OPA

WASHINGTON – Acting Assistant Secretary –Indian Affairs Lawrence S. Roberts today announced the approval of a $23.5 million loan guarantee to the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) that will allow it to acquire a greater ownership interest in NTUA Wireless, LLC, a telecommunications services company serving the Navajo Nation. The company is a partnership of NTUA and Commnet Wireless, a rural wireless service provider based in Atlanta, Georgia.

“I congratulate the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority on becoming the majority owner of the largest tribal telecommunications company in the United States,” Roberts said. “The goal of the Indian Loan Guarantee Program is to build strong, sustainable tribal economies by supporting business development and expansion throughout Indian Country. Thanks to that program, the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority can move forward in building out the reservation’s telecommunication network for the benefit of the Navajo Nation and its people.”

The loan guarantee, issued by the Indian Affairs Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, enables NTUA to acquire a 51 percent interest in the telecommunications services company , making it America’s largest wireless/internet business primarily owned and operated by a tribal enterprise.

“Our Navajo Nation is the largest Indian Land base in the U.S. and with a large service area such as this we are embracing the change this will bring in providing greatly needed wireless service to our tribal members,” stated Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye.

President Begaye also told Acting Assistant Secretary Roberts, “As we move toward true sovereignty as a nation by obtaining a greater percentage in ownership of the wireless services from Commnet Wireless, this demonstrates this administration’s commitment to our people in two of the four pillars, infrastructure and job creation. With this greater acquisition we now have the ability to make decisions that impact our Navajo People.”

With this acquisition, NTUA can now participate in decisions affecting the growth of the company, voting on issues raised during shareholder meetings and directing strategic initiatives, such as the deployment of additional microwave towers in unserved areas on the Navajo Reservation. NTUA also can continue to expand the company’s employment base, which has increased to 84 employees and has the potential for further growth.

NTUA Wireless, LLC was established in 2010 to build a wireless communications and microwave network throughout the central part of the Navajo Nation. In the past two years, the company has made significant progress in expanding wireless and broadband communications operations on the Navajo Reservation. Today, the company owns more than 90 towers and has over 25,000 cellular phone customers. As cellular service becomes increasingly available on the Navajo Reservation, families will be better connected when tribal members have to pursue employment opportunities far from home.

IEED’s Division of Capital Investment (DCI) administers the Indian Loan Guarantee Program, which is authorized under the Indian Financing Act of 1974 to guarantee loans from conventional lenders to American Indian-owned businesses that directly contribute to growing and improving tribal economies. In fiscal year 2015, DCI guaranteed loans totaling $100 million. The program’s overall loss rate, taking into account all activity since 1992, is under four percent.

The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs oversees the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, which also 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 all IEED programs and services, visit the Indian Affairs website at http://www.indianaffairs.gov/WhoWeAre/AS-IA/IEED/index.htm

WASHINGTON – Acting Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Lawrence S. Roberts announced today that the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) has awarded business development grants totaling $947,406 to 20 federally recognized tribes and one Alaska Native corporation. The awards from IEED’s Native American Business Development Institute (NABDI) Feasibility Study Program will enable tribal leaders to better evaluate and identify viable economic opportunities for their communities.

“The grants empower American Indian and Alaska Native tribal communities with the ability to make informed decisions about business opportunities they are considering, assess complex economic options they may be facing, and strengthen their self-governance,” Acting Assistant Secretary Roberts said. “This year’s grants will fund studies for diverse projects ranging from farming operations, restaurants, retail facilities, a shopping center and grocery stores to an airpark, a wood pellet manufacturing plant, and an RV park. Funds will also support one tribe’s exploration of commercial uses for lands it received through the Cobell Land Buy-Back Program.”

Grants are awarded on the basis of a proposal’s potential to create jobs for tribal members and stimulate economies in Native American communities. During this year’s NABDI funding cycle, IEED received 66 proposal requests from all 12 Bureau of Indian Affairs regions totaling $4,365,567.

NABDI awards fund feasibility studies that weigh the viability and risks of an economic development project, opportunity, enterprise, or business or the practicality of a technology a tribe may choose to pursue. The studies may be used to determine the likelihood of success for businesses in specific American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

When performed by a reputable third party, an economic development feasibility study also can be used to help persuade lenders and investors to provide financial backing. A study that concludes a project is worthwhile and financially sustainable can often fulfill many of the lender’s or investor’s due diligence requirements by answering questions about a project’s chances of success, resulting in a more rapid loan approval or better loan terms. Feasibility studies can also be used to examine the credibility of a project promoter and claims made regarding a specific project.

