in conjunction with the ICAP Indian Country Law Enforcement Section, the National Sheriffs’ Association, FLETC, the U.S. Border Patrol and other law enforcement agencies.

WASHINGTON—The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) will hold a memorial ceremony on Wednesday, May 11, 2011, to honor the first Native American, post-Prohibition era, ATF investigator killed in the line of duty. The name of William Louis Pappan, a member of the Kaw Nation, who was killed 75 years ago, will be unveiled at the ATF Headquarters Memorial Wall in Washington.

ATF’s unveiling ceremony is in conjunction with National Police Week activities and will include a presentation of colors, a wreath laying ceremony, taps and a Native American blessing. Pappan’s 82-year-old son, who was 6 years old at the time of his father’s death, will attend along with other members of the family.

Pappan was killed on Dec. 4, 1935, as he conducted late-night beer license inspections at a Tulsa, Okla., night club. At the time of his death, he was weeks shy of his 41st birthday and just four months into his job as an investigator with the Department of Treasury, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Alcohol Tax Unit (the precursor of ATF).

WHO: ATF Acting Director Kenneth Melson Department of Justice, Office of Tribal Justice, Deputy Director Chris Chaney National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund Pappan family members WHAT: Louis Pappan Memorial Observance

WHERE: ATF Headquarters – Memorial Wall 99 New York Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20026

WHEN: Wednesday, May 11, 2011

TIME: 10:00 a.m.

NOTE: Reporters/media outlets are encouraged to RSVP by 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 10, 2011, to joyce.patterson@atf.gov, or (202) 648-7912. All media must present media credentials and/or other photo identification at the ATF Visitors Entrance. More information about ATF and its programs is available at www.atf.gov.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) Director Keith Moore will visit Flagstaff, Arizona on Tuesday to announce the winner of the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA). Levi Horn of the Chicago Bears, who is representing Nike N7, the company’s commitment to bring access to sport to Native American and Aboriginal communities, will join Director Moore in presenting the award to the Kinlani Bordertown Dormitory. PALA is a six week physical fitness challenge managed by the President’s Council on Physical Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition.

“This event commemorates the positive and inspirational efforts of our children to begin to address the many health concerns that currently face Indian Country,” said Director of the BIE Keith Moore. “Sticking to anything for six weeks is hard, but to have virtually an entire dormitory and staff succeed at this challenge is quite remarkable and really speaks to the character of the Kinlani Dorm.”

The PALA Challenge ran from February 9 through April 29, 2011. To successfully complete the challenge, children under the age of 18 had to complete 60 minutes of physical activity five days a week for six weeks, and adults had to complete 30 minutes of physical activity for the same duration. For more information see www.presidentschallenge.org.

WHO:

• Keith Moore, Director of the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), U.S. Department of the Interior.
• Levi Horn, Chicago Bears football player, member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe and representative of Nike N7, the company’s comprehensive program and commitment to bring access to sport and all of its benefits to members of Native American and Aboriginal communities, with a focus on youth.

WHAT: Award presentation and ceremony to the BIE School PALA Challenge Winner— Kinlani Bordertown Dormitory.

WHEN: Tuesday, May 17, 2011, 3 - 5 p.m. (MST)

WHERE: Thorpe Park (next to the Kinlani Bordertown Dormitory) 245 North Thorpe Road Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (928) 779-7690

WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk today announced that the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) Challenge was given to the KinLani Bordertown Dormitory in Flagstaff, Ariz., a Bureau of Indian Education-funded facility. BIE Director Keith Moore, NFL player Levi Horn of the Chicago Bears, who is the ambassador for Nike N7, Nike, Inc.’s program to bring access to sports to Native American and Aboriginal communities in the United States and Canada, were in attendance to present the award.

“It gives me great pleasure to see such positive engagement in addressing obesity and other health-related issues that afflict Indian Country,” Echo Hawk said. “KinLani Bordertown Dormitory’s successful PALA Challenge is truly remarkable and one which all of our BIE schools can admire and seek to replicate.”

