OPA

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, officials from the U.S. Departments of the Interior and Health and Human Services announced the opening of the second of seven cold case offices established through an initiative of Operation Lady Justice to investigate cold cases involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump joined Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt for the launch of the first cold case office in Bloomington, Minnesota, last week highlighting President Trump’s commitment to forgotten men and women across our country and actions taken to end the violence against American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Interior Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Economic Development – Indian Affairs Mark Cruz, a member of the Klamath Tribes in Oregon, and Administration for Native Americans Commissioner and member of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, Jeannie Hovland, were joined by representatives of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for South Dakota and tribal government and law enforcement officials at the opening.

“Under the Trump Administration, tribal governments are not alone in fighting the epidemic of pervasive violence against American Indian and Alaska Native people,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary Cruz. “I want to thank the tribal leaders and tribal advocates whose voices helped shape the conversation around this difficult subject. They are the driving force behind the signing of President Donald Trump’s executive order establishing the Operation Lady Justice Task Force that led, in turn, to the creation of these cold case offices.”

“Today, our shared presence, especially during these difficult times, is a demonstration of our commitment to keeping the national crisis of missing and murdered Native Americans a top priority,” said Commissioner Hovland. “We must move upstream to improve prevention, intervene for those in crisis, and support individuals, families, and communities in need of healing.”

The first office opening was on July 27, 2020, in Bloomington, Minnesota. Other offices will be located in Billings, Montana; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Phoenix, Arizona; Anchorage, Alaska; and Nashville, Tennessee.

President Trump's Executive Order established the Operation Lady Justice Task Force, a multi-agency effort co-chaired by Secretary Bernhardt and U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr. Its purpose is to enhance the operation of the criminal justice system and address the staggering number of missing and murdered American Indian and Alaska Natives in tribal communities.

The cold case teams have been established in accordance with Executive Order 13898 which President Trump signed on November 26, 2019, to address this crisis. They will be staffed with law enforcement personnel and newly appointed special agents from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS).

A way for top federal officials to engage, coordinate and work with tribal governments on developing strategies to address the crisis, the Operation Lady Justice Task Force is working to collect and manage data across jurisdictions; establish protocols for new and unsolved cases; establish multi-jurisdictional cold case teams; improve the response to investigative challenges; and provide clarity on the roles, authorities and jurisdiction for those involved. It is also charged with providing a report to the President of its work and accomplishments in meeting the executive order’s mandate.

Since 2019, the Department of the Interior and the BIA have undertaken a number of efforts to address the crisis, conducting criminal investigations, stopping illicit drug activity and solving missing and murdered cases.

The BIA-OJS and its partners have opened 200 percent more drug cases across Indian Country than in the last year of the Obama Administration, and their tribal law enforcement officers have seized approximately 6,000 pounds of narcotics worth $30 million in the past two years. Preventing further violence against American Indians and Alaska Natives is largely predicated on ending illicit drug activities and sex trafficking.

The BIA-OJS's partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, known as NamUs, has led to the development and implementation of new tribal-affiliation data fields to assist law enforcement with capturing information to track missing and murdered persons in Indian Country. Since the addition of these new data fields last year, there has been a 60 percent increase in Native-person entries into the system.

The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues, communicates policy to and oversees the programs of the BIA and the BIE, provides leadership in consultations with tribes, and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter-departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on Indian matters.

Established in 1974 through the Native American Programs Act (NAPA), the Administration for Native Americans (ANA) serves all Native Americans, including state and federally recognized tribes, American Indian and Alaska Native organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations and Native populations throughout the Pacific Basin (including American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). ANA promotes self-sufficiency for Native Americans by providing discretionary grant funding for community based projects, and training and technical assistance to eligible tribes and native organizations.

WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney today announced she has approved leasing regulations for the San Pasqual Band of Diegueno Mission Indians in California. This is the 60th set of tribal leasing regulations approved under the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Home Ownership (HEARTH) Act since its passage in 2012 and the fifth under Indian Affairs' new policy expediting the processing of HEARTH applications.

With the Assistant Secretary’s action and pursuant to the act, the Band is now authorized to enter into business leases on its trust lands without further approval by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).

