OPA

Washington - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is requesting individuals who are interested in serving on the National Advisory Council (NAC) to apply for appointment. The NAC is an advisory committee established to ensure effective and ongoing coordination of federal preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation for natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters.

The NAC advises the FEMA Administrator on all aspects of emergency management frameworks, strategies, and plans while incorporating the whole communities input through appointed council members.

The NAC will have a position open for applications and nominations in the following disciplines:

• Emergency Management Field (one representative appointment)
• State Non-Elected Official (one representative appointment)
• Standards Setting (one representative appointment)
• Public Health (one Special Government Employee (SGE) appointment)
• Functional Accessibility (one representative appointment)
• Emergency Medical Providers (one SGE appointment)
• Tribal Non-Elected Officials (one representative appointment)
• Tribal Elected Officials (one representative appointment for a one-year term)
• Emergency Response (one representative appointment for a one-year term)
• Department of Defense (Ex Officio representative)

The NAC consists of up to 35 members, all of whom are experts and leaders in their respective fields. The members of the NAC are appointed by the FEMA Administrator and are composed of federal, state, tribal, local, and private-sector leaders and subject matter experts in law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services, hospital, public works, emergency management, state and local governments, public health, emergency response, standard settings and accrediting organizations, representatives of individuals with disabilities, infrastructure protection, cyber security, communications, and homeland security communities.

Appointments are for three-year terms to June 15, 2016, unless otherwise noted. The Administrator may also appoint additional candidates to serve as a FEMA Administrator Selection for three-year terms.

Individuals interested in serving on the NAC are invited to apply for appointment by submitting a Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) to the Office of the National Advisory Council by fax, email, or mail. Letters of recommendation may also be provided, but are not required. Applications and/or nominations must also include the following information: the applicant's full name, home and business phone numbers, preferred e-mail address, home and business mailing addresses, current position title and organization, and the discipline area of interest (i.e., Emergency Management). Applications will be accepted until Friday, March 8, 2013, 5:00 p.m. EST.

Members selected for the council serve without compensation from the federal government; however, consistent with the charter, members receive travel reimbursement and per diem under applicable federal travel regulations. Registered lobbyists, current FEMA employees, Disaster Assistance Employees, Reservists, FEMA Contractors, and potential FEMA Contractors will not be considered for NAC Membership.

For more information: www.fema.gov/national-advisory-council.

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

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WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services (OJS) will hold the first of three training sessions to improve the trial advocacy skills of tribal court judges and prosecutors in dealing with driving-under-the-influence (DUI) and driving-while-intoxicated (DWI) cases. The session will be held Feb. 27 through March 1 in Albuquerque, N.M.

The training is being conducted under the Tribal Court Trial Advocacy Training Program, a joint effort by the Department of the Interior and the Department of Justice that furthers the mandate of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010. That legislation aims to strengthen tribal sovereignty over criminal justice matters on federal Indian lands by sharpening the skills of those who practice within the tribal court system. The program is the result of a collaborative effort by the OJS and DOJ’s Access to Justice Initiative to offer trial advocacy training with courses designed specifically for tribal courts and free training to the judges, public defenders and prosecutors who work in them.

The goal of this series is to teach effective prosecution of DUI and DWI cases under tribal codes and case law. Training will be conducted with faculty and instructional materials prepared by experts knowledgeable about tribal court issues.

The remaining training sessions will be held May 1-3 in Flagstaff, Ariz., and Oct. 30-31 in Albuquerque.

2013 OJS DUI/DWI Training

CREDENTIALS: This invitation is extended to credentialed media representatives, who must display sanctioned media credentials for admittance to the event.

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WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Assistant Secretary- Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today praised the passage of the Violence Against Women Act, which includes important provisions for federally recognized tribal communities, saying it advances the progress the nation has made in combating violence against women by providing greater protections against homicide, rape, assault and battery in the home, workplace and on school campuses across the country.

