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OPA

Office of Public Affairs

BIA Logo Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
Media Contact: Nedra Darling, OPA-IA Phone: 202-219-4152
For Immediate Release: August 28, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that $1.75 million in funding is being made available to tribes through two Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) initiatives: The Sovereignty in Indian Education (SIE) Enhancement Program and the Tribal Education Department (TED) Grant Program. These programs assist federally recognized tribes with building their tribal education departments and promoting tribal control of their schools.

“Tribes have the best perspective on what their children need to learn and how the schools that serve their communities can become successful,” Washburn said. “I want to thank Congress for providing the funding that ensures tribes will be able to assume total control over BIE-funded schools and guide their children’s cultural and academic learning.”

The SIE enhancement and TED grant programs were established based on a recommendation contained in the Blueprint for Reform – a report that was created with help from tribal governments and key federal and tribal officials – and are in the second round of funding. The program funds fulfill a recommendation in the Blueprint for Reform for BIE to support tribal nations in their efforts to: restructure schools’ governance, assume control over BIE-funded schools, and develop curriculum that is both academically rigorous and culturally relevant to their students.

“When the Blueprint for Reform was released in 2014, the BIE set out a vision for tribal nations and BIE-funded schools that is grounded in high academic standards and tribal culture, language and history. The TED and SIE funding will support and prepare tribes to operate successful schools and shape what their students are learning. Today, this funding announcement moves us one step closer to our goal of allowing tribes to truly structure how they envision what education should look like,” said BIE Director Dr. Charles M. “Monty” Roessel.

The purpose of SIE enhancement funds is to support the tribes’ capacity to manage and operate tribally controlled schools as defined by the Tribally Controlled Schools Act of 1988. These funds support the development of a school-reform plan to improve educational outcomes for students and improve efficiencies in the operation of BIE-funded schools within a reservation. Tribes must have at least one BIE-funded school to be eligible.

SIE enhancement funding range from $100,000 to $200,000 per fiscal year depending on the number of schools involved, student enrollment, the complexity of creating a new tribally managed school system, and the tribe’s technical approach. In year 1 of the program, SIE will support tribes in the research and design of their tribally managed school systems. Year 2 funds, the implementation year, are awarded based on tribe’s approved support of the tribally managed school system plan. These enhancements will provide funds for tribes to:

  • Research and define its adequate yearly progress (AYP);
  • Develop an implementation plan that will reform a tribe’s current organizational structure towards an expert and independent TED that supports schools and students; and
  • Cover the execution of the implementation plan with identified staffing, projected timelines, proposed budgets and activities.

The TED grant program provides funds for tribes and their TEDs for projects defined by the Education Amendments Act of 1978. These funds support the development and operation of TEDs to advance educational outcomes for students and improve the efficiency and effectiveness in the management of BIE-funded schools.

  • TED grants will range from $25,000 to $150,000 per fiscal year, for three years or depending on the project, number of educational programs impacted, project design, and expected outcomes. Subject to the availability of appropriated funds, grants will be provided for three years and, depending on performance, may be renewed for additional two-year terms. Grant funds will support program goals for the following areas that promote tribal education capacity-building;
  • To provide for the development and enforcement of tribal educational codes, including tribal educational policies and tribal standards applicable to curriculum, personnel, students, facilities and support programs;
  • To facilitate tribal control in all matters relating to the education of Indian children on reservations and on former reservations in Oklahoma; and
  • To provide for the development of coordinated educational programs on reservations and on former reservations in Oklahoma by encouraging tribal administrative support of all BIE-funded educational programs, as well as encouraging tribal cooperation and coordination with entities carrying out all educational programs receiving financial support from other federal agencies, state agencies or private entities.

Eligible tribal governments may apply for SIE and TED funding by responding to the relevant Request for Proposals (RFPs) notices published in the Federal Register. To view them, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/08/28/2015-21338/sovereignty-in-indian-education https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/08/28/2015-21339/tribal-education-departmentgrant-program

Both SIE and TED grant proposals must be submitted no later than 4:00 p.m. EDT on Monday, September 21, 2015.

In addition to today’s funding announcement, the BIE will hold pre-grant training workshops for SIE and TED applicants. Further information on these programs and pre-grant training workshops can be found on the SIE (http://bie.edu/Programs/Sovereignty/index.htm) and TED (http://bie.edu/Programs/TribalEduDeptGrantProgram/index.htm) websites.