"The San Pasqual Band’s HEARTH regulations marks the 60th application to be approved since the act was passed and the latest under Indian Affairs' new policy for expediting such requests," said Assistant Secretary Sweeney. "I congratulate San Pasqual and all tribes with approved HEARTH regulations that are now enjoying the freedom to control leasing on their lands without having to go through the Bureau of Indian Affairs first. With our ability to more quickly process HEARTH applications, I encourage any tribe wishing to expand its leasing authority to submit a request."

HEARTH establishes the authority of federally recognized tribes to develop and implement their own laws governing the long-term leasing of Indian lands for residential, business, agricultural, renewable energy, and other purposes. Once a tribe’s HEARTH application is approved, it is authorized to negotiate and enter into leases without further approvals by the Secretary of the Interior.

Tribes may submit HEARTH applications for agricultural and business leases of tribal trust lands for a primary term of 25 years and up to two renewal terms of 25 years each. Leases of tribal trust lands for residential, recreational, religious or educational purposes may be executed for a primary term of up to 75 years.

Interested tribes may submit their regulations by mail to:

U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs
Office of Trust Services, Deputy Bureau Director–Trust Services
Attention: Division of Real Estate Services
1849 C Street, N.W., MS-4620-MIB
Washington, D.C. 20240

The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues, communicates policy to and oversees the programs of the BIA and the BIE, provides leadership in consultations with tribes, and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter-departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on Indian matters.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs directly administers and funds tribally operated infrastructure, law enforcement and justice, social services (including child welfare), tribal governance, and trust land and natural and energy resources management programs for the nation’s federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes through four offices: Indian Services, Justice Services, Trust Services, and Field Operations. The Office of Trust Services’ Division of Real Estate Services (DRES) administers the HEARTH Act review process for tribal leasing regulations applications.

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Originally Published by: The Cherokee Phoenix

By: Tara Katuk Sweeney, U.S. Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs

As an Inupiaq, I grew up north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska, home to some of the most remote communities in the United States. Arctic living requires resourcefulness, respect for nature, and, most importantly, strong connections to community members. You can’t make it on your own, and like all tribal communities, social connectivity and kinship are critical to survival.

Connectivity has taken on a new, important layer of meaning today: broadband.

Broadband internet now serves as a vital pillar of social infrastructure; quality broadband is necessary for education, health, commerce, and cultural retention and revitalization. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the critical need for accessible and reliable broadband connectivity, especially for American Indian and Alaska Native tribes.

I invite tribal leaders and staff, industry thought-leaders, small and big business representatives, and policy advocates to participate in the second annual National Tribal Broadband Summit (Summit) taking place on Sept. 21 – 25. The Summit will be virtual with a conference line option and feature expert panelists and speakers from industry and government. Indian Affairs is proud to co-sponsor the Summit with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Native people in Alaska and across Indian Country face significant challenges with accessibility to broadband when compared to non-tribal populations. Overall, broadband deployment across tribal areas lags 25 percent behind urban areas and an average of five points behind non-Tribal rural areas.

The Trump Administration has worked to carve out a long-term broadband policy focus, including accessible broadband for Bureau of Indian Education students. Recently, Indian Affairs installed broadband on 25 BIE buses to promote learning and help with homework on bus rides that can be hours-long for many students.

Indian Affairs also awarded the first National Tribal Broadband Grant to 25 tribes in August 2020. This grant facilitates the funding of feasibility studies for tribes to determine the best path forward for broadband deployment.

The Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, NTIA leadership and other federal partners have opened their doors to Indian Affairs for collaborative problem-solving.

Indian Affairs recently offered several tribes technical assistance on their applications to the FCC Tribal Priority Window for the 2.5 GHz spectrum, which allows tribes to bid on available 2.5 GHz spectrum. At the request of the tribes, Indian Affairs successfully advocated for FCC to extend the priority window deadline by 30 days to Sept. 2.

Indian Affairs strives to honor tribal treaty rights and live up to the federal trust responsibility. We seek to develop initiatives informed and guided by tribal leadership and invite private sector participation to amplify fresh ideas and highlight new sources of capital. Closing the broadband gap in Indian Country requires collaboration from and between government and industry.

The 2020 National Tribal Broadband Summit provides opportunities for collaboration and problem-solving with policy and industry experts. I encourage those interested to review the agenda and look for possibilities to make creative connections with the Summit participants. Innovative investing, effective and consultative federal policymaking, and strong tribal leadership can overcome the broadband gaps for tribal communities.