“By providing stronger protections and greater resources to states and Indian tribes, this legislation will make women and vulnerable populations safer,” Salazar said. “This legislation is especially significant for the First Americans because it closes a gaping legal loophole that prevented the arrest and prosecution of non-Indian men who commit domestic violence against Indian women on federal Indian lands. This historic legislation, which recognizes and affirms inherent tribal jurisdiction over non-Indians in domestic violence cases, will provide much needed tools to tribal justice systems to effectively protect Indian women from abuse.”

"American Indian women experience among the highest domestic violence victimization rates in the country and more than half of all married Indian women have non-Indian husbands,” said Assistant Secretary Washburn. “This legislation provides tools to tribal governments to address the problem of domestic violence much more completely on Indian reservations.”

“I applaud Congress’s reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act today. Tribal leaders, tribal law enforcement, and tribal courts are all too familiar with this type of violence. It is shameful that for far too long, many American Indian women victims came to accept that there was nothing they could do when their abuser was non-Indian,” said Washburn. “Now, tribal courts have the ability to enforce protection orders again non-Indians, regardless of where the order originated, and to prosecute any individual who stands accused of domestic violence on a federal Indian reservation. American Indian women are now safer with the passage of this law.”

The Senate last week voted for a broadened version of the landmark law, first enacted in 1994, which provides a comprehensive approach to violence against women by combining tough new provisions to hold offenders accountable with programs to provide services for the victims of such violence. The Senate version approved by the House today also enhances protections for other vulnerable populations, such as American Indians and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender victims. The bill now goes to the President for his signature.

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STANDING ROCK, N.D. – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services (OJS) officers, working with tribal and county law enforcement, were instrumental in apprehending an “armed and dangerous” adult male approximately 12 miles from Fort Yates community on the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota. The individual was wanted on a federal warrant for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamines.

On Wednesday, Feb. 27, the BIA Standing Rock Agency in Fort Yates responded to the Burleigh County, N.D., Sheriff’s Department’s request for assistance with apprehending the adult male who was driving at high speeds from Bismarck towards the North Dakota side of the Standing Rock Reservation.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s Game and Fish Department assisted in the effort by blocking roadways adjacent to the path of pursuit, which forced the driver off the highway and into rugged terrain. A BIA special agent then disabled the vehicle as it sped towards him by discharging rounds into its engine block. Although the fugitive was armed with an AR-15 assault rifle, he was taken into custody without further incident.

“I want to commend the officers involved in this multi-jurisdictional effort. Our OJS officers showed tremendous poise in the face of danger, and through their efforts tribal and adjacent communities are safer today,” Washburn said. “I’m extremely thankful that this individual was apprehended with no injury to our officers or to members of the public.”

The adult male, who is not an American Indian, was turned over to state law enforcement officials and could be facing additional charges. “I am extremely proud of the law enforcement professionals we have working at our BIA Standing Rock Agency,” said Darren Cruzan, Deputy BIA Director – Office of Justice Service. “Their quick and deliberate actions to keep this armed individual from driving into a populated community prevented a very dangerous situation from becoming worse.”

BIA OJS Assists in Capture

The BIA Office of Justice Services’ mission is to enhance public safety and protect property in Indian Country by funding or providing law enforcement, corrections and tribal court services to the nation’s federally recognized tribes. It also coordinates emergency preparedness support on federal Indian lands by working cooperatively with other federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies throughout Indian Country. It also operates the Indian Police Academy in Artesia, N.M., which provides training and professional development to BIA and tribal law enforcement personnel.

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WASHINGTON D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that the American Indian College Fund has been selected to administer the student Scholarship Fund authorized by the Cobell Settlement, with a fifth of the annual scholarships to be awarded by the American Indian Graduate Center. Secretary Salazar is also seeking nominations for two of the members who will serve on the Board of Trustees that oversees the educational fund.

“This Scholarship Fund for Native American students will be a lasting, meaningful legacy of the Cobell Settlement that will help strengthen Indian communities, advance tribal progress and secure a better future for the First Americans,” Salazar said. “In selecting these qualified organizations and in seeking the best trustees to oversee this educational fund, we are honoring Elouise Cobell and helping to empower Indian Country.”