The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs oversees the BIE, which operates the federal school system for American Indian and Alaska Native children from the federally recognized tribes. The BIE director is directly responsible for implementing federal education programs and laws in 183 elementary and secondary day and boarding schools on 64 reservations in 23 states serving over 48,000 students. Of these, 59 are BIE-operated and 124 are tribally operated under Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act contracts or Tribally Controlled Schools Act grants. The BIE also funds or operates off-reservation boarding schools and peripheral dormitories near reservations for tribal students attending public schools.


https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/assistant-secretary-washburn-announces-more-17-million-funding-build
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Endorsed by President Obama, Secretary Jewell Changes Name of Mount McKinley to Denali

Media Contact: Jessica Kershaw (Interior), Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov; John Quinley (NPS), john_quinley@nps.gov 907-444-1336; AB Wade (USGS), abwade@usgs.gov 703-648-4483
For Immediate Release: August 30, 2015

ANCHORAGE, AK – In recognition of the long history of strong support from Alaska state, tribal and congressional leaders, and in resolution of an official request for a name change pending for 40 years, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced that the highest mountain in the United States and North America, formerly known as Mount McKinley, will be officially given the traditional Koyukon Athabascan name of Denali.

President Obama endorsed Jewell’s decision to issue a Secretarial Order that officially changes the name. Jewell is granted the authority to make such changes in certain cases per the 1947 federal law that provides for the standardization of geographic names through the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. The name change will be reflected in all federal usage.

“This name change recognizes the sacred status of Denali to many Alaska Natives,” Secretary Jewell said. “The name Denali has been official for use by the State of Alaska since 1975, but even more importantly, the mountain has been known as Denali for generations. With our own sense of reverence for this place, we are officially renaming the mountain Denali in recognition of the traditions of Alaska Natives and the strong support of the people of Alaska.”

Since 1987 and until today, the official name of the mountain in federal publications has been Mount McKinley. The mountain retained the federally authorized name Mount McKinley, even as the name of the national park was changed in 1980 from Mount McKinley National Park into the new (and larger) area named Denali National Park and Preserve under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. “Recognizing the long history and discussion about the name of this iconic American mountain, the time has come to restore the traditional Alaska Native title Denali for this landmark, which holds great significance to the people of Alaska,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis.

In 1896, a prospector emerged from exploring the mountains of central Alaska and received news that William McKinley had been nominated as a candidate for President of the United States. In a show of support, the prospector declared the tallest peak of the Alaska Range as Mount McKinley – and the name stuck.

For centuries, the mountain that rises more than 20,000 feet above sea level, the tallest on the North American continent, had been known by another name – Denali. McKinley, our 25th President, was tragically assassinated just six months into his second term, but he never set foot in Alaska.

On March 11, 1975, Governor Jay S. Hammond of Alaska requested that the Secretary of the Interior direct the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to officially designate Mount McKinley in Alaska as Denali. This proposal, never withdrawn, is based on a resolution that was passed by the Alaska State Legislature.

Since 1977, the Board, in deference to potential congressional action, had not resolved the proposal for changing the federally recognized geographic name from Mount McKinley to Denali. Secretary Jewell’s action today finally resolves the March 1975 petition by former Governor Hammond.

Denali National Park & Preserve, where the mountain is located, was established in 1917 and annually sees more than 500,000 visitors to the 6 million acres that now make up the park and preserve. About 1,200 mountaineers attempt to summit the mountain each year; typically about half are successful.


https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/secretary-jewell-announces-nations-highest-peak-will-now-officially
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New Online Climate Data Sets Help Communities Prepare and Manage Impacts from Climate Change, with Focus on Arctic Communities and Tribal Nations

Media Contact: Jessica Kershaw (Interior), Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov; Nedra Darling, OPA-IA Phone: 202-219-4152
For Immediate Release: September 2, 2015

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – As part of the Obama Administration’s Climate Data Initiative, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced a new set of online climate data resources to help Arctic communities with climate change planning, adaptation and management. The new data sets, introduced today as part of an online Climate Resilience Toolkit, comprised more than 250 Arctic-related datasets and more than 40 maps, tools, and other resources designed to support climate-resilience efforts in the Arctic.

The U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit is a website developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other Federal agencies that will enable decision makers to take action. The toolkit will boost climate resiliency by using data-driven tools, information and subject-matter expertise. This also offers information from across the Federal government in one easy-to-use location so that Americans are better able to understand the climate-related risks and opportunities impacting their communities, which will enable them to make smarter decisions to improve their resilience.