One historic example of the impact NABDI funds have had on economic development in tribal communities is a grant made in FY 2008 to the Citizen Potawatomi Nation in Oklahoma to retain a consultant from Harvard University to study the feasibility of building an industrial park and restoring a 66-mile rail line that connects the greater Oklahoma City area with the state’s rural southeastern quarter.

The resulting study was used to obtain $3.5 million in financing to develop a railhead 400-acre industrial park near the town of Shawnee and $1 million for the repair of a railroad bridge. When the project is completed, the tribe will operate four miles of railroad track within the industrial park. The tribal portion of the rail line will be called “Iron Horse.” The park will include an onsite trans-load facility permitting transfer of shipments from train to trucks and direct access to the Union Pacific Line. This will open an east-west connection to four major north-south corridors for regional commerce. Four countries have so far inquired about having foreign companies become tenants of the industrial park. The grant recipients and awards announced today are:

• Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Mont.: $70,000 to study the feasibility of installing a Sprole Irrigation System.
• Bay Mills Indian Community, Mich.: $64,000 to study the feasibility of forming the Great Lakes Composites Institute.
• Bishop Paiute Tribe, Calif.: $18,000 to study the feasibility of developing a fast food restaurant.
• Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon: $35,000 to study the feasibility of developing a grocery store.
• Forest County Potawatomi Community,Wisc.: $30,000 to study the feasibility of building healthy communities through tribal food systems.
• Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes of the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation, Nev. and Ore.: $36,000 to study the feasibility of developing a trading post and variety retail store at the Red Mountain Travel Plaza, off of Highway 95, three miles south of the Nevada town of McDermitt.
• Haida Corporation, Alaska: $22,129 to study the feasibility of a rental cabins project.
• Navajo Nation, Ariz., N.M. and Utah: $20,000 to study potential commercial development.
• Nez Perce Tribe, Idaho: $59,250 to study the feasibility of operating a tribal farming business.
• Nulato Village, Alaska: $55,000 to study the feasibility of operating a lumber mill and timber management program.
• Osage Nation, Okla.: $55,000 to study the feasibility of operating an Osage Tulsa Airpark.
• Pauma Band of Luiseno Mission Indians of the Pauma & Yuima Reservation, Calif.: $62,226 to study the feasibility of operating Pauma Farms.
• Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Ala.: $30,000 to study the feasibility of operating a community garden and agricultural expansion program.
• Pueblo of Jemez, N.M.: $75,000 to study the feasibility of developing a wood pellet manufacturing business.
• Pueblo of Laguna, N.M.: $22,000 to study the feasibility of constructing an intermodal facility on tribal land.
• Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Nev.: $56,517 to study the feasibility of developing a shopping center.
• Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River Reservation, Ariz.: $60,000 to study the potential commercial uses of 58 acres acquired under the Cobell Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations.
• Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation, Idaho: $67,862 to study the feasibility of operating a fresh pack plant.
• Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada (Elko Band): $39,960 to study the feasibility of operating a full-service, family style restaurant and tourist center.
• Tonkawa Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma: $38,861 to study the feasibility of developing a recreational vehicle park.
• Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska: $30,000 to study the feasibility of constructing homes insulated with straw bales.

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.

"The Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services respects the rights of tribes and citizens to express their views in a peaceful and lawful manner. The presence of additional BIA law enforcements officers at Standing Rock was provided at the request of tribal leadership. The responsibility of BIA law enforcement officers is to protect the peace and provide for the safety and well-being of the citizens of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and individuals within the territory of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation."

-DOI-

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that the Department of the Interior has finalized updates to Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) regulations on Secretarial elections for tribal governments that will, among other things, protect the rights of tribal members living away from their communities to vote in these elections. A Secretarial election is a federal election conducted by the Secretary of the Interior for federally recognized tribes under a federal statute or tribal governing document (25 C.F.R. Part 81).

“Though many federal responsibilities concern the lands we hold in trust for tribes and Indian people, more than 55 million acres nationwide, the United States has a moral obligation to preserve connections between Indian people and their tribes that it once sought to destroy,” Washburn said. “For the future of Native nations and the health of Indian Country, American Indians in urban areas must work harder to maintain connections with their tribes. One important aspect of that relationship is participation in the civic and political life of their tribal governments. For that reason, our Secretarial election amendments seek to prevent tribal members living in urban areas from being inadvertently disenfranchised in Secretarial elections.”