"My mother, Elouise Cobell, cared deeply about the next generation of Native people and she insisted on this scholarship as part of the settlement,” said Turk Cobell. “It is a fitting tribute to her courageous work and will be a longstanding and appropriate legacy of her extraordinary perseverance and vision."

“The Cobell Settlement scholarship fund will help students across Indian Country receive a higher education, whether it’s through college, graduate school, or vocational certifications,” said Interior Solicitor Hilary Tompkins. “The fund administrator will play an important role in providing American Indians and Alaska Native students with the post-secondary training and education they need to succeed in today’s world, whether in the workplace, in the community or in government.”

Salazar named the non-profit fund administrator after receiving nominations from the Lead Plaintiff and evaluating the candidates through a high-level Selection Committee that included Interior policy appointees from Indian Affairs, the Office of the Solicitor and the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget.

On the Selection Committee’s recommendation, Salazar chose the American Indian College Fund to be the Recipient Organization, stipulating that the funds it receives be devoted to scholarships for vocational certifications and 4-year accredited bachelor degree colleges and universities, including tribal colleges that provide these degrees. The Secretary also stipulated that 20 percent of annual scholarships be awarded by the American Indian Graduate Center to encourage Native American college graduates to strive for professional and doctoral degrees.

“We are honored to have been selected to administer the largest scholarship fund ever established on behalf American Indian and Alaska Native students,” said Dr. Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund. “I look forward to working with the American Indian Graduate Center to provide greater opportunities for higher education to the next generation of Indian leaders and professionals.”

The American Indian College Fund, headquartered in Denver, has extensive experience in providing students the resources to succeed in tribal colleges and technical and vocational certifications as well as traditional undergraduate and graduate programs. The American Indian Graduate Center (Albuquerque) is renowned for its award of scholarships to graduate students.

The Secretary and Lead Plaintiff will each select two members for the Board of Trustees that will oversee the Scholarship Fund. As the Recipient Organization, the American Indian College Fund, will select one member. The Claims Resolution Act of 2010 requires the Secretary to choose his members after consulting with federally recognized Indian tribes and considering the candidates they nominate.

Tribal nominations for the Secretary’s trustees must be postmarked or emailed no later than Thursday, April 11, 2013. Please send curriculum vitae, a letter of intent which indicates a willingness to serve, and a 250-word statement which supports the candidacy to Lizzie Marsters, Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary, Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW, Room 6118, Washington, DC 20240. The $3.4 billion Cobell Settlement authorized a $1.9 billion Land ‘Buy-Back’ Program that will purchase small, multiple interests from willing sellers at fair market value. The acquired interests remain in trust or restricted status through transfer to tribal governments, enabling them to use the consolidated parcels for the benefit of their communities. As an incentive to participate in the land consolidation program, a donation will be made to the Scholarship Fund for each fractional interest purchased by the ‘Buy-Back’ Program. Interior is authorized to set aside up to $60 million for the Scholarship Fund from the purchase of these fractional interests.

Click HERE for a Fact Sheet on the Scholarship Fund and Board of Trustees.

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"We are excited about President Obama's selection of Sally Jewell for Secretary of the Interior," says Chairman Billy Frank of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. "We think she's a great choice."

Jewell, the former chief executive officer for outdoor gear giant REI, grew up in Washington state and knows the issues important to Indian tribes, Frank said. "She's one of us, and we couldn't be more pleased that she will be leading the Department of Interior for the next four years," he said.

Frank said that Jewell brings a strong blend of business sense and a natural resources conservation ethic to the agency. "A healthy environment and a healthy economy can go hand-in-hand," Frank said. "We can have both, and I think Sally Jewell will help make that happen."

Frank praised Jewell's knowledge of tribes and tribal issues, and respect for tribal sovereignty and treaty rights. "We are facing big challenges such as achieving salmon recovery, protecting water quality and adapting to climate change," Frank said. "Our cultures, economies and treaty rights depend on a healthy environment and healthy natural resources."

Because the Department of Interior also includes the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Jewell's understanding and respect for tribal governments are critical to a good working relationship between the tribes and the agency, he said.