“Through the release of Arctic-themed climate data, the U.S. is demonstrating its leadership in sharing free and open climate-relevant information, while also encouraging public innovation and partnerships with private sector entities that are interested in leveraging this data,” Secretary Jewell said. “Also, by sharing climate data among nations, we are providing tools that may be useful in increasing resilience measures across national boundaries in the Arctic."

In tandem with the release of Arctic-specific climate data sets, Jewell joined Assistant Secretary Indian Affairs Kevin Washburn to announce that the Climate Resilience Toolkit will also be updated with climate impact information specific to tribal nations.

“Rising temperatures, thawing permafrost, melting glaciers and sea ice are having significant impacts on critical infrastructure and traditional livelihoods for tribes in Alaska and across Indian country,” said Assistant Secretary Washburn. “That means climate change not only affects tribal livelihood, but it also affects access to vital resources and the cultural integrity of communities. We are committed to working with tribal leaders to help build more resilient Native communities in the face of a changing climate."

The online tribal climate resources, developed with support by tribes and other federal agencies like NOAA and the EPA, represent an important outcome from the cross-agency work of the White House Council on Native American Affairs.

The tribal toolkit can be viewed at this website.


https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/obama-administration-unveils-new-climate-resilience-tools
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Media Contact: Nedra Darling, OPA-IA Phone: 202-219-4152
For Immediate Release: September 3, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of the Obama Administration’s Generation Indigenous (“GenI”) initiative to remove barriers standing between Native youth and their opportunity to succeed, Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has awarded $1.3 million in Tribal Climate Resilience Program grants for internships intended to engage the next generation of Native leaders on climate change. Twentyone grants for internships, specifically designed around climate change adaptation and community resilience, were awarded to federally recognized tribes and tribally chartered organizations.

“American Indian and Alaska Native communities are experiencing the effects of climate change, and we need to engage, educate, and provide relevant work experience for the next generation of tribal leaders and program managers,” Washburn said. “These investments in Indian Country’s young people show how wide the Obama Administration’s commitment is to supporting tribes as they address these challenges.”

The funds will support tribal youth internships that focus on identifying and integrating climate adaptation into tribal program management as well as climate research internships to develop actionable science that will help tribal managers identify effective management choices to aid their tribes’ resilience to climate change. A subset of awards encourages climate literacy to cultivate the next generation of tribal leaders and climate adaptation program managers. Some applicants received grants in more than one category.

The funds build on the Tribal Climate Resilience Program awards of nearly $14.1 million -- $2.3 million, issued last December, and $11.8 million in direct tribal support awards in June -- presented to 104 tribal and tribal organization projects.

The BIA gave out 21 awards yesterday totaling $1,367,719 in three categories:

  • Category 1: Program Internships – Awards: 9; Total Funding: $ 607,836
  • Category 2: Research Internships – Awards: 5; Total Funding: $ 319,178
  • Category 3: Youth Engagement – Awards: 7; Total Funding: $ 440,705

As part of Executive Order 13653 of November 1, 2013, all federal departments and agencies are expanding their efforts to help tribes, states, cities and localities prepare for the impacts of climate change. To comply with this Executive Order, the Secretary of the Interior’s Tribal Climate Resilience Program carries out Recommendations and Supplemental Recommendations of the President’s State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, and assists in implementing President Obama’s Climate Action Plan. A key part of the Climate Action Plan is to build more resilient communities and strengthen defenses for communities already on the front lines of a changing climate.

Furthermore, the President’s proposed budget for FY 2016 includes $137 million to prepare communities and ecosystems for the challenges of a changing climate. Included in this request is $50 million to support competitive resilience projects in coastal areas. The budget also proposes expanding the Tribal Climate Resilience Program to specifically address the changing Arctic landscape and offer support to Alaska Native villages and other critically vulnerable communities in evaluating options for their long-term resilience to climate change.

Visit the Indian Affairs website http://www.bia.gov/WhoWeAre/BIA/climatechange/index.htm to view lists of the FY 2015 youth internship and climate awardees.