Connectivity in the traditional and cultural sense for tribal communities – like my own – is everything: kinship and social bonds create the foundation for community. In a technological sense, connectivity or internet access is everything: broadband facilitates communications and transactions vital to homes and businesses. Please work with me on securing accessible, affordable and reliable internet connectivity for tribal communities across the U.S. and join me at the National Tribal Broadband Summit on Sept. 21 – 25.

Tara Katuk Sweeney, an Iñupiat citizen of the Native Village of Barrow and the Iñupiat Community of the Arctic Slope, has served as assistant secretary for Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior since June 2018. She also serves as a member of the Operation Lady Justice Task Force established by President Donald Trump’s Nov. 26, 2019, executive order on supporting and protecting Native American women and children.

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WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary -- Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney announced today that the U.S. Department of Interior’s Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) has approved $3 million in Living Languages Grant Program (LLGP) funds to 18 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages to document, preserve, and revitalize Native languages.

“A tribe’s traditional language is the foundation of cultural identity and is essential for the survival of our Native cultures, histories and values,” said Assistant Secretary Sweeney. “I’m proud that Indian Affairs has created an opportunity for language promotion and revitalization. The IEED Living Languages Gants Program is there to support tribal efforts to preserve and actively promote traditional language usage. I congratulate the awardees from this round of funding, and I wish them success in their language preservation programs. I also encourage other tribes to apply during the next Living Language grants funding opportunity.”

Grant submissions were rated on how effectively the language programs would document, preserve, or revitalize a Native language; the degree to which the language addressed by a proposal risks extinction; the likelihood that the instruction to be funded would revitalize the language by preventing intergenerational disruption; and the number of students or percentage of tribal members the proposal would benefit.

While only tribes were eligible for LLGP grants, grantees can retain tribal organizations, or for-profit and non-profit community groups to perform a grant’s scope of work.

LLGP grantees and amounts funded are:

• Cherokee Nation, OK: $200,000
• Citizen Potawatomi Nation, OK: $200,066
• Comanche Nation, OK: $169,443
• Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana: $198,559
• Douglas Indian Association, AK: $199,645
• Forest County Potawatomi Community, WI: $189,326
• Hydaburg Cooperative Association, AK: $188,430
• Igiugig Village, AK: $138,088
• Lummi Tribe, WA: $168,969
• Makah Indian Tribe, WA: $73,156
• Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, MA: $200,000
• Rosebud Sioux Tribe, SD: $199,829
• Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, AZ: $64,700
• Skokomish Indian Tribe, WA: $185,319
• Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, CA: $131,858
• Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, CO: $191,570
• Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska: $100,717
• Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, CA: $200,000

IEED is administering the Living Languages Grant Program through its Division of Economic Development (DED). Please visit the IEED website for more information about other IEED programs and services.

The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues, communicates policy to and oversees the programs of the BIA and the BIE, provides leadership in consultations with tribes, and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter-departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on Indian matters.

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Ada E. Deer, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs announced that the United States Supreme Court granted the federal government's petition for writ of certiorari on October 15, 1996 (95-1956) to review a decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. The Eighth Circuit's decision entered on November 7, 1995 (69 F. 3d 878) concluded that Section 5 of the Indian Reorganization Act is an unconstitutional delegation of legislative power.

Section 5 of the IRA (25 U.S.C. 461 et seq.) is the general statutory authority used by the Department of the Interior to take fee land into trust status for Indian tribes. "This statutory authority has been used as a basis for the federal government to assist Indian tribal governments in acquiring land to promote economic development and tribal self-sufficiency," Ms. Deer said. "The Supreme Court's ruling yesterday is a significant victory for all Indian tribal governments."

In granting this petition, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the decision of the Eighth Circuit is vacated. The Court further instructed the Circuit Court to vacate the judgment of the United States District Court in this case and remand the matter to the Secretary of the Interior for reconsideration of his administrative decision. The court case in the Eighth Circuit involved 91 acres of land placed in trust for the benefit of the Lower Brule Sioux Reservation under the authority of Section 5 of the IRA. Since this litigation was instituted there has been an administrative procedure added to the regulation (25 CFR 151.12) guiding the Department in taking land into trust for Indian tribes. This final rule, published in the April 1996 Federal Register (61 FR 18082) establishes a 30-day waiting period after final administrative decisions to acquire land into trust and provides an opportunity for the decision to be reviewed in the appropriate federal district court.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Acting Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Aurene M. Martin today approved gaming compacts between the State of Arizona and 17 of the state’s 22 Federally recognized tribes. “I congratulate the tribes and the State of Arizona for successfully completing the compacting process, and wish them much success in their economic venture,” Martin said. The compacts will take effect when notice of the BIA’s approval is published in the Federal Register. The compacts supersede and replace any existing compacts between the State and the tribes.