Through the mid-20th century the BIA operated a program to relocate American Indians from their reservations to large urban centers in an attempt to assimilate them and terminate the federal relationship with the tribes. As a result of this program, and broader demographic trends in the United States, roughly three-quarters of American Indians now live in urban areas away from their home reservations. The BIA conducts Secretarial elections for tribes required to have them if one of the following applies:

• A federal law requires a Secretarial election to take an action;
• The tribe’s governing document requires a Secretarial election to take an action;
• A federal corporate charter requires a Secretarial approval; or
• The tribe is adopting or amending a federal charter of incorporation, and certain circumstances apply.

Updates to the rule better account for the fact that many tribal members may live far from their reservations or tribal communities by providing that Secretarial elections generally be conducted by mail-out ballots.

The rule addresses the BIA’s Part 81 regulations, which govern how the Bureau conducts Secretarial elections, as well as 25 C.F.R. Part 82, which govern how tribal members can petition for a Secretarial election. The rule combines the provisions into one at 25 C.F.R. Part 81, and makes other updates to reflect changes in statutory law. The updates also incorporate deadlines, triggered by a tribe’s request for a Secretarial election, within which the BIA must call and hold an election.

The updated rule also clarifies how tribes may remove the requirement to hold a Secretarial election, and encourages tribes to do so in support of tribal self-determination and self-governance.

The rule has been in development for many years. The Department held three consultation sessions with tribal leaders on this proposed rule and provided an extended public comment period which ended on January 16, 2015.

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, tribal governance, natural and energy resources, and trust 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 Indian Services Division of Tribal Government Services administers the 25 CFR Part 81 regulations. For more information about the BIA Division of Tribal Government Services, visit http://www.indianaffairs.gov/WhoWeAre/BIA/OIS/TribalGovernmentServices/index.htm.

WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, November 4, U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior Michael L. Connor and Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin Washburn will hold a press conference call to discuss this year’s accomplishments and important new opportunities for engagement for the continued implementation of the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program). The Buy-Back Program implements the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractional interests in trust or restricted land from willing sellers at fair market value. There are approximately 245,000 owners of nearly three million fractional interests at 150 locations across Indian Country who are eligible to participate in the Buy-Back Program. The Program is authorized through November 2022. Since 2013, the Buy-Back Program has paid nearly $715 million to individual landowners and restored the equivalent of approximately 1.5 million acres of land to tribal governments.

Who: Mike Connor, U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior Kevin Washburn, Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs

What: Press conference call to discuss the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations

When: Wednesday, November 4, 2015, 1:00 p.m. EDT

Media: Credentialed members of the media who wish to join this call should dial 1-877- 918-6312 and enter the passcode LAND PROGRAM.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the White House will hold an on-the-record conference call to preview the White House Tribal Nations Conference that the President will host on Thursday, November 5th. The conference will provide leaders from federally recognized tribes the opportunity to interact directly with high-level federal government officials and members of the White House Council on Native American Affairs. This will be the seventh White House Tribal Nations Conference for the Obama Administration, and continues to build upon the President’s commitment to strengthen the government-to-government relationship with Indian Country and to improve the lives of American Indians and Alaska Natives, with an emphasis on increasing opportunity for Native youth.

This call will be on-the-record, embargoed for 12:01AM EST, tomorrow, Thursday, November 5th, 2015.

WHO: White House Domestic Policy Council Director Cecilia Muñoz Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell

WHAT: On-the-record press call, embargoed for Thursday, November 5th, 12:01AM EST.

WHEN: Wednesday, November 4th, 2015 2:45PM EST

RSVP: Members of the media who wish to join this call should dial (877) 209-9920 and ask for the “White House Call.” No passcode is necessary

WASHINGTON – The Department of the Interior today released the 2015 Status Report for the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Program), which summarizes its implementation to date and significant economic impact in Indian Country. Since 2013, the Buy-Back Program has paid nearly $715 million to landowners and restored the equivalent of approximately 1.5 million acres of land to tribal governments.

In addition to releasing the Status Report, the Program is launching a two-part Planning Initiative to help determine its next implementation schedule for 2017 and beyond.