The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs oversees the BIA which is headed by a director who is responsible for managing day-to-day operations through four offices: Indian Services, Justice Services, Trust Services, and Field Operations. These offices directly administer or fund tribally based infrastructure, law enforcement, social services (including child welfare), tribal governance, natural and energy resources, and trust lands and resources management programs for the nation’s federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages through 12 regional offices and 81 agencies. The Office of Trust Services administers the Tribal Climate Resilience Program.


https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/interior-department-grants-more-20-awards-totaling-13-million
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Media Contact: Nedra Darling, OPA-IA Phone: 202-219-4152
For Immediate Release: September 9, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) awarded over $5 million to 34 tribal projects that will assist in the development of energy and mineral resources on tribal lands. The awards include funding for renewable hydroelectric projects that will provide low-cost clean power to tribal members and other customers, and help to expand tribal economies by opening new business opportunities.

“Economic development is crucial to addressing the challenges on Indian reservations, including joblessness, substance abuse and even suicide,” Washburn said. “These grants assist tribes in realizing and maximizing the potential of their energy and mineral resources. They provide financial support for locating and evaluating energy and mineral assets, and eventually bringing them to market.”

Through the Energy and Mineral Development Program (EMDP), IEED’s Division of Energy and Mineral Development (DEMD) awards annual funding to assist tribes and American Indian allottees with evaluating energy and mineral resource potential on their lands. Tribes use this information to determine whether or not they wish to develop energy projects or extract and market commercially or strategically valuable minerals.

Earlier today, Washburn also announced $1.5 million in grant funding under IEED’s Tribal Energy Development Capacity (TEDC) grant program, which assists tribes, Alaska Native corporations and tribal energy resource development organizations with obtaining the technical and regulatory capacity needed to develop energy resources and to properly account for energy resource production and revenues, as provided for under Title V of the Energy Policy Act.

DEMD solicits proposals from tribes and, through a competitive review process, selects qualified projects for funding. The program’s grant amounts are dependent upon appropriations. The projects announced today were selected from among 54 EMDP applications submitted during the FY 2015 funding cycle.

According to the Department of the Interior’s Economic Contributions Report released on July 11, 2014, energy and mineral development has the second highest economic impact in Indian Country. In 2013, energy and mineral development contributed $17 billion to Indian Country economies, more than 91 percent of the total economic impact from development of natural resources in Indian Country. In the same year, energy and mineral development supported over 67,000 jobs, more than 83 percent of the natural resource jobs in Indian Country.

The 2015 EMDP grant awardees by tribe name, award amount and purpose are:

