OPA

WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Bush’s pledge on education that “no child shall be left behind” was reaffirmed today with the release of his Fiscal Year 2002 budget request of $2.2 billion for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The request includes $292.5 million for BIA school construction – an increase of $162,000 over the 2001 enacted level – of which $122.8 million is to replace six aging BIA school facilities around the country, including the Paschal Sherman Indian School located in Omak, Wash., on the Colville Indian Reservation. “President Bush and I are committed to providing all BIA students with healthy and safe schools,” said Interior Secretary Gale Norton. “For far too long, Indian children have been left behind. This budget request shows the Bush Administration’s dedication to creating environments where the minds, spirits and aspirations of thousands of Native American children may flourish. Children can best learn, and teachers can best teach, when they aren’t worrying that their classrooms will fall down.”

The Paschal Sherman Indian School is a K-9 school and dormitory located on 26 acres of Colville tribal land. The facility serves 160 students who attend classes in 18 buildings, 4 of which are temporary. The budget request includes $16.7 million for the Paschal Sherman Indian School Replacement project to replace these buildings, the average age of which is 40 years, with one facility that meets safety, environmental quality, and accessibility standards; that can accommodate an increasing student enrollment; and provides a setting conducive to learning. Many of the buildings have deteriorated to the point where it is no longer economically feasible to continue making repairs to them, and health and safety code violations expose students and staff to potential life-threatening situations throughout the campus. In addition to educational and administrative facilities, needs include a gymnasium, cafeteria, dormitories, bus garage, and improved access for disabled individuals are needed. The replacement school will be a safe, modern-day teaching and learning facility that will serve approximately 260 students.

The BIA’s 185 schools and dormitories have suffered for decades from neglect and disrepair. The five additional school facilities slated for replacement in FY2002 are:

• Polacca Day School, Polacca, Ariz.;
• Holbrook Dormitory, Holbrook, Ariz.;
• Santa Fe Indian School, Santa Fe, N.M.;
• Wingate Elementary School Dormitory, Ft. Wingate, N.M.; and
• Ojibwa Indian School, Belcourt, N.D.

The President’s request for BIA education also includes $5.0 million for advance planning and design of future replacement schools, $161.6 million to fund maintenance and repair projects to reduce the backlog of needed repairs to BIA school buildings, $504.0 million to fund BIA school and dormitory operations, and a $1.0 million increase for operating grants to 25 tribally controlled community colleges. The BIA’s mission is to fulfill its trust responsibilities and promote self-determination on behalf of Tribal governments, American Indians, and Alaska Natives. As part of its mission, the BIA provides services to approximately 1.4 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who are members of the 561 federally recognized Tribes in the 48 contiguous United States and Alaska.

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – President Bush’s pledge on education that “no child shall be left behind” was reaffirmed today with the release of his Fiscal Year 2002 budget request of $2.2 billion for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).The request includes $292.5 million for BIA school construction – an increase of $162,000 over the 2001 enacted level – of which $122.8 million is to replace six aging BIA school facilities around the country, including the Polacca Day School located in Polacca, Ariz., on the Hopi reservation. “President Bush and I are committed to providing all BIA students with healthy and safe schools,” said Interior Secretary Gale Norton.“For far too long, Indian children have been left behind. This budget request shows the Bush Administration’s dedication to creating environments where the minds, spirits and aspirations of thousands of Native American children may flourish.Children can best learn, and teachers can best teach, when they aren’t worrying that their classrooms will fall down.” The budget request includes $19.9 million for the Polacca Day School Replacement project that will replace the current facility as a way to eliminate unsafe conditions, alleviate severe overcrowding, and accommodate a projected increase in student enrollment. The school’s main building and cafeteria were built in 1956 with portable classrooms added in 1975 and 1995.At present, the K-6 school serves 188 students from the Hopi Tribe, 80 percent of whom are housed in the portable classrooms that are too small for teachers to provide an optimal level of academic instruction.

