OPA

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Acting Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Donald E. “Del” Laverdure lauded Darwin Cajero, a student at the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) in Albuquerque, N.M., who was a featured speaker at the sesquicentennial celebration of the Morrill Land-grant Act of 1862, this past Tuesday, June 26, 2012, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

“I am pleased to see SIPI and Mr. Cajero in the spotlight with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and nearly 600 public university leaders and others from government, philanthropy and business to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Land-grant Act,” said Laverdure. “To be considered for this honor Mr. Cajero went through an extensive competitive selection process. His story is a testimony to all Native students who are actively making a difference seeking higher education and devoting their knowledge to their respective communities in Indian Country.”

The Morrill Land-grant Act was written by Senator Justin Smith Morrill of Vermont and signed into law on July 2, 1862, by President Abraham Lincoln. The legislation provided grants of federal lands to the states for the establishment of public universities and led to the democratization of higher education. The American Indian Higher Education Consortium , a national association of tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), also is celebrating the federal land-grant status of its 37 member institutions during the APLU’s national convocation. Cajero, who is serving as the TCU representative, was selected through a national competition..

“The scientific knowledge that I’ve gained has given me a wider view of our natural resources on the reservation,” said Cajero. “With education and experience I can help the tribe to address the areas of wildlife management, water quality, green energy and land use. I am grateful for my experiences and use them as a basis to mentor individuals from Jemez and students on campus— I don’t mind sharing what I have learned.”

Cajero is a tribal member from the Jemez Pueblo in New Mexico. He is the proud father of two daughters aged 14 and 10. He commutes 55 miles daily to attend SIPI where he is currently studying for an Associate’s degree in Natural Resources and a Certificate in Geospatial Information Technology. He has field experience in utilizing geospatial technology to map water resources for his Pueblo and is currently employed as an intern in the tribe’s natural resource department. Cajero is committed to pursuing his education, caring for his family, and fulfilling his traditional cultural obligations to his community as designated by his elders. He is an accomplished carpenter, homebuilder and enjoys hunting, horseback riding, and archery.

SIPI is a national Indian community college established in 1971 at the request of the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico and other federally recognized tribes in the U.S. to help train American Indians and Alaska Native for employment. It is one of 37 tribal colleges designated as 1994 land-grant institutions and is one of two post secondary institutions directly operated by the Bureau of Indian Education. It is advised by a national, tribally appointed Board of Regents. SIPI provides career technical training and transfer degree programs to students from the nation’s federally recognized tribes. It offers competitive job training programs; granting of Associate of Applied Science, Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees; and opportunities to transfer into four-year degree programs.

The Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs in the U.S. Department of the Interior oversees the Bureau of Indian Education. The bureau implements federal education laws, such as the No Child Left Behind Act, in and provides funding to 183 elementary and secondary day and boarding schools and peripheral dormitories located on 64 reservations in 23 states serving over 40,000 students from the nation’s federally recognized tribes. Approximately two-thirds are tribally operated with the rest BIE-operated. The bureau also serves post secondary students through higher education scholarships and support funding to 26 tribal colleges and universities and two tribal technical colleges. In addition to SIPI, it also directly operates Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kan.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Bureau of Indian Education today announced a new policy aimed at preventing domestic violence and sexual assaults at the two post secondary institutions operated by the BIE for American Indians: Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU) in Lawrence, Kan., and the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) in Albuquerque, N.M.

“As we recognize National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, it’s important that we recommit to breaking the cycle of violence,” Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn said. “One in five women have been sexually assaulted while in college, and this policy is an important step in our efforts to reduce domestic violence and sexual assaults at Haskell and SIPI.”

The policy outlines actions, response protocols, authorities, and roles and responsibilities for the institutions to address reports on sexual assault, stalking, dating and domestic violence incidents at their campuses. A copy is available for review here.

The new policy was announced at a two-day kickoff event at Haskell for “Restoring the Circle: Ending Violence and Abuse on Tribal College and University Campuses,” an initiative to address gender-based violence among college students and help increase awareness about reducing violence against American Indian women ages 16-24. The event was held by the BIE, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services (OJS), Haskell, SIPI, and the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), an organization of 37 tribal colleges and universities (TCUs).