  • Arapahoe Tribe of the Wind River Reservation ($75,000) – For a feasibility study on marketing solar power.
  • Big Sandy Rancheria of Western Mono Indians of California ($46,250) – For a photovoltaic solar feasibility study.
  • Big Sandy Rancheria of Western Mono Indians of California ($50,375) – For a biofuel energy feasibility study.
  • Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians of the Big Valley Rancheria, ($150,000) – For a biomass resource assessment with community solar and micro-grid feasibility study.
  • Cahuilla Band of Mission Indians of the Cahuilla Reservation, ($50,000) – For a biomass renewable energy feasibility study.
  • Cherokee Nation ($1,523,600) – For a W.D. Mayo Lock & Dam #14 Hydroelectric Project Phase VI feasibility study.
  • Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon ($580,000) – For a Phase Two assessment of the Warm Spring geothermal system.
  • Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana ($70,125) – For an alternative energy feasibility study.
  • Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians ($318,220) – For a demonstration project proposal to expand study of municipal solid waste, wood compost and tires, and create enough base oil to run several vehicles over three to four months.
  • Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes of the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation ($18,100) – For a mineral assessment, feasibility study, business plan, and plan of operations and environmental assessment for a sand, gravel and rock operation.
  • Hualapai Indian Tribe of the Hualapai Indian Reservation, ($16,052) – For a flagstone assessment.
  • Klamath Tribes ($118,500) – For an inventory of available land and pre-development studies for two large solar installations.
  • Klamath Tribes ($113,832) – For an inventory and market assessment for the development of tribal timber and woody biomass resources.
  • Metlakatla Indian Community, Annette Island Reserve ($55,000) – For a detailed assessment of economic risks and financial viability of the Metlakatla-Ketchikan electrical Intertie.
  • Metlakatla Indian Community, Annette Island Reserve ($135,000) – For the Metlakatla Indian Community Solid Water and Waste-to-Energy Plan Phase II.
  • Metlakatla Indian Community, Annette Island Reserve ($20,000) – For a market study on the flavored water market and best use of a water bottle processing plant location.
  • Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians ($95,000) – For a biomass pellet mill development plan - Phase II.
  • Mooretown Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California ($290,800) – For the next phases of an existing renewable energy project.
  • Navajo Nation ($50,000) – For the evaluation of helium projects defined in the multiyear Navajo Nation project to access the hydrocarbon potential and other economic resources on Navajo Nation lands.
  • Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah ($32,995) – For the Kanosh Photovoltaic Solar Power Facility.
  • Passamaquoddy Tribe - Indian Township ($75,000) – For a biomass pellet mill feasibility study.
  • Passamaquoddy Tribe - Pleasant Point ($141,657) – For analysis of the Tribe's bio-mass resource and inventory of tribal trust land to determine the location of a facility to produce a bio-fuel and secondary products.
  • Pueblo of Cochiti ($50,000) – For the evaluation of financing and development options for a small community-scale photovoltaic solar plant.
  • Pueblo of Jemez ($263,250) – For a high-performance adobe assessment.
  • Pueblo of Picuris ($61,200) – For a renewable energy planning proposal of a community scale 1 MW solar array.
  • Pueblo of Zia ($65,000) – For a distributed generation solar/micro-grid project evaluation.
  • Rincon Band of Luiseno Mission Indians of the Rincon Reservation, ($48,136) – For a mineral resource assessment of newly acquired tribal lands.
  • Seneca Nation of Indians ($30,000) – For a natural gas assessment: development potential and economic model for the Allegany Territory.
  • Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation ($30,290) – For an aggregate resource evaluation.
  • Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North & South Dakota ($70,125) – For an evaluation of wind- and solar energy-powered telecommunications towers with battery backup.
  • Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians of California ($70,000) – For a distributed generation solar/micro-grid project evaluation.
  • Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray Reservation, ($154,000) – For a hydropower feasibility assessment of the Tribe's water resources.
  • Walker River Paiute Tribe of the Walker River Reservation ($200,000) – For a geothermal exploration.
  • Yavapai-Apache Nation of the Camp Verde Indian Reservation ($69,850) – For a specialty aggregate, potential business alliance, and asphalt plant study and assessment.

The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs oversees the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, which implements the Indian Energy Resource Development Program under Title V of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. IEED’s mission is to foster stronger American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities by helping federally recognized tribes develop their renewable and nonrenewable energy and mineral resources; increasing access to capital for tribal and individual American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned businesses; assisting tribes in building the legal infrastructure necessary for their economic progress; and enabling tribally and individual AI/AN-owned businesses to take advantage of government and private sector procurement opportunities.

For more information about IEED programs and services, visit the Indian Affairs website at http://www.indianaffairs.gov/WhoWeAre/AS-IA/IEED/index.htm.


https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/assistant-secretary-washburn-announces-grant-awards-funding-low-cost
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Media Contact: Nedra Darling, OPA-IA Phone: 202-219-4152
For Immediate Release: September 9, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) awarded more than $1.5 million to 10 federally recognized tribes for projects expanding their capacity to develop and regulate energy projects on tribal lands.

“Tribal self-governance goes hand-in-hand with economic development,” Washburn said. “These capacity grants help tribes develop rules and regulatory regimes for energy development and for protection of their own energy assets.”

The IEED’s Tribal Energy Development Capacity (TEDC) grant program assists eligible applicants, which include federally recognized tribes, Alaska Native corporations and tribal energy resource development organizations, obtain the technical and regulatory capacity needed to develop energy resources and to properly account for energy resource production and revenues, as provided for under Title V, Section 503, of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. It also helps fund the development of codes, regulations and other legal infrastructure necessary for economic progress. The program is funded through annual appropriations.

IEED solicits proposals, and through a competitive review system, selects qualified projects for funding. IEED’s Division of Energy and Mineral Development (DEMD) provides grantees with technical assistance and monitors grants to ensure that the best possible product is obtained for the funds allocated. The 10 announced grantees were selected from among 22 TEDC applications submitted during the FY 2015 funding cycle.

Energy and mineral development on federal Indian lands plays a critical role in creating jobs and generating income in Indian Country while also contributing to the national economy. According to the Department of the Interior’s Economic Contributions Report released on July 11, 2014, the economic impact of energy and mineral development in Indian Country is second only to that of gaming.