The compacts require the tribes to contribute a limited percentage of their Class III Net Win, defined as “gross gaming revenue, which is the difference between gaming wins and losses, before deducting costs and expenses,” to the State based on a sliding scale, in exchange for substantial exclusive rights to operate Class III gaming devices and other Class III gaming activities. The compacts also authorize the tribes to operate a variety of Class III gaming activities including blackjack, keno and pari-mutuel wagering on horse and dog racing.

The tribes whose compacts were approved are: Ak-Chin Indian Community, Cocopah Tribe, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, Gila River Indian Community, Havasupai Tribe, Hualapai Indian Tribe, Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, Navajo Nation, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Quechan Tribe, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, San Carlos Apache Tribe, Tohono O’odham Nation, Tonto Apache Tribe, White Mountain Apache Tribe and Yavapai-Apache Nation.

The BIA’s review of the compacts concluded that they do not violate the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 (IGRA), federal law or its trust obligation to Indians.

The Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs has responsibility for fulfilling the Department’s trust responsibility to American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and individuals, as well as promoting tribal self-determination and economic development. The Assistant Secretary also oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which is responsible for providing services to approximately 1.4 million American Indians and Alaska Natives from the nation’s 562 Federally recognized tribes.

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WASHINGTON – Today at the 63rd Departmental Honor Awards Convocation held in the Sydney R. Yates Auditorium at the U.S. Department of the Interior, it was a time for the Department to honor its own – those who have served with sudden seconds of valor and long years of excellence. At the ceremony a private citizen and three Bureau of Indian Affairs employees were among the many to be awarded for their bravery, outstanding contributions and dedicated service to the Department. Edward D. Marsette of Auburn, WA, a private citizen was awarded the Citizen’s Award for Bravery he was the only person to receive that honor from the Department this year. Mr. Wayne Nordwall, Phoenix, AZ was given the Distinguished Service Award. Mr. Wayne Sumatzkuku, Phoenix, AZ received the Meritorious Service Award, and Pierre Cantou, Phoenix, AZ was awarded the Meritorious Service Award.

“Each of our employees honored today distinguished themselves with either an act of bravery or a long rewarding career that made a difference in peoples lives,” Associate Deputy Secretary James E. Cason said. “They exemplify the type of employees we have working at the BIA and the individuals that live in reservation communities across the country.”

Accompanied by family and the Tribal Chairman of the Muckleshoot Tribe, Mr. Edward D. Marsette of Auburn, WA was awarded the Citizen’s Award for Bravery, which is awarded to private citizens for heroic acts or unusual bravery in the face of danger. Recipients have risked their lives to save the life of a Departmental employee or the life of any other person while on property owned by or entrusted to the Department of the Interior.

On Wednesday, March 15, 2006, at 1:00 a.m., a vehicle occupied by six Muckleshoot Tribal members traveling on the Auburn/Enumclaw Highway on the Muckleshoot Reservation flipped, crashed into a utility pole, and caught fire. Mr. Marsette, a Chippewa Cree from the Rocky Boy Reservation in Montana, awoke when he heard the crash. Mr. Marsette ran from his home to the top of an embankment where he could see an overturned automobile, in flames. Without regard for his personal safety, Mr. Marsette plunged fifteen feet down a steep embankment toward the highway to help the victims. Mr. Marsette repeatedly reached into the burning vehicle to assist the remaining occupants, receiving burns on his hands, legs, and forearms. Mr. Marsette was able to pull three of the five passengers trapped in the vehicle to safety; unfortunately two occupants of the vehicle did not survive. Mr. Marsette remained with the victims until law enforcement and emergency medical personnel arrive before seeking treatment for his own injuries.

