OPA

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has asked Congress to appropriate $928.7 million for its 1985 fiscal year programs and projects. This is an increase of $21 million over the 1984 appropriations.

The BIA will receive an additional $100 million for reservation road construction, through the Department of Transportation, under provisions of the Highway Improvement Act of 1982.

The budget also proposes FY 1984 supplemental including $17.0 million for the Ak-Chin Irrigation Project in Arizona and $7.4 million for welfare grants (as a transfer from the construction account).

Kenneth L. Smith, Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, said that the budget request reflects a continued effort on the part of the Reagan Administration to support Indian self-determination and tribal self-government. Smith noted that the Administration's Indian policy statement issued in January, 1983 called for the strengthening of tribal governments and special efforts to develop reservation economies.

The 1985 budget requests increases for two tribal development initiatives started in 1983. A program to help small tribes acquire basic management skills needed to administer tribal and federal programs has been increased from $3.5 million in 1984 to $5 million in 1985.

A "seed-money" program to encourage new reservation enterprises, requiring 75 percent of the total funding to come from non-federal sources, will increase from $5 million in 1984 to $10 million in 1985.

The budget request also includes $16.8 million for. Self-determination grants to tribes to help them expand their abilities to govern their own affairs on the reservations.

The importance of Indian education continues to be stressed with $273.4 million requested for the operation of Indian schools, assistance to Indian students in public schools, and adult and college-level programs. This total includes $29.5 million for assistance to Indian college students; $11.1 million for tribally controlled community colleges, and $9.1 million for three federally-operated post-secondary schools.

The 1985 request also includes $212.6 million requested for Indian services; $67 million for economic development and employment programs; $96.9 million for natural resources development; $47.7 million for trust responsibilities; $90.2 million for facilities management; $67.4 million for general administration and $73.3 million for construction projects.

Secretary of the Interior Don Hodel today pledged OOI support and active participation in President Reagan's war on drugs.

"The land managing agencies of the Interior Department long have waged a battle of eradicating marijuana growing on Federal lands. Now, as a result of the impetus given the war on drugs by the President, we have added incentive to continue our efforts. We are going to fight this battle until it is won, because we are going to return our national parks and public lands to the American people."

"Americans take great pride in their parks, wildlife refuges, and public lands. The public's awareness of the threats by drug abuse to values we cherish has been accentuated by last night's appeal by the President and Mrs. Reagan Those of us responsible for the maintenance of our lands are going to make sure this public trust is upheld

Hodel noted that his Department spent almost $17 million last year in "widespread and successful" efforts to rid public lands of marijuana and to carry out other anti-drug efforts.

A summary of the most recent significant activities undertaken by the various agencies of the Interior Department is attached.

SUMMARY OF DEPARTMENTAL ACTIVITIES

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT -- More than 14,000 marijuana plants have been found and destroyed on public lands so far in 1986 as a result of 53 raids in California, Colorado, and Oregon. This effort continues a 1985 program that resulted in the destruction of more than 50,000 marijuana plants growing on public lands. BLM is a full partner in the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP), a coordinated Federal, State, and local effort to eliminate marijuana growing in California.

BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS -- More than 7,000 high grade mar1Juana plants have been located and destroyed by BIA police teams in cooperation with Federal, State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies. Working in the States of North Carolina, California, South Dakota, and Oregon, BIA police destroyed harvest-ready marijuana plants, some of which were 15 feet high and would have produced 10 pounds of marijuana each. The Bureau is working with the Indian Health Service to develop anti-drug programs for Indian schools.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE -- National Park Rangers and Police have arrested those growing marijuana on park lands, those trying to smuggle drugs into the country across a national seashore, and those selling or using drugs in parks and recreation areas. For example, Park Rangers in Biscayne National Park in Florida have recovered four tons of marijuana and almost a ton of cocaine in five incidents in the park. The drugs had a street value of $800 million. Park Police helicopter patrols have discovered and destroyed marijuana growing in parks within Washington, D.C.

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY -- USGS scientists working with Federal and State officials, developed geographic criteria for finding the public lands most likely to he used for growing marijuana. These criteria -- such as access to transportation, water availability, topography -- were plotted in several areas, including Ozark National Forest in Arkansas and national forests in Northern California, and correlated with land cover data and aerial photography to pinpoint the most likely marijuana growing sites.

BUREAU OF MINES -- The Bureau of Mines has provided the U.S. Customs Service with the helium necessary to deploy large balloons along the Mexican border. The balloons provide a floating platform for 1,000 pounds of sophisticated radar equipment used to detect the low-flying aircraft often used by drug smugglers.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Photos, transparencies, and video footage on marijuana eradication activities are available from the Bureau of Land Management, 202/343-9435.

H.R. 3286 introduced into the House of Representatives on April 23, 1996 proposes to amend the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 making it easier for non-Indians to adopt Indian children without tribal consent, Ada E. Deer, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs announced today.