The first part seeks input from tribal governments who are interested in participating in the Program. Eligible tribal governments not already scheduled for implementation are invited to formally indicate their interest in participating in the Program no later than March 11, 2016. More information is available to tribal leaders at: www.doi.gov/buybackprogram/tribes. The second part is a nationwide recruitment drive to further identify and engage landowners who are interested in learning more about this opportunity.

“The Buy-Back Program is another excellent example of this Administration’s commitment to provide more economic, social and cultural opportunities for landowners, their families, and tribal communities for the benefit of generations to come,” said Deputy Secretary Michael L. Connor. “The interest in the Program across Indian Country has been incredible and momentum is building. Already more than 66,000 individuals have had the opportunity to consider purchase offers for their fractional land interests. We are committed to collaborating with tribal governments to offer this opportunity to as many individuals as we can within the Program’s ten year timeframe.”

The Buy-Back Program implements the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractional interests in trust or restricted land from willing landowners at fair market value. The Program is authorized by Congress through 2022.

For the first time, the Program’s Status Report includes the findings of an economic impact study. According to the Department’s Office of Policy Analysis, cumulative Program payments to landowners as of September 2015 have contributed an estimated $752 million to gross domestic product, $1.4 billion in the output of goods and services, and supported about 9,000 jobs nationwide.

“This Program is about putting resources back into Indian Country,” said Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin Washburn. “The moment to get involved in this opportunity is right now. We have only a few short years in which to implement this important Program, and we are determined to do everything we can to provide interested tribal governments and landowners the chance to participate. This is an opportunity we cannot take for granted.”

Informed by early planning activities and its open solicitation in 2013-2014, the Department identified 42 locations where land consolidation activities – such as planning, outreach, mapping, mineral evaluations, appraisals or acquisitions – have either already occurred or are expected to take place through the middle of 2017. These locations represented 83 percent of all outstanding fractional interests across Indian Country.

There are about 245,000 owners of nearly three million fractional interests across Indian Country who are eligible to participate in the Program. Many see little or no economic benefit from what are often small, undivided interests in lands that cannot be utilized due to their highly fractionated state.

Interested landowners should call the Trust Beneficiary Call Center (Call Center) at 888-678- 6836 to register their interest and confirm contact information. Registration in no way commits a landowner to sell their land nor does it guarantee that an offer will be received; it merely identifies the landowner’s interest in receiving an offer.

Individuals can contact the Call Center or visit their local Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) or Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) office to learn more about their land and their options – including how the Program works. The Call Center and local OST staff can also help landowners think strategically about how to use funds they may receive through the Program.

To further help individuals make informed decisions about their land, extensive frequently asked questions and answers are also online at: www.doi.gov/buybackprogram/landowners/upload/Frequently-Asked-Questions.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Eight federally recognized tribes will collectively receive nearly $2.5 million in grant awards from the U.S. Departments of Education and Interior to bolster their educational programs and advance self-determination goals through the development of academically rigorous and culturally relevant programs.

William Mendoza, director of the White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education, and Dr. Charles “Monty” Roessel, director of the Bureau of Indian Education announced the awards today, during the 7th annual White House Tribal Nations Conference. The grants are funded through the Department of Education’s State-Tribal Education Partnership (STEP) program, and the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Education’s Tribal Education Department (TED) program.

“Through these partnerships, we will be putting tribes in the driver’s seat by designing culturally responsive programs to help Native children reach their education potential,” Mendoza said. “These efforts will help reduce the achievement gap and make our Indian students more college and career-ready.”

“These competitive grants will help strengthen tribal education departments as they set high academic standards and incorporate tribal culture, language and history into their curriculum,” said Roessel. “This program reflects our commitment to tribal self-determination. It expands tribes’ roles in developing educational goals for their communities and ensuring they have the resources to operate these systems designed for their students.”

The goal of the STEP program is to build the capacity of tribal education agencies to assume state and local administrative functions based on policies formed under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The TED grant program was created to improve the quality of education in BIE-funded schools under the auspices of a Blueprint for Reform, a guide put forth by President Obama and developed in the White House Council on Native American Affairs. The report was developed based on contributions from tribal governments and key federal and tribal officials.