"I believe Sally is the right person, in the right place, at the right time," Frank said. "We look forward to working with her, and thank President Obama for his wise choice." -end-

WASHINGTON, DC– On Wednesday, January 16, 2013, the Department of the Interior will participate in a 2:00 pm (Eastern Time) conference call and webinar hosted by the National Congress of American Indians to inform and clarify roles and responsibilities regarding the recent Cobell Settlement trust administration class payments. Representatives from the Department of the Interior, Cobell plaintiffs’ legal counsel, and the court appointed Claims Administrator (the Garden City Group) will provide important information to tribal leaders across the country regarding the status of the payments to members of the historical accounting class and the next steps in the process of finalizing this historic Settlement.

“The Department is committed to providing accurate and current information to our beneficiaries regarding the historic Cobell Settlement,” said Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Kevin Washburn, “and OST and BIA leadership are working closely to ensure the OST Trust Beneficiary Call Center and the field operations in the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Office of the Special Trustee are providing this information in a timely manner.”

Eligibility determinations and payments are made exclusively by Garden City Group, and they can be reached at www.IndianTrust.com or 1-800-961-6109. To update addresses or identify “Whereabouts Unknown” Individual Indian Money (IIM) accounts, please contact Garden City Group. Garden City Group will work with OST to update your information. For more information, please visit the Department of the Interior Cobell website at http://www.doi.gov/cobell.

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WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services (OJS) will hold the last in a series of six training sessions to improve the trial advocacy skills of tribal court prosecutors, defenders and judges on January 15-17, 2013, in Albuquerque, N.M. This training session will focus on cases dealing with illegal narcotics.

The training is being conducted under the Tribal Court Trial Advocacy Training Program, a joint effort by the Department of the Interior and the Department of Justice that furthers the mandate of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 (TOLA) to strengthen tribal sovereignty over criminal justice matters on federal Indian lands by sharpening the skills of those who practice within the tribal court system.

The program is the result of a collaborative effort by the OJS and DOJ’s Access to Justice Initiative (AJI) to offer trial advocacy training with courses designed specifically for tribal courts and free training to the judges, public defenders and prosecutors who work in them. Training is provided in three areas – domestic abuse, illegal narcotics and sexual assault on children and adults – with faculty and instructional materials prepared by experts knowledgeable about tribal court issues. The program is unique because it also has training specifically for public defenders.

Previous sessions in this training series were held starting on July 24-26, 2012, in Duluth, Minn.; Aug. 14-16, in Ignacio, Colo.; Sept. 11-13 in Great Falls, Mont.; Oct. 23-25 in Chinle, Ariz.; and Nov. 13-15 in Seattle, Wash.

Tribal Court Trial Advocacy Training – Page 2

CREDENTIALS: This invitation is extended to credentialed media representatives, who must display sanctioned media credentials for admittance to the event.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today issued the following statement on the passing of Chickasaw Nation Ambassador Charles Blackwell:

“Today, Indian Country lost a distinguished leader whose eloquence and diplomacy in promoting self-determination for the Chickasaw Nation and all tribes was legendary. As the Chickasaw Nation’s ambassador to the United States, Charles Blackwell personified the nation-to-nation relationship, giving his people a voice at the highest levels of government.”

“Ambassador Blackwell was an accomplished advocate for the Chickasaw people. His forceful personality, generous spirit and guidance on the workings of federal government will be sorely missed by all who had the good fortune to know him. Our prayers go out to his family, the Chickasaw Nation leadership, and the Chickasaw people.”

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SANTA FE, NM – As part of President Obama’s commitment to empowering American Indian tribal nations and strengthening their economies, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today joined New Mexico Governor Susanna Martinez and leaders from four Pueblo tribes—the Tesuque, Nambe, Pojoaque and San Ildefonso—at the Santa Fe Indian School to execute settlement documents and celebrate the historic New Mexico vs. Aamodt water rights settlement.

“By executing this settlement today and reaching agreement on five other water rights settlements since 2009, we not only have closed the chapter on these longstanding water disputes, but also opened a new chapter in Indian Country – delivering clean drinking water and certainty to water users across the West while providing more than $2 billion to help tribes,” said Secretary Salazar.