"I join the Administration's support for the general provisions of this bill, but as the trustee for American Indians and Alaska Natives I cannot support Title III of H.R 3286." "Title III of this bill, in my opinion, would in effect nullify major provisions of the Indian Child Welfare Act which were intended to preserve and maintain the cultural integrity of Indian communities and families," said Ms. Deer. "The provisions in this title set us back 30 years and destroy all the progress Indian tribes have made in protecting their children."

The Indian Child Welfare Act was passed after ten years of Congressional study expressing concern over the adoption of Indian children by non-Indian families: The intent of the Indian Child Welfare Act is to protect Indian children and the interest that an Indian tribe has in its children. The Congress recognized, when passing the Indian Child Welfare Act, that “States ... have often failed to recognize the essential tribal relations of Indian people and the cultural and social standard prevailing in the Indian communities and families." 25 USC 1901(5). At this time the House Rules Committee will allow amendments to H.R 3286. This will provide an opportunity for an amendment to H.R 3286 to be introduced which will delete any reference to amending the Indian Child Welfare Act.

'If Title III were to be adopted, it would effectively erode tribal sovereignty because it allows non-Indian forums to determine whether a biological parent maintains significant social, cultural, or political affiliation with the Indian tribe. This basic determination should rest with Indian tribal courts," said Ms. Deer. “To do otherwise strips tribal courts of their fundamental jurisdiction over this important matter and makes a mockery of Indian tribal sovereignty. Only a tribal forum can adequately determine the role that the extended Indian family fulfills on the reservation.”

The Indian Child Welfare Act provides for the protection of Indian children by ensuring that they would be adopted by culturally sensitive families. Ms. Deer stats, "It is very devastating for an Indian child to grow up in a non-Indian environment. An Indian child must know, feel and experience his culture.

Isolated hardship stories cited by the Congress about non-Indian adoptive parents should not form the basis for an amendment to the Indian Child Welfare Act. An amendment should be considered only after: proper consultation with Indian tribal governments has occurred."

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) The Bureau of Indian Affairs is a major sponsor of the American Indian/Alaska Native Tourism Association’s 2001 American Indian Tourism Conference, which will take place Sept. 9-12 in Bismarck, N.D. Over 700 people representing the 558 federally recognized tribes in the United States as well as tribes from Canada are expected to attend the conference, which is the largest of its kind in the country. The theme for this year’s event is “Preserving our past, sharing our future.”

“We are proud to sponsor such an important conference,” said Interior Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Neal A. McCaleb. “We recognize that tourism can play a significant role in the local economies of tribes here in the U.S., and the Bureau of Indian Affairs wants to take a proactive approach in helping to develop it.” Tourism also provides an opportunity to educate people about the many cultures represented by Indian nations, McCaleb noted.

Workshops and sessions will address cultural sensitivity, infrastructure development, state and federal participation, international marketing and other topics. The conference will emphasize developing the capacities of the federally recognized tribes to increase their share of the $541 billion U.S. tourism business, which, with a workforce of 18 million, is the country’s leading service industry, according to the Travel Industry Association of America. Bismarck was selected as the host city because of its importance to the Lewis and Clark expedition, whose bicentennial will be celebrated next year.

“Co-sponsoring the tourism conference and working closely with the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial activities are part of the BIA’s efforts to promote tourism as a viable component of a tribe’s economic development plan,” said Ed Hall, a Transportation Specialist who heads the Bureau’s tourism program. “The conference is also an international event giving tribal representatives from the U.S. and Canada an opportunity to share ideas and information.”

For many of the tribes in the U.S. one of the most critical barriers to tourism development is the lack of infrastructure, such as roads and utilities, on their reservations. “The Bureau will have a significant role to play in helping tribes develop the physical infrastructure they will need to accommodate tourists who come to their lands,” McCaleb said. He added that many of the tourism-driven improvements also would improve the basic quality of life for tribal communities.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s new entertainment complex at its Prairie Knights Casino and Lodge will be the site of the conference’s opening night reception. Other event activities include an Indian Market and Trade Show showcasing over 100 exhibitors and a Sacajawea/Lewis and Clark historical tour along the Missouri River. McCaleb oversees the BIA, a 176-year-old federal agency with almost 10,000 employees nationwide that provides services to, carries out its federal trust responsibilities for, and promotes the self-determination of the 558 federally recognized Tribal governments and approximately 1.4 million American Indians and Alaska Natives. The American Indian/Alaska Native Tourism Association is a national organization whose mission is to “facilitate a network of American Indian tourism interest to cooperatively identify cultural benefits, markets and tourism opportunities that will enhance Tribal business and economic development strategies.” The BIA is a member of AI/ANTA. For more information on the American Indian Tourism Conference, call 2001 Host Tourism Co-Chair Sandra Ann Poitra at 701-477-5495 or National Indian Tourism Co-Chair Gloria Cobb at 715-588-3324, or visit the conference web site at http://www.indiantourism.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Department of the Interior (DOI) is continuing its schedule of presentations to employees of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) on the reorganization of both agencies. Next week, employees of the Alaska Region will be briefed on June 10, 2003, in Juneau and June 12 in Anchorage. Midwest Region employees will be briefed on June 11 in Fort Snelling, Minn. The Department is seeking to increase accountability and efficiency in its trust management functions by reorganizing the agencies that manage Indian trust funds and assets. Presentations are taking place this month at the Bureau’s 12 regional offices and other locations around the nation.