“Every student needs support and encouragement to overcome challenges, and this event demonstrates the KinLani student community’s commitment to success,” Moore said. “We encourage the families of our students to be active participants in all areas of their children’s lives and in their community, including addressing childhood obesity in our schools.”

The BIE PALA Challenge was launched in February 2011 by the BIE and Nike N7 Ambassador Horn. To successfully complete the challenge, children under the age of 18 had to complete 60 minutes of physical activity five days a week for six weeks, and adults had to complete 30 minutes of physical activity for the same duration. BIE schools across Indian Country had eight weeks to complete their challenges. A total of 6,000 students from across the BIE school system completed the challenge. KinLani Bordertown Dormitory had 100 percent completion by their student body as well as PALA achievements from teachers and staff.

The launch incentive for this particular challenge involved an award to the winning school and a visit by Levi Horn. The larger goal of the PALA Challenge was launched yesterday by Horn: For Indian Country to get 25,000 people to complete PALA by September 2011. This PALA Challenge gets Indian Country involved and supports the President’s one million participants PALA challenge by August 2012.

On February 9, 2011, Horn spoke to students across the BIE school system via an interactive broadcast. He encouraged students to eat healthy and make positive choices, sharing with them his own personal story of working for and achieving academic and athletic success. He also encouraged students to pursue things they are passionate about and to avoid peer pressures that could keep them from leading active and healthy lifestyles.

“It is truly a great feeling to be a part of such an initiative that helps to address the health of children and families in Indian Country,” said Horn. “I am pleased to see that the KinLani Bordertown Dormitory set its goals high and achieved this great accomplishment. They have paved an inspirational foundation for others to follow. ”

The BIE also is engaged in Let’s Move Outside!, the outdoor activity component of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to end childhood obesity. Led by the Departments of Interior and Agriculture, Education and the Human Health Services, Let’s Move Outside! is working with government agencies and other organizations to help America’s kids and families get moving in the great outdoors. Traditional outdoor activities such as archery, canoeing, and lacrosse allow Native youth to improve their health while connecting with their heritage.

In May 2010, Nike, Inc. and the BIE signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate in creative and inspirational ways to address health and social lifestyle choices in American Indian and Alaska Native communities that contribute to poor health. Nike began its N7 program for Native people in the U.S. and Canada more than 10 years ago with a commitment to bring sports and its benefits to their communities and with a focus on youth. The program allows Native American and Aboriginal health programs to purchase Nike products, including its specially designed Nike Air Native N7, at reduced prices via nike.net as incentives for health promotion and disease prevention. The Nike N7 fund provides grants to fund youth sports and physical fitness programs, and the Nike N7 collection raises awareness for the Nike N7 fund. For more information, visit www.niken7.com.

For more information on the President’s Challenge, visit www.presidentschallenge.org.

The Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs oversees the Bureau of Indian Education which operates the federal school system for American Indian and Alaska Native children from the nation’s 565 federally recognized tribes. The BIE implements federal education laws and provides funding to 183 elementary and secondary day and boarding schools and peripheral dormitories located on 63 reservations in 23 states and serving approximately 41,000 students. The BIE also serves post secondary students through higher education scholarships and support funding to 27 tribal colleges and universities and two tribal technical colleges. The BIE also directly operates two post secondary institutions: Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kan., and the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque, N.M. For more information, please visit www.bie.edu or www.indianaffairs.gov.

NEW YORK, NY—Donald “Del” Laverdure, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, today addressed the United Nations on U.S. support for the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. He emphasized that President Obama holds his Administration to a high standard of action on Native American issues.

Laverdure’s remarks at the Tenth Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues followed a statement at Monday’s opening session by Kimberly Teehee, Senior Policy Advisor for Native American Affairs in the Domestic Policy Council at the White House. Laverdure’s appearance represented the first time that an Interior official has spoken at this forum.