Mr. Wayne Nordwall, the former Western Regional Director, a member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians was awarded the Distinguished Service Award for his outstanding contributions, commitment, and dedicated service to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Department of the Interior. Mr. Nordwall began his Federal career in 1977 with his appointment to the Rights Protection Office in the Bureau of Indian Affairs. In 1981, he transferred to the Office of the Solicitor, Division of Indian Affairs and worked with Departmental representatives, Indian leaders and members of Congress to fashion a legislative solution that led to the passage of the Indian Land Consolidation Act of 1983. In November 1997, he was appointed to the Senior Executive Service and accepted the most challenging role of his career as the Regional Director for the Western Region of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Phoenix, AZ. Mr. Nordwall oversaw the jurisdiction of 13 million acres for tribal and individually owned land in Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and Southern California. He took an active role in working on trust reform initiatives for the Bureau, including the American Indian Probate Reform Act.

Mr. Wayne Sumatzkuku, a Realty Specialist, Office of Realty Services, Western Regional Office in Phoenix AZ, a member of the Hopi Tribe received the Meritorious Service Award for his dedicated career to the administration of the United States’ core trust responsibilities to Indian tribes and individuals, primarily with land titles and conveyances. Early in his career he served as the Bureau’s top archivist and title research specialist in the Office of Real Estate Services. Since 1990, Mr. Sumatzkuku has been at the Western Regional Office in Phoenix, AZ where he has been solely responsible for implementing the land components of some of the largest settlements enacted by Congress, including a complex claims settlement act involving two Nevada tribes, land claims settlement acts for the Hopi and San Lucy Tribes, and various statues enacted to resolve litigation between tribes and states, local communities, and third parties.

Mr. Pierre Cantou is a Para Legal Specialist with the Office of Realty Services, Western Regional Office in Pheonix, AZ. He received the Meritorious Service Award for 32 years at the Western Region, where he has worked on regional rights protection and real estate programs providing key documents and analysis in support of various litigation and legislation. Mr. Cantou has been recognized as a leading expert on all matters relating to surveys, land and water rights claims. With his institutional knowledge he has proved invaluable in successful, decades long efforts to resolve land and boundary disputes involving the Hopi, Hualapai, San Carlos, Colorado River, Chemehuevi, Quechan, Western Shoshone, and Unitah and Ouray Tribes. He has recently headed up the Regional Office’s response to data calls and records-related trust reform initiatives arising form the Cobell litigation. Note to editors: A photo of the Department Honor Award Recipients may be viewed via the Interior Department website at www.doi.gov.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Interior Associate Deputy Secretary James E. Cason today announced that the Department of the Interior has completed its review of the Environmental Analysis (EA) of the proposed Monticello Raceway Casino project submitted by the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe of New York. Cason has determined that, under the National Environmental Policy Act, the EA is sufficient and an Environmental Impact Statement is not required. Cason has signed and the Bureau of Indian Affairs is issuing a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the project.

“The present action is narrow in scope and should not be regarded as suggesting a future commitment to take the subject land into trust or to approve a compact to conduct gaming on that property pursuant to Section 20 of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act,” wrote Cason in a letter to the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe dated Dec. 21, 2006.

The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe already has an existing reservation of almost 15,000 acres of land in the state of New York, which is held in restricted fee status. The tribe has proposed that the United States take another 29.31 acres of land into trust for an approved casino project. The subject property is located in the Village of Monticello more than 450 miles from the reservation.

Cason further advises in his letter that the statutory, regulatory, and policy environment is changing with regard to Section 20 gaming applications. “We share the concerns that many have expressed with off-reservation gaming and so-called “reservation shopping.” The Department will be reviewing the regulations that govern the processing of fee-into-trust applications (25 CFR Part 151). We anticipate changes to the rules that may result in fewer off-reservation properties being accepted into trust.”

The Secretary of the Interior has authority under 25 CFR Part 151 to take land into trust for the benefit of federally recognized tribes. Copies of the signed FONSI statement and letters were sent to the St. Regis Mohawk tribal leadership and to Gov. Pataki on Dec. 21, 2006. The Interior Department will continue to work with the Tribe, representatives of local jurisdictions, and the public in the future consideration of the application.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The fiscal year 2009 budget requests $2.2 billion for Indian Affairs, which includes Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) programs. The budget request includes increased funding for the Interior Department’s Safe Indian Communities and Improving Indian Education initiatives as well as for the Indian Guaranteed Loan and Job Placement programs to meet tribal and individual Indian business financing needs and to help alleviate high unemployment rates in Indian Country.