The STEP program provides $1,766,232 to five Native American communities in Idaho, Montana and Oklahoma to assist tribal schools in partnering with states and local school districts to develop culturally sensitive teaching strategies, curriculum materials and data-sharing that can improve attendance, raise graduation rates and reduce dropouts among Native youth. STEP’s pilot program, featuring tribal-state-local educational partnerships was conducted from 2012 to 2015, and today’s announcement marks the first new round of funding for the STEP program. The grants provide funding from 2015 to 2019. For more information about the STEP program, visit www2.ed.gov/programs/step/index.html.

The TED program provides $700,000 in grants to support the efforts of four tribal nations to strengthen their education departments, restructure their school governance, assume control over their BIE-funded schools, and develop curriculum for their students’ unique academic and cultural needs. With today’s announcement, 10 tribal governments have received a total of $2 million in TED grants this year. This is the second round of TED program grants the Interior Department has awarded this year. The first round of awards in August 2015 provided a total of $1,350,000 to six tribes: the Acoma Pueblo, Santa Clara Pueblo, Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. For more information on TED grants, please visit http://bie.edu/Programs/TribalEduDeptGrantProgram/index.htm.

The following tribes will receive STEP funding. (One tribe, the Muscogee Creek Nation in Oklahoma, was awarded the STEP and TED grants):

• The Chickasaw Nation, Okla. ($500,000)
• Nez Perce Tribe, Idaho ($330,000)
• Coeur D’Alene Tribe, Idaho ($330,000)
• The Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Okla. ($318,463)
• Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Mont. ($287,769)

The following tribes will receive TED funding:

• Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Mich. ($300,000)
• Leech Lake Band, Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minn. ($200,000)
• Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Miss. ($150,000)
• The Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Okla. ($50,000)

As part of the Interior Department, the BIE oversees 183 elementary and secondary schools located on 64 reservations in 23 states, serving more than 48,000 students. Of these, 54 are BIE operated and 129 are tribally operated.

In conjunction with President Obama’s Generation Indigenous or “Gen-I” initiative, the Interior Department is leading an effort to provide students attending BIE-funded schools with a world class education and transform the agency to serve as a capacity-builder and service-provider for tribes in educating their youth.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of President Obama’s Generation Indigenous (“Gen-I”) initiative to remove barriers standing between Native youth and their opportunity to succeed, Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced two Indian Affairs initiatives offering learning and training opportunities to Native youth: the Native American Water Corps internships and the Energy Challenge for Native Youth.

“The Water Corps internships and Energy Challenge are two examples of how we are striving to meet President Obama’s commitment to Native youth and to supporting tribal nations,” Washburn said. “These programs provide secondary and post-secondary Native students with opportunities to stretch themselves academically, contribute to improving their communities, and test themselves and their ideas in real-world situations that will help them grow personally and professionally.”

Native American Water Corps Internships

Native American Water Corps internships are administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Branch of Water Resources through its Native American Water Corps Program, which is designed to increase the number of American Indians and Alaska Natives having water resource management expertise.

Through the Program’s Water Resource Technician Training Program, the Bureau of Indian Affairs responds to the management challenges faced by federally recognized tribes from increasing demands on limited water resources, ensuring basic sanitation and safeguarding drinking water quality, as well as protecting fisheries and maintaining critical stream and wetland habitat. The program is for Native American graduates at the secondary and post-secondary levels.

The curriculum is designed to expose students to water-based sciences, hydrology, water quality issues, and basic water management such as fisheries, watersheds, rangelands, irrigation systems, and dams.

Upon successful completion of their training students will be placed in four- to six-month paid internships with tribal governments and federal agencies to work on water-related issues pertinent to tribal resource needs.

For fiscal years 2014 and 2015 32 students completed the month-long comprehensive training program at the University of Arizona-Tucson. The summer 2015 program had 27 graduates who are now in internships around the country. The Bureau of Indian Affairs is currently seeking students for 45 training slots in fiscal year 2016.

Energy Challenge for Native Youth

The Energy Challenge for Native Youth is a program of the Indian Affairs’ Division of Energy and Mineral Development. Its purpose is to encourage American Indian and Alaska Native high school students to see how they can make a difference in their communities by utilizing science, technology, engineering, and math through a creative hands-on, problem-solving and engineering process.

The primary goal of the Energy Challenge for Native Youth is for students to identify real-world energy-related problems that affect them or their communities and then develop creative solutions to address them. All high school-level tribal youth are invited to participate.