Teehee, a member of the Cherokee Nation, and Laverdure, a member of the Crow Nation, both emphasized President Obama’s statement when he announced U.S. support for the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on December 16, 2010 at the second White House Tribal Nations Conference. “What matters far more than words -- what matters far more than any resolution or declaration – are actions to match those words,” the President stressed in the December announcement.

Laverdure reaffirmed that the United States is committed to actions that provide meaningful improvement to the lives of Native Americans. He wore his family headdress to commemorate President Obama's adoption by the Crow Nation.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk will be joined by Office of the First Lady, Executive Director of Let’s Move! Initiative Robin Schepper, USDA Deputy Administrator for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Lisa Pino, IHS Director for Improving Patient Care Program Lyle A. Ignace M.D., M.P.H., and Menominee Tribal Chairman Randal Chevalier to launch Let’s Move! in Indian Country (LMIC). This event marks the First Lady’s launch of Let’s Move! in Indian Country hosted by the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin.

“I’m very pleased to see the Office of the First Lady and all of the government agencies involved in this event, along with the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin come together to launch this important initiative,” said Echo Hawk. “We all realize how important healthy minds and bodies are to our country and our communities. Let’s Move! in Indian Country is a great start that involves both children and adults in addressing some of the important health issues that confront Indian Country and the nation.”

“Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled, and it is especially acute in Indian country. This not only affects their health but their academic performance and their ability to succeed in the future,” said Robin Schepper. “The good news is we can do something about it. Let’s Move! in Indian Country is an effort where everyone has a role to play in creating a healthy future for our children. Federal agencies, tribal governments, schools, private companies, non-profits, community leaders, and families can lead by example and make commitments to ensure that Native children get 60 minutes of physical activity a day and access to healthy, nutritional meals. We are excited for everyone to get involved and support this critical effort.”

On May 25, 2011, the First Lady’s Let’s Move! Office, the White House Domestic Policy Council, the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Education, and the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin have come together to launch the LMIC initiative on the Menominee Reservation. The agencies and federal entities enumerated along with tribes, urban Indian centers, community organizations, and other stakeholders have set four main goals for LMIC: (1) Create a healthy start on life for children; (2) create healthier learning communities; (3) ensure families access to healthy, affordable, traditional food; (4) and, increase opportunities for physical activity. In addition to being a federal interagency initiative, LMIC outlines ways for tribal governments, schools, the private sector and non-profits to engage in this effort. LMIC sets the framework for each of these sectors to come together and contribute to the common goal of ending obesity within a generation.

WHO:

• Larry Echo Hawk, Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior
• Robin Schepper, Office of the First Lady, Executive Director, Let’s Move! Initiative
• Lisa Pino, U.S.D.A, Deputy Administrator, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Lyle A. Ignace, M.D., M.P.H., Indian Health Service, Director Improving Patient Care Program
• Charlie Galbraith, Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, White House
• Randal Chevalier, Menominee Tribal Chairman
• Chaske Spencer, Actor, Enrolled Member of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Montana
• Sam McCracken, Nike N7 Representative, Enrolled Member of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Montana
• Ernie Stevens Jr., Nike N7 Fund Board of Directors and National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) President

WHAT: Let’s Move! in Indian Country Launch with the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin

WHEN: Wednesday, May 25, 2011. 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (CDT)

WHERE: Menominee Nation Woodland Bowl Amphitheater Fairgrounds Road Keshena, Wisconsin 54135 (715) 799-5114 (Rain Location) Keshena Primary School N530 STH 47/55 Keshena, WI 54135 Room: School gym

NOTE: All media must present government-issued photo I.D. (such as a driver’s license) and valid media credentials

WASHINGTON –The Office of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! Initiative and four federal agencies today launched Let’s Move! in Indian Country (LMIC). LMIC is an initiative to support and advance the work that tribal leaders and community members are already doing to improve the health of American Indian and Alaska Native children. As a part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative, LMIC brings together federal agencies, communities, nonprofits, corporate partners and tribes to end the epidemic of childhood obesity in Indian Country within a generation.