The condition of the main school building and portable classrooms are at a point where an unsafe and unhealthy learning environment exists:the building’s exterior walls have deteriorated and are not insulated, the mechanical system cannot provide needed air circulation or heating, the electrical system and power supply are inadequate to support educational and office equipment, and the plumbing system is causing problems for students and staff. In contrast, the replacement school will be a safe, modern-day teaching and learning facility serving approximately 375 elementary school students. The BIA’s 185 schools and dormitories have suffered for decades from neglect and disrepair.The five additional school facilities slated for replacement in FY2002 are:Holbrook Dormitory, Holbrook, Ariz.; Santa Fe Indian School, Santa Fe, N.M.; Wingate Elementary School Dormitory, Ft. Wingate, N.M.; Ojibwa Indian School, Belcourt, N.D.; and Paschal Sherman Indian School, Omak, Wash. The President’s request for BIA education also includes $5.0 million for advance planning and design of future replacement schools, $161.6 million to fund maintenance and repair projects to reduce the backlog of needed repairs to BIA school buildings, $504.0 million to fund BIA school and dormitory operations, and a $1.0 million increase for operating grants to 25 tribally controlled community colleges. The BIA’s mission is to fulfill its trust responsibilities and promote self-determination on behalf of Tribal governments, American Indians, and Alaska Natives. As part of its mission, the BIA provides services to approximately 1.4 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who are members of the 561 federally recognized Tribes in the 48 contiguous United States and Alaska.

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Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton today praised President Bush’s intention to nominate Neal A. McCaleb to serve as Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. The announcement is subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate, once the official nomination is made by the President.

“Neal McCaleb will bring a unique blend of skills, experience and background that will serve him well as Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs,” said Secretary Norton. “His compassion for Indian issues, decisive management skills and ability to facilitate dialogue will help to improve this program and the relationship of the Department with Indian tribes around the country.”

Mr. McCaleb, a member of the Chickasaw Nation, served as Oklahoma’s first Secretary of Transportation in Governor Bellmon’s Administration from 1987 to 1991, and recently in Governor Keating’s Administration from 1995-2001, where he is responsible for overseeing the construction and maintenance of the state’s transportation systems, and the state assisted general airports program. He is the first in the history of the state government to serve concurrently as Director of both the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (1987-95) and the Oklahoma Transportation Authority in addition to serving as Cabinet Secretary.

In 1999, then Secretary McCaleb negotiated the reinstatement of passenger rail service to Oklahoma with Amtrak after a 20-year absence. Prior to that he was a practicing engineer with more than 40 years experience in designing and supervising the construction of roads, bridges, public facilities, and architectural structures in Oklahoma and throughout the Southwest.

Mr. McCaleb also served eight years in the Oklahoma House of Representatives and was elected Minority Floor Leader in 1978. He is a native of Oklahoma City, OK. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Oklahoma State University. He and his wife Georgann have four grown children.

The Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs has responsibility for fulfilling the Department’s trust responsibilities and promoting self-determination on behalf of Tribal governments, American Indians, and Alaska Natives. The Assistant Secretary is also responsible for providing services to approximately 1.4 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who are members of the 561 federally recognized tribes.

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(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Department of the Interior Acting Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs James H. McDivitt will give the keynote address next week at an event commemorating federal law enforcement officers who have given their lives while on duty in Indian Country. The Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial will be held May 3, 2001 by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in conjunction with the U.S. Department of the Treasury Federal Law Enforcement Training Center and the International Association of Chiefs of Police Indian Country Section at the BIA Indian Police Academy in Artesia, N.M.

This year, the name of Officer Kelmar One Feather of the Oglala Lakota Nation Department of Public Safety, White Clay District, Pine Ridge, S.D., will be added to the names of 77 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty since 1852 which are inscribed on three granite rocks that comprise the Memorial. Officer One Feather died on July 1, 2000 as a result of injuries he sustained in a driving accident while transporting prisoners to an adult detention facility in Pine Ridge, S.D.

The Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial was formally dedicated on May 7, 1992 at the Indian Police Academy in Marana, Ariz., and was re-dedicated on May 6, 1993 when the Academy moved to its present location. Representatives from Federal law enforcement offices, national law enforcement organizations, Tribal police departments, city officials and Officer One Feather’s family will be in attendance.

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WASHINGTON – Interior Secretary Gale Norton today lauded the U.S. Senate’s action late Friday confirming Neal A. McCaleb as Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs. “I want to thank the Senate for expeditiously approving Neal McCaleb’s confirmation, “ she said, “As an important member of my team, Neal’s solid leadership, management skills and experience will serve well the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Country and our Nation.”