In 2013, the total economic contribution in Indian Country from energy and mineral development was more than $17 billion, more than 91 percent of the total economic impact from development of natural resources in Indian Country. In the same year, energy and mineral development supported over 67,000 jobs, more than 83 percent of the natural resource jobs in Indian Country.

The 2015 TEDC grant awardees by tribe name, award amount and purpose are:

  • Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians of the Bad River Reservation ($79,000) – To establish a regulatory infrastructure that will support the development and management of a major biomass facility.
  • Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians of the Big Valley Rancheria, ($217,375) – For a feasibility study on establishing a tribal utility authority.
  • Chemehuevi Indian Tribe of the Chemehuevi Reservation ($164,062) – To form a tribal power exchange as a joint powers authority.
  • Mesa Grande Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Mesa Grande Reservation, ($160,500) – For an assessment on how to build a successful tribal solar business.
  • Passamaquoddy-Indian Township ($150,000) – For a feasibility study on establishing a tribal utility authority.
  • Pueblo of Jemez ($250,000) – For a feasibility study on establishing a tribal utility authority.
  • Pueblo of Zia ($188,000) – For a feasibility study on establishing a tribal utility authority.
  • Spirit Lake Tribe ($139,000) – For a feasibility study on establishing a tribal utility authority to accelerate the development of a 20 MW wind farm currently under development.
  • Ute Mountain Ute Tribe of the Ute Mountain Reservation ($131,072) – For the promulgation of tribal hydraulic fracturing regulations.
  • Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska ($78,600) – For a feasibility study of the Tribe’s ownership and management of electric distribution assets.

The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs oversees the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, which implements the Indian Energy Resource Development Program under Title V of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. IEED’s mission is to foster stronger American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities by helping federally recognized tribes develop their renewable and nonrenewable energy and mineral resources; increasing access to capital for tribal and individual American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned businesses; assisting tribes in building the legal infrastructure necessary for their economic progress; and enabling tribally and individual AI/AN-owned businesses to take advantage of government and private sector procurement opportunities.

For more information about IEED programs and services, visit the Indian Affairs website at http://www.indianaffairs.gov/WhoWeAre/AS-IA/IEED/index.htm.


https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/assistant-secretary-washburn-announces-15-million-energy-related
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September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

Media Contact: Nedra Darling, OPA-IA Phone: 202-219-4152
For Immediate Release: September 10, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of President Obama’s Generation Indigenous (“Gen-I”) and Tiwahe initiatives, Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced he is calling for September 10 to be known as Hope for Life Day to raise awareness in Indian Country about suicide prevention during National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Suicide strikes Native youth especially hard. The suicide rate among American Indians ages 15 to 34 is more than two times higher than the national average.

“Suicide wounds every person, family and community it touches,” Washburn said. “Native communities suffer from a suicide rate that is more than twice the national average. There is no greater tragedy in Indian Country. Our President has heard about the effects of suicide on Native communities, and has directed his Administration to work harder to address it. There are no easy cures and it will require a broad commitment to address it. Hope for Life Day will bring greater awareness of this issue in Indian Country, and provide information about suicide prevention to help save lives.”

Last month, the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s (NAASP) American Indian and Alaska Native Task Force announced the first National American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Suicide Prevention Hope for Life Day. Going forward, the Hope for Life Day will be held annually on September 10 in conjunction with World Suicide Prevention Day.

President Obama’s Generation Indigenous initiative focuses on removing the barriers that stand between Native youth and their opportunity to succeed, using a comprehensive, culturally appropriate approach to help improve the lives and opportunities for Native youth. The Tiwahe Initiative, launched in Fiscal Year 2015, addresses family welfare and poverty issues, invests in education, economic development, sustainable stewardship of natural resources, and advances a strategy to reduce incarceration in Indian Country.

The Hope for Life Day is part of the Action Alliance’s AI/AN Task Force’s efforts to change the conversation about suicide and promote hope, life, cultural resiliency, and community transformation. It is an effort specifically designed for tribal communities to raise awareness about suicide and seek ways to address it, particularly among the teens and adults who are at a high level of risk for taking their own lives.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC):

  • Suicide is the second leading cause of death for American Indians and Alaska Natives ages 15 to 34 years, and
  • The suicide rate among American Indian and Alaska Native adolescents and young adults ages 15 to 34 is 2.5 times higher than the national average for that age group.