The Safe Indian Communities and Improving Indian Education initiatives are the two major efforts undertaken by the Interior Department in FY 2008 and continued in FY 2009 to protect the lives and property of Indian Country residents and to improve the academic performance of students attending BIE-funded schools.

Tribal leaders from across the nation have attested to the crisis that has occurred throughout Indian Country from the spread of methamphetamine, calling crime stemming from the drug’s use the number one public safety problem in their communities.

Because of their rural, isolated nature and widely dispersed law enforcement, tribal communities have been subjected to attack by organized crime and foreign drug cartels, resulting in a violent crime rate that, in some places, is 10 to 20 times the national average. In addition, residents of Federal Indian reservations on the U.S. – Mexico border also have had to face threats to their lives and property from drug dealers.

The FY 2009 budget request includes a $2.9 million increase over the FY 2008 enacted budget for the Safe Indian Communities Initiative, for a total of $26.6 million. With a cumulative investment of $50.3 million over two years, the Department will assist tribes with suppressing the production and distribution of methamphetamine, address related effects such as drug abuse and child neglect and abuse, and increase staffing in BIA-funded detention centers. The request also provides funding for: 1) additional officers for law enforcement, 2) specialized drug training for existing officers, 3) support for public awareness campaigns for the Indian public, and 4) additional resources to protect tribal lands located on the U.S. border.

The Safe Indian Communities Initiative increase will put additional law enforcement agents in targeted communities throughout Indian Country and fund additional training for the current force. The BIA also will expand the use of a mobile meth lab for training tribal police in identifying, investigating and mitigating the effects of methamphetamine use in their communities to more effectively combat drug-related crime. Targeted communities will be identified through a needs analysis that looks at the rate of violent crime, service population and current staffing levels.

One way to aid Indian Country children and youth and improve their resistance to drug use and crime is to ensure that they receive a quality education. The Improving Indian Education Initiative is key to ensuring that BIE students will enhance their academic performance with funding to hold schools accountable for meeting adequate yearly progress (AYP) goals under the No Child Left Behind Act. Only 30 percent of BIE-funded schools are currently achieving their AYP goals. The Improving Indian Education Initiative promotes student achievement so that more schools will achieve AYP.

The FY 2009 budget request includes an increase of $1.4 million over the FY 2008 enacted budget for the Improving Indian Education Initiative, for a total of $25.5 million. The request includes an increase for formula funding which directly supports school education programs. The request also includes funding increases for employee displacement costs at five schools expected to convert from BIE-operated to tribally operated status and technology investments.

The FY 2009 budget request for Education Program Enhancements provides reading programs, tutoring, mentoring and intensive math and science initiatives at schools which are required to take corrective action to promote student achievement. In FY 2008, the Congress provided $12.1 million for enhancements. The BIE continues this program 2008 budget request level of $5.2 million.

The request also includes an increase of $1.3 million for the BIE’s information technology infrastructure that supports education program applications. The increase will provide more bandwidth for the education IT network, which provides email and internet access for all 184 BIE-funded elementary and secondary schools, 14 tribal colleges and universities, adult learning centers and libraries and aids in school compliance with reporting requirements.

Overall, the FY 2009 budget request for the Operation of Indian Programs is $2.0 billion, a reduction of $59.5 million below the 2008 enacted level.

The FY 2009 budget request for Construction is $173.3 million, a reduction of $30.5 million from the 2008 enacted level. Included within this request amount is $115.4 million for Education Construction, a reduction of $27.6 million from the 2008 enacted level. The FY 2009 request fully funds the replacement of the Dennehotso Boarding School, a K-8 on-reservation boarding school in Arizona, and replaces buildings at the Chinle Boarding School, a K-8 on reservation boarding school in Many Farms, Ariz.

The Education Construction request also includes funding for facilities improvement and repair projects including $50.7 million for annual maintenance. In addition, employee housing is funded at $1.6 million.

Improving the economic viability of tribal communities through tribal and individual entrepreneurship is another way to ensure a brighter future for Indian Country. The Fiscal Year 2009 budget request includes an increase of $2.0 million for the Indian Guaranteed Loan Program, the Federal guaranteed loan program for tribal and individual Indian businesses located on Federal Indian trust lands or in tribal service areas. At the request level, the program will be able to guarantee up to a total of $85.2 million in loans. The budget also includes a $1.0 million increase for the Job Placement and Training program to add training programs for construction trades and employment caseworkers who assist tribal members with job placement.

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