McCaleb will replace James H. McDivitt, who has served as the acting Assistant Secretary since January. “With his steady hand on the tiller, Jim McDivitt has done a great job of guiding the Bureau during this transition,” said Secretary Norton, “His dedication and professionalism ensured the agency continued to operate smoothly, for which I am grateful.”

Following McCaleb’s swearing-in, McDivitt will resume his former position as Deputy Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs for Management. “I want to thank Secretary Norton for her support during the past few months,” said McDivitt, “I’m also looking forward to working with Assistant Secretary McCaleb on his goals for improving the BIA’s education, economic development, and public safety programs, as well as continuing to move forward on trust reform.”

McCaleb, a member of the Chickasaw Nation, served as Oklahoma’s first Secretary of Transportation in Governor Bellmon’s Administration from 1987 to 1991, and recently in Governor Keating’s Administration from 1995 to 2001, where he was responsible for overseeing the construction and maintenance of the state’s transportation systems, and the state-assisted general airports program. In 1999, then-Secretary McCaleb negotiated the reinstatement of passenger rail service to Oklahoma with Amtrak after a 20-year absence.

McCaleb was the first in the history of the state government to serve concurrently as Director of both the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (1987 to 1995) and the Oklahoma Transportation Authority in addition to serving as Cabinet Secretary. He also served eight years in the Oklahoma House of Representatives and was elected Minority Floor Leader in 1978. McCaleb has been a practicing engineer with more than 40 years experience in designing and supervising the construction of roads, bridges, public facilities and architectural structures in Oklahoma and throughout the Southwest. He is a native of Oklahoma City, OK. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Oklahoma State University. He and his wife Georgann have four grown children. The Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs has responsibility for fulfilling the Department’s trust responsibilities and promoting self-determination on behalf of Tribal governments, American Indians and Alaska Natives. The Assistant Secretary is also responsible for providing services to approximately 1.4 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who are members of the 558 federally recognized tribes.

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Thank you, Neal. Last Wednesday, Neal made his first appearance at the Senate Indian Affairs Committee since he was confirmed as Assistant Secretary.

Neal talked with Senators about tribal governance practices, economic development and education. That was expected – that’s his job.

It’s what happened after his testimony that took Washington by surprise. He could have driven back to his BIA office – and returned phone calls and other tasks.

But, instead, Neal took a seat in the audience ... and listened. He heard tribal leaders tell success stories. He listened to others contribute their ideas.

According to the web-site, Indianz.com, Democratic Committee Chairman Inouye said:

"In all my years of sitting on this committee, this is the first time I’ve seen an Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs sitting through testimony of tribal leaders."

Applause is rarely given in the ornate – and some would say stuffy – Capitol Hill committee rooms. But that afternoon, the visitors attending the hearing applauded Neal McCaleb.

It’s his commitment to listening and learning about Indian people’s needs and concerns that’ll make him a great Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs.

I’m honored that he agreed to move from Oklahoma to Washington to work with me for the good of Indian country.

I’m here this morning to listen, as well. I want this to be a conversation – not a speech.

The setting I would like to create this morning is that of a local school board meeting, where we talk about our ideas and express our concerns, our hopes and our dreams.

Improving schools in Indian Country won’t be easy. I can’t look any of you in the eye and say when schools begin this fall, they will dramatically improve. But over the next years, we can be successful. We can make Indian schools the paragon of excellence. Schools where any parent in America would want to send their children.

In January, at our Indian Education meeting, we set forth five specific goals to improve education in Indian country.

We agreed:

• All children should read independently by the third grade.
• 70 percent of students should be proficient or advanced in reading and math.
• The student attendance rate should be 90 percent or higher.
• Students should demonstrate knowledge of their language and culture.
• We must increase retention, placement and graduation rates at the post-secondary level.

We can achieve and surpass these goals.

A week ago Monday, I visited the Tiospa Zina (T-Oats-spa) School in South Dakota. I learned from School Superintendent Roger Bourdaux (Bore-Doe) that the school was already moving forward on many of these goals.

I learned a lot from the people at Agency Village. I listened to stories about how the bureaucracy in Washington sometimes gets in the way of progress.