The LMIC initiative was launched today at an event at the Menominee Nation in Keshena, Wisconsin where Interior Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk was joined by the Office of the First Lady Let’s Move! Initiative Executive Director Robin Schepper, White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs Associate Director Charlie Galbraith, USDA Deputy Administrator for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Lisa Pino, and IHS Director for Improving Patient Care Program Lyle A. Ignace M.D., M.P.H. Also joining the Administration officials were Actor Chaske Spencer from the Twilight series, Nike N7 General Manager Sam McCracken and Nike N7 Fund Board of Directors Ernie Stevens, as well as National Congress of American Indians Board Secretary Matthew Wesaw, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Consultant for Health and Physical Education John W. Hisgen, and Menominee Tribal Chairman Randal Chevalier.

“Through Let’s Move! in Indian Country we have an opportunity to engage Native communities, schools, tribes, the private sector, and non-profits to work together to tackle this issue head on,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “Tribes can sign up to become part of Let’s Move! in Indian Country, elders can mentor children about traditional foods and the importance of physical activity, and families can incorporate healthy habits like eating vegetables or participating in the President’s Active Lifestyle Award into their everyday life.”

“Interior is proud to partner with our federal family in support of the First Lady’s call to combat childhood obesity in Indian Country,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “Educating all youth about the benefits of leading an active lifestyle and outdoor recreation is a vital step in creating healthier communities and generations.”

“As the principal agency tasked with protecting the health of all Americans, HHS is at the forefront in tackling the growing epidemic of childhood obesity not only in Indian Country, but also across the nation," said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "Working together to help our children live more active lives is one of the biggest steps we can take to improve our nation's health.”

“This is a special day for the Tribes and for USDA. Let’s Move in Indian Country, will help promote healthy eating and physical activity among Native Americans and is an important part of the effort to reduce teen and childhood obesity,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Through initiatives like Let’s Move!, ‘Fuel up to Play 60’ and the People’s Garden, the Obama administration is working to get kids to become active and ensure they will have full, rich and healthy lives.”

“Today’s launch is a great example of the positive change we can support in Indian Country. By bringing together numerous government agencies, tribes, schools, communities and the private sector to focus on the health and welfare of Indian Country we can make a difference in the lives of Native youth and families,” Assistant Secretary Echo Hawk said. “Menominee is a powerful demonstration that we can all do our part to accomplish this goal.”

“We are absolutely honored to be the launch site for this important national campaign for Indian Country. I can attest that there is no better place for this initiative. The Menominee Reservation ranks 72 out of 72 in health factors and outcomes associated with high diabetes and heart disease rates,” said Chairman Chevalier. “Becoming a healthier community starts with our children, so I am delighted that we can address these issues in such a comprehensive way.”

Childhood obesity is a national health crisis in America. Over the past three decades, rates of childhood obesity in this country have tripled. Today, nearly one in three children in the U.S. is overweight or obese. An equal proportion—one in three—of all children born after 2000 will suffer from diabetes at some point in their lives—an all-time high.

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children are twice as likely to be overweight than the general population. These children make up the only racial or ethnic group whose obesity rates increased between 2003 and 2008. The acute nature of this problem in Indian Country warrants a targeted initiative like LMIC to support culturally proficient strategies for ensuring access to healthy food and prenatal services, implementing nutrition and physical education programs, and engaging Native youth, parents, and communities in active, healthy lifestyle choices.

LMIC has four main goals: (1) create a healthy start on life for children, (2) create healthy learning communities, (3) ensure families access to healthy, affordable, traditional foods, and (4) increase opportunities for physical activity.