The Task Force has developed the Hope for Life Day toolkit to assist health professionals and grassroots organizers working in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

The AI/AN Task Force is a public partnership formed to advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention as it pertains to AI/AN communities. The Assistant Secretary is joined in coleading the Task Force by Indian Health Service (IHS) Principal Deputy Director Robert G. McSwain.

The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention is the public-private partnership working to advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and make suicide prevention a national priority. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, through the Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), operates the Secretariat for the Action Alliance, which was launched in 2010 by former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates with the goal of saving 20,000 lives in five years.

The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), which directly administers or funds tribally based infrastructure, economic development, 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.

The Assistant Secretary also oversees the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), which operates the federal 183-school system for American Indian and Alaska Native elementary and secondary students from federally recognized tribes and provides post-secondary education opportunities to them through higher education scholarships, operational support funding to over 20 tribal colleges and universities and two tribal technical colleges, and the Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU) in Lawrence, Kan., and the Southwest Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) in Albuquerque, N.M.


https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/assistant-secretary-washburn-calls-hope-life-day-raise-awareness
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Ramah Navajo Chapter v. Jewell Resolves Historic Contract Support Cost Lawsuit with Tribes

Media Contact: Jessica Kershaw, Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov; Nicole Navas, Department of Justice, Nicole.Navas@usdoj.gov
For Immediate Release: September 17, 2015

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of the Interior (Interior) today announced a $940 million proposed settlement with a nationwide class of Native American Tribes and tribal entities that, if approved by the federal district court, would resolve a 25-year-old legal dispute related to contract support costs for tribal agencies. The proposed settlement would address claims that the United States contracted with tribes to run programs but did not pay the full amounts required by law.

“This landmark settlement represents another important step in the Obama Administration’s efforts to turn the page on past challenges in our government-to-government relationship with tribes,” said Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. “Tribal self-determination and self-governance will continue to be our North Star as we navigate a new chapter in this important relationship and we are committed to fully funding contract support costs so that tribal contracting can be more successful. Congress can and should make this happen. Today’s announcement resolves past claims and allows money wrapped up in litigation to be used more productively.”

The proposed settlement, announced today by Interior Secretary Jewell, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Kevin Washburn and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, would address claims that the government contracted with tribes and tribal agencies to run Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) programs like law enforcement, forest management, fire suppression, road maintenance, housing, federal education and other support programs, but failed to appropriate sufficient funds to pay the costs under the agreements. Native American tribal agencies manage these programs under the Indian Self-Determination Act of 1975.

“The Department of Justice is pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to finally resolve this litigation that has spanned four administrations,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mizer. “This agreement was long in the making – reached only after years of complex negotiations – and both sides can be proud of the result."

This proposed settlement was filed yesterday in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and will require court approval. The proposed settlement would resolve the government’s liability and avoid years of tedious contract-by-contract litigation that would require tens of thousands of hours of work by federal and tribal attorneys as well as expert auditors and accountants.

The claims arose because of a mismatch between federal self-determination laws and available appropriations. While the federal government has signed contracts that provided for certain amounts to cover administrative costs of implementing contracts – such as workers’ compensation costs for tribal employees – Congress capped appropriated funds available to pay for these costs. This funding gap was one of the sources of the claims, which were raised in a class action lawsuit filed in 1990.

“Time and again, we have seen that when a tribal government runs a federal program, the program is more successful and more responsive to the tribal community,” said Assistant Secretary Washburn. “Today’s proposed settlement, together with President Obama’s request for full, mandatory funding of tribal contract support costs in the future, removes one of the significant obstacles to tribal self-determination and self-governance. Tribes can now be confident that the federal government will pay sufficient costs to allow them to be successful in running federal programs.”

In 2012, the issue reached the Supreme Court, which ultimately agreed with the Tribes that the government was liable for the payments, regardless of whether Congress had appropriated adequate funds. Since 2012, the United States has been negotiating with tribal entities to find a fair and efficient resolution of this dispute and to pay the money owed.

In the president’s fiscal year 2016 budget request to Congress for the Departments of the Interior and Health and Human Services, the administration proposed a long-term solution to this persistent problem: mandatory, non-discretionary funding, beginning in fiscal year 2017, for contract support costs.