I learned how the school brought together teachers, students, parents and tribal elders to incorporate a varied curriculum. Students learn about our global culture, with instruction in math, science, geography and other subjects. They are also taught about their tribal history and the culture that is so important to the tribe’s heritage.

There’s good accountability at the school. Every few years, students are interviewed with their parents to make sure the students learned what they were supposed to.

I saw the gym that was built just two years ago, where basketball and native festivals take place. I saw the heavy machinery breaking ground on the spot where a new dining room, kitchen and kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms will soon be.

Ten years ago the graduation rate at Tiospa Zina was 25 percent. Today it is 65 percent.

More importantly, I felt a real excitement in the community, and a real enthusiasm for the future.

When President Bush says "No child will be left behind" he’s talking about children in Indian country.

President Bush’s education plan has four major themes:

• To Increase accountability for student performance.
• Focus on what works using education research and proven education models.
• Reduce bureaucracy and increase flexibility.
• Empower parents.

The President’s major education policies are embodied in legislation now pending in Congress.

In the legislation:

• BIA-funded schools are allowed to get state or regional accreditation rather than meeting BIA’s federally imposed education standards.
• Tribes are allowed to improve and expand education programs at schools using their own resources.
• Indian parents are allowed to choose which BIA school their children will attend.
• Tribes are given greater say in repair and maintenance priorities, and Tribes and local school boards have more flexibility in making school staffing decisions.
• BIA inspectors are required to get a second opinion from an independent source – with Tribal input – before fully closing a BIA school for health and safety violations.
• BIA is required to spend all maintenance money at school sites, rather than diverting it to fund administrative activities.

BIA has been working with the Senate and the House to ensure the Bureau’s education system is included in the legislation. The Bureau commented on the substantive parts that impact BIA education programs.

President Bush’s budget includes $161.6 million to address critical health and safety concerns at existing education facilities – an increase of $13.6 million over last year.

This year, President Bush is committed to investing $292.5 million in BIA School Construction – an increase from last year.

The Santa Fe Indian School was built in 1889. It currently serves more than 550 students from reservations in Arizona and New Mexico.

The buildings have deteriorated to a point where critical components like electricity, plumbing, heating, air conditioning, ventilation, and fire and safety systems don't meet the very minimum requirements.

On the Turtle Mountain Reservation in Belcourt, North Dakota, 80 percent of the students attend classes in portable buildings located on a steep slope that creates dangerous winter time hazards. The pipes routinely freeze and the students shiver.

With help from Congress, this Administration will rebuild the Sante Fe and Belcourt schools and four others next year.

With those six schools built, 2,900 children will go to classes in new schools. After the first four years of the Bush Administration, one out of five Indian students will attend school in a new building.

We’re also announcing today that people can log onto the Internet – at www.buildaschool.bia.edu – and see photos of each of the schools being built. We’ll update the photos, from the first day of excavation to the final ribbon cutting ceremony, We’ll share the experience and the joy of building a new school. And everyone can watch it happen.

We’re building six schools, but I’m not satisfied with those numbers. I have asked Neal to look for creative ways and work in a bipartisan manner we can improve the bonding and financing for new schools and build them even faster.

We also know that it takes more than bricks and mortar to build a student’s mind. And we know that many of the solutions are not in Washington, they are in each Tribe, each community and each family.

The most influential teacher any child will ever have is a parent who loves them. The Family and Child Education Program – called the FACE program – is a unique literacy program that connects parents in a very personal way to our schools.

The program empowers parents to work with their children from birth through third grade with early childhood education, parenting skills, and adult education and training.

Research was done to test the program’s effectiveness. The result is for every dollar invested in FACE, six dollars were saved on remediation, welfare and teen pregnancy.

Beyond the numbers, the real life success stories are compelling. Michelle Lorenzo is a FACE parent whose children attend the Pine Hill School in New Mexico. She composed a winning essay this spring and wrote:

"The program has changed my life forever. Now, everyday I have something to look forward to. ... I am working to complete my GED. I know now what I want in life, and I have discovered I can do so many things. Things I couldn’t imagine before FACE of what I can do – like working at a computer, solving math problems and writing this essay!"

There are over 15,000 FACE success stories like Michelle’s across Indian country. I’m happy to announce that beginning this school year, we’ll expand this program to ten more schools – for a total of 32.