In July, the Division of Energy and Mineral Development signed a contract with the American Indian Science and Engineering Society to implement and execute the 2015-2016 Energy Challenge: a two-phased science fair.

The fall 2015 semester focus was on research and design, with the top projects teams being awarded funding to build representations of their projects during the spring 2016 semester. The fall semester deadline was October 23, 2015, with submitted projects being judged on:

• Student communication of the energy problem and solution;
• Measurability and demonstrability of the energy solution;
• Comprehensive and concise budget and implementation plan; and
• Solution creativity

Once the top projects are selected, students will receive travel scholarships to attend the 2015 National Conference of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society which takes place November 19-21 in Phoenix, Ariz. There the project teams will receive $2,000 to build and implement their projects or demonstration prototypes and develop written narratives and/or visual presentations to explain them. These projects will be judged on:

• Successful construction and implementation;
• Solution data-gathering and analysis; and
• Presentation of results

The winning project team from the spring 2016 phase will travel to Washington, D.C., to present its final design and results to Assistant Secretary Washburn.

In December 2014, President Obama launched Generation Indigenous to help improve the lives of Native youth and cultivate the next generation of Native leaders. With a substantial proportion of the American Indian and Alaska Native population under 24 years old – 42 percent compared to 34 percent of the total population -- and a large bubble in the 15-19 age group in particular, the administration has an opportunity to help create a brighter future for Native youth.

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. The Office’s mission is to foster stronger American Indian and Alaska Native 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 American Indian and Alaska Native-owned businesses to take advantage of government and private sector procurement opportunities.

For more information about Indian Energy and Economic Development programs and services, visit the Indian Affairs website at https://www.indianaffairs.gov/as-ia/ieed.

The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs also oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs 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 BIA Office of Trust Services Division of Water and Power’s Branch of Water Resources administers the Native American Water Corps Program.

For more information on the BIA Branch of Water Resources, visit https://www.indianaffairs.gov/bia/ots/division-natural-resources/branch-water-resources.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of the 7th Annual Tribal Nation’s Conference, the White House announced yesterday an Interagency Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for setting a Path to End Homelessness in Native American communities. In support of that interagency effort, the Bureau of Indian Affairs has finalized updates to regulations on the Housing Improvement Program (HIP), as an important part of the Obama Administration’s Tiwahe initiative, which is designed to promote the stability and security of American Indian families. The HIP is a safety net program that provides grants for repairing, renovating, or replacing existing housing and for providing new housing to Indian families. The BIA’s Office of Indian Services Division of Human Services administers the HIP program.

“The Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Housing Improvement Program final rule takes into account the comments we received to make the program more effective in increasing housing in tribal communities, which is an important goal of the Tiwahe Initiative to support families in Indian Country,” said Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn. “I’m also pleased that the final rule goes further in supporting the housing needs of our Native veterans, who have long served to protect their tribal homelands and the nation, and supports President Obama’s initiative seeking to end homelessness in Indian Country.”

In support of the Tiwahe initiative, the final rule increases the number of families served by increasing the funding limits for repairs and renovations to reflect current pricing. The rule also allows families to leverage the funding they receive by providing assistance toward the purchase of a modest house for families that can obtain a mortgage loan from other federal programs.

The Interagency MOU for setting a Path to End Homelessness commits the participating agencies, which include Interior, Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs (VA), Education (ED), Labor (DOL) and Agriculture (USDA), along with the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) to work together to improve housing and services through Administrative action. The MOU also requires the USICH Interagency Working Group on Homelessness among American Indians and Alaska Natives to develop an action plan for implementation, providing guidance on ongoing collaborations that will build a foundation for longer-term work.

By entering into the MOU, participating agencies agree to work together to consult with tribal leaders and urban Native American programs on four key areas:

1. Improving access to housing and services for American Indians and Alaska Natives through Administrative action where possible;
2. Improving data collection on American Indian and Alaska Native homelessness;
3. Ensuring federal strategies and actions to set a path to end American Indian and Alaska Native homelessness are informed by consultation and engagement with tribal leaders, urban Native communities, and experts in the field; and
4. Elevating the awareness of the crisis of homelessness and housing instability among American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Also announced at the White House Tribal Nations Conference was the launch of Native One Stop, a website for American Indians and Alaska Natives to locate resources they are eligible for in 17 federal agencies.

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, tribal governance, natural and energy resources, and trust management programs for the nation’s federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages through 12 regional offices and 81 agencies.