“I also am proud of the water settlements achieved under President Obama,” said Assistant Secretary Washburn. “The settlements like this one we celebrate today in my home state of New Mexico will bring both drinking water and hope to Indian communities. The ‘Aamodt’ water rights settlement resolves four decades of litigation and will create jobs through much-needed infrastructure investments.”

Other dignitaries who participated in today’s ceremony included the tribal leaders of the Pueblos – Phillip Perez, Governor, Pueblo of Nambe; Mark Mitchell, Governor, Pueblo of Tesuque; George Rivera, Governor, Pueblo of Pojoaque; and Terry Aguilar, Governor, Pueblo of San Ildefonso – as well as Charles Dorame, Chairman, Northern Pueblos Tributary Water Rights Association and Former Governor, Tesuque Pueblo; Kathy Holian, Chair of the Santa Fe County Commission; David Coss, Mayor, City of Santa Fe; and other local and state officials.

Often described as one of the longest-running cases in the federal court system, the Aamodt case concerned water rights related to the Rio Pojoaque Basin north of Santa Fe, New Mexico, which is the homeland of the four tribes. Today’s action provides finality to the Pueblos’ water rights and certainty for non-Indian water rights in north central New Mexico.

The Aamodt settlement provides innovative mechanisms for managing water in the Pojoaque River basin to satisfy the Pueblos’ current and future water needs while minimizing disruption to the non-Indian water users. In addition to the four tribes, this process has included the State of New Mexico, Santa Fe County, the City of Santa Fe, and numerous local water users.

This settlement is one of four water rights settlements included in legislation signed by President Obama in the 2010 Claims Resolution Act that will help deliver clean drinking water to tribes in New Mexico, Arizona and Montana. The other three settlements in that law were the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement provisions, the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement provisions, and the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Quantification provisions.

Two additional water rights settlements were included in the 2009 Omnibus Public Land Management Act – the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects provisions settling the water rights claims of the Navajo Nation in the San Juan River system in New Mexico and the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of Duck Valley Water Rights Settlement quantifying the tribe’s water rights in Nevada.

A summary of the six American Indian water rights settlements since 2009 follows.

AMERICAN INDIAN WATER RIGHTS SETTLEMENTS SINCE 2009

• The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of Duck Valley Water Rights Settlement provisions of the 2009 Omnibus Public Land Management Act quantify the tribe’s water rights, provide funding for tribal water development projects, and provides the Tribes with $60 million in funding for water rehabilitation of irrigation projects and other water-related matters.
• The Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Settlement provisions of the 2009 Omnibus Public Land Management Act settle the water rights claims of the Navajo Nation in the San Juan River system in New Mexico in exchange for the construction of a large municipal and industrial water delivery system to deliver water to eastern portions of the Navajo Reservation and adjacent communities.
• The Aamodt Water Rights Settlement provisions of the 2010 Claims Resolution Act settle water rights related to the Rio Pojoaque Basin north of Santa Fe, New Mexico, which is the homeland of the Tesuque, Nambe, Pojoaque and San Ildefonso Pueblos. It provides finality to the Pueblos’ water rights and certainty for non-Indian water rights in north central New Mexico.
• The Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement provisions of the 2010 Claims Resolution Act authorize and approve a settlement among the Taos Pueblo, the State of New Mexico, the Town Of Taos, various non-Indian water users and the United States. It resolves water rights disputes in the Rio Pueblo de Taos and Rio Hondo stream systems in New Mexico.
• The Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement provisions of the 2010 Claims Resolution Act settle all of the Crow Tribe’s claims to water in the State of Montana and provide funding for design and construction of a rural water system on the Crow Reservation and for rehabilitation and improvement of the Crow Irrigation Project, while also providing for administration and current and future use of water by all Indian and non-Indian water users on the Reservation.
• The White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Quantification provisions of the 2010 Claims Resolution Act settle the White Mountain Apache Tribe’s claims to both the Gila and the Little Colorado Rivers in Arizona. The agreement provides funding for design and construction of a domestic water delivery system on the Reservation and provides water certainty for the City of Phoenix, the Salt River Project, and other downstream water users.

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