We must also re-intensify the amazing Indian spirit that dominates Indian life. Scientists say the Indian population was at one time 10 to 20 million strong. Indian people lived off the land, fought extreme hardship and persevered through tough times. Indian people were – as they are today – smart, tenacious and resourceful.

We can take that same spirit into our classrooms, and reignite our teaching of math, science, communication skills and Indian languages and culture. In doing so, we can achieve great things. We don’t need to travel far to find examples. If you attended a BIA school, please stand up. ... You are our proof. You are our success stories. And you are an inspiration to each child and each life you touch. To each of you, I applaud you. Today, five Indian schools are not connected to the Internet. It’s my honor to announce today, that by the start of the new school year every BIA school will be connected to the Internet. But that’s just the beginning. We are ensuring that teachers have the knowledge, training and resources to utilize this technology.

This summer, 50 teachers from Bureau schools are being trained at the Pueblo of Laguna through the Intel-Teach to the Future program. Each of these teachers will return to their schools and train ten of their co-workers how to connect technology with instruction. By the end of next year, we will have more than 500 teachers employing technology in their classrooms.

To ensure teachers have a user-friendly place on the Internet, the Office of Indian Education will provide culturally relevant lesson plans, Internet content standards, a student publishing center where students can display there work, and discussion pages where teachers can exchange ideas across the country. Finally, roadblocks for Indian children on the information Superhighway will come down – once and for all. Neal and I need your help to improve Indian schools. We want to hear your ideas, your concerns – and even your criticisms. I’ve promised to listen to people from all over this country, to involve them in our decisions, to tap their experience, and their wisdom, and their creativity. It is an inclusive approach, and that's what I can hope we can all follow. As I’ve said repeatedly since January, I am practicing a way of communicating called the Four C's. That’s consultation, cooperation, communication, and all in the service of conservation.

As Interior Secretary, I’m entrusted with protecting our the nation’s greatest treasures. The Department watches over the magnificent blasts of Yellowstone’s Old Faithful, the amazing sculptures of Mount Rushmore and the majesty of the mighty California Sequoias. But the true treasures of this Department are the 50,000 children who attend BIA Schools. It’s their hopes, their dreams and their futures that I cherish most. Working together, with a common mission and an open heart, we can help each of their dreams become a reality.

Thank you.

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Neal A. McCaleb will be a guest speaker today on Native America Calling, the national public affairs and news radio program on the American Indian Radio on Satellite (AIROS) and National Public Radio networks. He will address Indian Country’s response to calls for rescue and recovery support following last Tuesday’s terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Financial contributions from American Indian tribes nationwide currently total about $1.6 million in addition to humanitarian aid such as blood drives and rescue efforts. For example, the Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation of Kansas, the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut, the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians of California and the Tulalip Tribes of Washington State are among the tribes who have donated funds to the rescue efforts.

Also, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation of Connecticut turned two high-speed ferry boats it owns into recovery vessels that rescued people fleeing from the World Trade Center who leaped from a Manhattan pier to escape the destruction, and ferried firefighters, police officers and medical personnel from Long Island to the tragic scene.

For more information, contact NAC at 505-277-7999 or visit NAC’s web site www.nativeamericacalling.com.

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(Washington, DC)--The U.S. Department of the Interiors Office of Indian Affairs headed by Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Neal McCaleb will be hosting a National Indian Energy Summit “Indian Energy Resources, Helping to Fuel America’s Needs” at the Adams Mark Hotel in Denver, Colorado on December 6 and 7, 2001. The intent of the Summit is provide a forum for tribes, federal agencies, and private companies to communicate energy initiatives currently unfolding as well as opportunities available in the future for tribes and Individual Indian mineral owners to participate in providing a solution to the vast energy needs of the United States of America.

In May 2001, the National Energy Policy Development Group submitted their report, titled National Energy Policy, and one of the President’s priorities is to provide reliable, affordable environmentally sound energy sources. Part of the process is to assess the domestic energy resource potential for fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal, and coal bed methane) as well as renewable resources such as hydro, wind, solar, and geothermal power resources and facilitate new or increased production. Concurrent with development of energy resources is providing the infrastructure to process and carry energy to the end user as well. These infrastructures include such things as oil and gas refineries, pipelines, electrical power generation facilities, and electrical power transmission grids. This new focus on the nation’s energy needs will provide new and unique opportunities for Indian tribes and Individual Indian mineral owners to participate in this effort.