To accomplish these goals, Let’s Move! in Indian Country will

• Launch a new webpage and toolkit that includes step-by-step assistance, resources and information for schools, tribes and organizations on accessing federal programs and grants to combat childhood obesity/diabetes in Indian Country at www.letsmove.gov/indiancountry. 
• Certify all 14 federally run IHS obstetrics facilities as Baby Friendly Hospitals by 2012.
• Launch new on-line PSAs featuring Sam Bradford, quarterback for the St. Louis Rams, and Tahnee Robinson, the first female full-blood American Indian athlete to be drafted to the Women’s National Basketball Association. Both are Nike N7 Athlete Ambassadors encouraging Native youth to lead healthy, active lives. Nike N7 is Nike, Inc.’s long-term commitment and comprehensive program to bring access to sports to Native American and Aboriginal communities. For more information, visit www.niken7.com and http://www.doi.gov/letsmove/indiancountry/index.cfm.
• Issue the 25,000-person Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) Challenge this summer in Indian Country. Six thousand Native youth have already completed the challenge and received a certificate from the President’s Council on Fitness, Sport and Nutrition. To learn more about the Challenge, visit www.presidentschallenge.org/lmic.
• Announce a partnership between the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), USDA’s Food and Nutrition Services programs, the National Society for American Indian Elderly, Boys and Girls Clubs in Indian Country, and Southwest Youth Services to place 200 AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associations in Indian Country to support LMIC implementation, positive youth development, and healthy lifestyles in at least 15 states. In addition, CNCS, with support from the Nike N7 Fund, will place fulltime, year-long AmeriCorps VISTA members with organizations promoting physical activity and sport on Native lands.
• Engage celebrity spokespersons in getting out the message including, Sam Bradford (Cherokee Nation)* and Tahnee Robinson (Northern Cheyenne)*, Chicago Bears player Levi Horn (Northern Cheyenne)*, Olympic runner Alvina Begay (Navajo Nation)* and Twilight film actor Chaske Spencer (Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation). (*These spokespeople are also N7 athlete ambassadors.)
• Encourage 363 “Just Move It” tribal partners to mobilize locally PALA walks, runs and other on-reservation family-oriented activities across Indian Country.

WASHINGTON – A federal judge, in response to a motion on behalf of the Department of the Interior, has granted permission for Interior officials to begin communicating with class members on land trust consolidation provisions of the Cobell Settlement agreement. The Department will soon publish a Federal Register notice announcing its intent to begin formal government-to-government consultations with tribal leaders. Interior expects the land consolidation consultations to begin by late-summer.

Judge Thomas F. Hogan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted the motion to communicate with class members on May 27, 2011. At Interior’s request, the Department of Justice filed the motion with Judge Hogan on April 6, 2011 for permission to communicate with class members regarding trust land consolidation.

The Cobell settlement was approved by Congress on November 30, 2010 (Claims Settlement Act of 2010) and signed by President Obama on December 8, 2010. Interior officials have been under a longstanding court imposed prohibition from communicating with Cobell class members while the litigation continues. Judge Hogan’s order allowing for communication between the parties states that, “This case has materially changed since the date of any other order that may have prohibited such communication. The case’s posture now compels the Court to grant the motion.”

The $3.4 billion Cobell Settlement will address the Federal Government’s responsibility for trust accounts and trust assets maintained by the United States on behalf of more than 300,000 individual Indians. A fund of $1.5 billion will be used to compensate class members for their historical accounting, trust fund and asset mismanagement claims.

In addition, to address the continued proliferation of thousands of new trust accounts caused by the "fractionation" of land interests through succeeding generations, the Settlement establishes a $1.9 billion fund for the voluntary buy-back and consolidation of fractionated land interests. The land consolidation program will provide individual American Indians with an opportunity to obtain cash payments for divided land interests and free up the land for the benefit of tribal communities. Individual Indians will receive cash payments for these transfers and, as an additional incentive, transfers will trigger government payments into a $60 million Indian scholarship fund.

The court documents filed by DOJ are at http://www.doi.gov/tribes/special-trustee.cfm. More information on the Cobell Settlement, including resources for Indian Trust Beneficiaries, is available at http://www.doi.gov/ost/cobell/index.html or http://www.indiantrust.com/index