The Alaska and Midwest Region employees will be briefed on the Department’s plan for reorganization of the BIA and OST, and on the Comprehensive Trust Management Plan (CTMP) at morning sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The CTMP describes how the new BIA and OST organizational structures will improve the delivery of trust services when the reorganization is completed. Tribal leaders from each region will also be briefed on the reorganization effort in subsequent sessions.

In 2002, the Department and the Tribes together undertook an ambitious effort to change the way the BIA and OST deliver trust and non-trust services to Tribes, tribal service populations and trust beneficiaries. The Plan is based on agreements reached with the Joint Tribal Leaders/DOI Task Force established by Secretary Gale Norton to examine and recommend proposals for improving service delivery to recipients and beneficiaries.

CREDENTIALS: Press registration will be provided. Please bring your sanctioned media credentials and if possible, wear on your shirt collar or around your neck for easy viewing. This will assist our staff. Press seating will be provided.

MEDIA AVAILABILITY:

Deputy Secretary Griles will be available for brief interviews immediately after the event; multi box and camera lights will be provided.

BACKGROUND:

To help reach settlement of a 34-year-old water rights dispute involving the San Luis Rey River in San Diego County, Metropolitan has agreed in principle to exchange or purchase up to 16,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water to be provided by the Department of Interior annually. Beneficiaries of the agreement are the La Jolla, Pala, Pauma, Rincon, and San Pasqua bands of Mission Indians, the city of Escondido, and Vista Irrigation District. Water from Metropolitan would supplement local water supplies in resolving the dispute.

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You can go to the Department of the Interior from here Yon can also view the index of press releases u.s. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC, USA

Public hearings to obtain comments on a proposed reservation plan for the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah have been scheduled by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). This plan has been recommended to the Secretary of the Interior by the Paiute Tribe and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

On April 3, 1980, Congress enacted P. L. 96-227, the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah Restoration Act, which restored the federal trust relationship to five Paiute bands in Utah and provided for the establishment of a reservation. The tribal plan calls for the selection of 15,000 acres from within the counties of Beaver, Iron, Washington, Millard and Sevier in southwestern Utah. The land is to be selected from available public, state and private lands. The hearings are being held in areas that may be affected by implementation of the reservation plan, as follows: Monday, May 17, 1982, 10 a.m. at Southern Utah State College, Recital Hall, Cedar City, Utah; 7 p.m. at Millard County Court House, Filmore, Utah; on Tuesday, May 18, 1982, 10 a.m. at Sevier County Court House, Auditorium, Richfield Utah; 7 p.m. at Emery County Court House, Castle Dale, Utah.

The hearings will provide an opportunity for persons within the affected area to respond to the plan. Public testimony will be included as part of the plan when it is presented to Congress by the Secretary of the Interior.

PREWITT, N. M. - Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton and Acting Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Aurene M. Martin today joined students and community members celebrating the opening of Baca/Dlo'ay azhi Community School, a K-6 facility serving approximately 390 students from the Prewitt and Thoreau communities on the eastern portion of the Navajo Nation reservation in New Mexico.

"'Back-to-school' will have a special meaning here this year because this school is not only a model of sustainable environmental design and 21st century technology but also embodies the elements sacred to the Navajo culture," said Interior Secretary Norton. "The Baca Dlo'ay Azhi School is one of 20 new Indian schools funded as part of President Bush's promise that 'no child will be left behind.' We are committed to ensuring that the 48,000 Indian students attending schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs receive quality education."

The BIA operates 185 schools in 23 states, either directly or through tribal grants and contracts. The opening today marks a milestone in BIA efforts to replace all of its aging schools with modern structures that are safe, comfortable, ecologically friendly and equipped with the most modern technology.

"This new facility will allow Baca Community School parents to focus on their children's education," said Martin. "We remain committed to the goal of replacing debilitated BIA schools to provide our students and teachers with a physical environment best conducive to learning."

Baca/Dlo'ay azhi Community School replaces two aging BIA schools - Baca Day School and Thoreau Boarding School - with a modern structure whose design combines Navajo culture with a 21st century learning environment. It is located adjacent to the historic Baca Day School site that was established in the 1930's. The firm of local architect Dyron Murphy, a Navajo Nation tribal member, designed the new structure

The school is also a landmark achievement in culturally sensitive and environmentally conscious construction. Its aesthetic design incorporates several elements of Navajo culture. The school's main entrance, for example, faces east to greet the morning sun--thereby symbolizing the beginning of life--and four wings, representing the four directions of the Navajo universe and painted in sacred colors appropriate to each direction.

The facility also incorporates the latest in computer technology and environmentally sustainable design features, including an optimized heating and air conditioning system and the use of recycled steel. In fact, this new facility is in position to become New Mexico's first building and the nation's first BIA-funded school to be certified by the United States Green Building Council for its "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" award. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, an agency of the Department of the Interior, has 10,500 employees nationwide and 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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