At the present, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) manages approximately 56 million acres of land held in trust for individual Indians and tribes in the lower 48 states and Alaska. There are 1.81 million acres actively leased of, oil, gas, and coal in various phases of exploration and development. These resources generated $160 million in royalty revenue paid to individual Indian mineral owners and tribes in1999 alone. It is estimated that an additional 15 million acres of underdeveloped energy resources exist on individual Indian mineral owners and tribal lands.

Production of oil, gas and coal from Indian lands has made significant contributions to national supplies. The contribution from Indian lands to national onshore production from 1937 through 1997 was 13.77% for oil, 10.73% for gas and 13.36% for coal. From 1980 through 1999, the contribution of Indian production was 11.03% for oil, 10.80% for gas and 10.70% for coal. It is apparent that production of energy minerals from Indian lands remains significant at greater than 10% of total federal onshore production (MMS Minerals Revenue Reports). Production from Indian lands in 2000 was 9.3 million barrels of oil, 299 billion cubic feet of gas and 21.4 million short tons of coal.

The keynote Address will be delivered by Gale A. Norton, Secretary of the Interior. Andrew Lundquist, Chief of Staff to the Vice President of the United States will provide an Overview of the Energy Policy for the United States. Tribes that are presently involved with energy production will speak about their experiences. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Spring and Yakima Nation will speak about Tribes Hydro-power Project on or near Indian Lands. The Southern Ute Tribe will speak about the Southern Ute Tribe Project a successful Partnership. The Honorable Daniel K. Inouye, Chairman, Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. The Honorable Ben Night Horse Campbell, Vice Chairman, Senate Committee and The Honorable Jeff Bingaman, Chairman, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources have been invited to the Summit. Panel discussions will include “What Can the Department of the Interior Do to Assist in Tribal Resource Development.” The panel will include representatives from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Mineral Management Service, Bureau of Land Management, Office of Surface Mining, and Bureau of Reclamation. During the Second day, an open forum for tribal leaders: The Future of Energy Development in Indian Country will be held. A. David Lester, Director of the Council of Energy Resources Tribes will facilitate the panel.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Acting Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Aurene M. Martin will be a guest on the “Indian in the Spotlight” program of Native America Calling on the show’s April 25, 2003, edition. NAC is the national public affairs and news radio program on the American Indian Radio on Satellite (AIROS) and National Public Radio networks. Assistant Secretary Martin will speak on today’s Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the 179-yearold federal agency that serves the nation’s 562 federally recognized tribes. She will discuss topics such as the pending reorganization of the Bureau, the progress being made in replacing aging BIA schools, the goals of the recently established American Indian Education Foundation (AIEF), as well as her perspective on the BIA’s role in improving economic and employment conditions in Indian Country. She will respond to questions called in by listeners. For more information, contact NAC at 505-277-7999 or visit NAC’s web site at www.nativeamericacalling.com.

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ROCKY BOY, MONTANA – Acting Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Aurene M. Martin traveled from the nation’s capital to the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation this afternoon at the personal invitation of Chippewa-Cree Business Committee chairman Alvin Windy Boy, Sr., for the dedication of a new $4 million campus of the Stone Child College.

Martin oversees a Department of the Interior program that has provided more than $1 million in operational grants to the administration of the tribal college in the current fiscal year. She says post-secondary education programs will be fundamental to the future economic security of Indian country.

“Supporting effective educational opportunities and improved facilities in Indian country remains a top priority for this administration,” Martin said today. “The community at Rocky Boy has put a strong emphasis on post-secondary education, working hard to build a school with a wide-ranging curriculum. I am proud to represent the Department at this important event, which is a milestone for the people of this region.”

The three new buildings to be dedicated on the Stone Child College campus include a 3,500 square foot cultural learning facility, a 13,300 square-foot student services building with community library and a 25,100-square foot academic and administration building. The school served an average of 350 students last year and awards associate degrees in a variety of academic programs.

Since assuming her leadership role for Indian Affairs programs at the Department of the Interior, Martin has provided a renewed emphasis for all educational programs, including the improvement and rehabilitation of facilities at schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

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

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