The proposed settlement marks another significant effort by the Obama Administration to address long-running litigation concerning federal policy in Indian Country, so that Tribes and the federal government can enjoy a more fruitful and constructive relationship in the future. Since 2010, the Departments of Justice and the Interior have settled the Cobell class action lawsuit, and more than 80 similar lawsuits brought by various American Indian tribes, alleging breach of trust for federal mismanagement of their financial assets and natural resources.


https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/interior-justice-departments-announce-940-million-landmark
BIA Logo Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
Media Contact: Jessica Kershaw, Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov
For Immediate Release: September 17, 2015

WASHINGTON – Today, Thursday, September 17, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will lead a press conference call to discuss a landmark settlement with a nationwide class of tribes and tribal entities. Jewell will be joined by Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Kevin Washburn and U.S. Department of Justice Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer.

WHO: Sally Jewell, U.S. Secretary of the Interior

Kevin Washburn, Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs

Benjamin C. Mizer, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice

WHAT: Press conference call to discuss landmark settlement with tribes and tribal entities

WHEN: TODAY, Thursday, September 17, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. EDT

MEDIA: Members of the media who wish to join this call should dial 1-800-857-9677 and use the passcode INTERIOR.


https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/secretary-jewell-discuss-landmark-settlement-nationwide-class-tribes
BIA Logo Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
Media Contact: Nedra Darling, OPA-IA Phone: 202-219-4152
For Immediate Release: September 18, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today issued a decision approving a request by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe to acquire 170 acres of land into trust in the town of Mashpee, Mass., for tribal governmental, cultural and conservation purposes, and 151 acres in trust in the City of Taunton, Mass., for the purpose of constructing and operating a gaming facility and resort. The lands in both Mashpee and Taunton will become the tribe’s first lands held in trust.

In addition to the casino/resort, the tribe’s plans for the site in Taunton includes three hotels, an event center, restaurants, retail stores, and a water park. The project would create at least 3,500 full-time (permanent) and part-time positions, and 287 construction jobs.

“The tribe’s origins in southeastern Massachusetts predate the arrival of Europeans on this continent,” Assistant Secretary Washburn said in his decision. “At the time of initial European contact, the tribe’s ancestors occupied all of modern-day Bristol, Barnstable, and Plymouth Counties.” Washburn said that the tribe’s descendants were dispersed and lost much of their land in these areas to English settlers.

The land to be acquired in Mashpee is located near the tribe’s historical Indian community during the colonial and revolutionary periods. Traditionally, they used the lands in Mashpee, and in the vicinity of the Taunton, for subsistence use and occupancy. With the acquisition in trust of the lands in Mashpee and Taunton, the tribe can enjoy the restoration of lands similar to those it lost long ago.

The Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire land in trust for Indian tribes. Pursuant the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), a tribe may conduct gaming on trust land if the land is the “initial reservation” of an Indian tribe. The lands in Mashpee and Taunton will be the first lands acquired in trust and, upon issuance of a Reservation Proclamation, the first proclaimed reservation for the tribe, which received federal acknowledgment and re-establishment of a government-to-government relationship with the United States in 2007.

In reaching today’s decision, the Department conducted a thorough review of the tribe’s history and application, as well as the administrative record and comments submitted by numerous interested parties. The Department also developed an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that included an in-depth analysis of potential effects of the proposed casino/resort and required mitigation measures to address any potential impacts.

The Department also determined that the lands in Mashpee and Taunton met the “initial reservation” exception of IGRA, and, thus, the tribe may conduct gaming. (Further, the Department determined that it is authorized to acquire the lands in Mashpee and Taunton in trust pursuant to the IRA, and in keeping with the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Carcieri v. Salazar.)

Washburn noted that as a result of acquiring these lands in trust, the tribe will benefit from longterm and stable economic development as well as opportunities for self-governance and self-determination. Acquisition will enable the tribe to meet the needs of its members by providing employment, housing, and educational opportunities, and will enable the tribe to meet other critical tribal needs. Economic development also will greatly enhance the tribe’s ability to preserve its history and community by funding the preservation and restoration of culturally significant sites. Washburn praised the constructive government-to-government cooperation between the tribe and the Town of Mashpee and the City of Taunton.

The Office of Trust Services administers the BIA’s land-into-trust and other trust land-related regulations. For more information about the Office of Trust Services and its mission, visit https://www.bia.gov/bia/ots.

The Office of Indian Gaming handles gaming issues related to land-into-trust decisions for the Office of the Assistant Secretary. For more information about the Office of Indian Gaming and its mission, visit https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/oig


https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/assistant-secretary-washburn-issues-mashpee-wampanoag-tribe

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