Restoring the Circle is an initiative of the Office of the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs to stop violence against women on TCU campuses and to help keep them safe. Three TCUs are leading the campaign: Haskell, SIPI, and the United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) in Bismarck, N.D. These participating institutions – with a combined reach of approximately 3,600 American Indian students – are partnering with the BIE, BIA and AIHEC on the Restoring the Circle campaign. Other federal partners in the effort to stop violence against women on TCU campuses include the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women (OVAW).

Despite significant progress made in reducing violence against women, there is still a long way to go. In the last year, one in 10 teens reported being physically hurt on purpose by a boyfriend or girlfriend, with young women still facing the highest rates of dating violence and sexual assault.

The Restoring the Circle campaign kickoff event encompasses two goals: 1) educate and train the campus community about gender-based violence such as sexual assault, domestic violence and on-campus stalking, and 2) provide students with the opportunity to take ownership of the Restoring the Circle initiative by engaging in behavior-changing activities in the community.

The Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs oversees the Bureau of Indian Education, which operates the federal school system for American Indian and Alaska Native children from the federally recognized tribes. The BIE oversees and implements federal education laws, such as the No Child Left Behind Act, in 183 elementary and secondary day and boarding schools on 64 reservations in 23 states serving over 40,000 students. The Bureau also funds or operates off-reservation boarding schools and peripheral dormitories near reservations for students attending public schools. The Bureau serves post secondary students through higher education scholarships and support funding to 35 TCUs, in addition to operating Haskell and SIPI.

-DOI-

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Neal McCaleb today announced two separate actions concerning the final rule titled “Acquisition of Title to Land in Trust.” One action further extends the effective date of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) final rule on placing lands into trust that were published on January 16, 2001. The second action is to issue a Notice of Proposed Withdrawal of the final rule in order to seek comments on whether the rule should be withdrawn and a new proposed rule promulgated which better addresses the public’s continued concern with the trust land acquisition procedures set out in 25 CFR Part 151. The final rule revises and clarifies the procedures used by federally recognized Indian tribes and individuals to request the Secretary of the Interior to acquire title to land into trust on their behalf. The actions will be published in the Federal Register on August 13, 2001.

“Secretary Norton and I recognize that the land-into-trust process is critically important to helping tribes regain lost lands, but that it also has a major impact on state and local governments,” McCaleb said. “Through this action, all tribes, as well as state and local governments and communities and individuals affected by land-into-trust requests, will have an opportunity to improve the regulations in a way that makes the trust acquisition application process more efficient, open and fair for everyone.”

The two separate actions announced today delay by 90 days the final rule’s effective date to November 10, 2001, and give notice of the Department’s proposal to withdraw the final rule under a 30-day public comment period, during which time the rule in effect prior to January 16 will remain in effect.

The final rule was published in the Federal Register on January 16, 2001, and its effective date was delayed to August 13 by Notice published in the Federal Register on April 16, 2001. During the period from April 16 to June 15, 2001, the Department received 192 submissions from Indian tribes, state and local governments, and other interested groups and individuals articulating a variety of opposing views.

The Department is considering expediting and simplifying individual trust applications for housing purposes. These expedited applications will consist of five acres of land or less to meet individual housing needs. The Department is also considering requiring applications for off-reservation acquisitions and requests for approval of Tribal Land Acquisition Areas (TLAAs) to include land use plans to be approved by the Secretary as part of her review.

In response to several comments that focused on the lack of standards contained in the final rule, the Department is considering clarifying the standards that will be used by the Secretary to determine whether to approve an application and defining the burden of proof for the applicant and for those opposing a trust application.

In response to comments concerning the availability of applications for review, the Department is considering lengthening the time by 30 days that states and local communities have to review and comment on on-reservation and off-reservation applications maintained at local and regional BIA offices. The Department is also seeking comments on using computer technology to make applications easier to review.

The Department is not soliciting comments on the proposal to extend the effective date of the January 16 final rule due to the imminent August 13 date, and because seeking prior public comment on the temporary delay would be impractical and contrary to the public interest in the orderly promulgation and implementation of regulations.

The BIA provides services to and carries out the federal government’s trust responsibility for the 558 federally recognized Tribal governments and approximately 1.4 million American Indians and Alaska Natives nationwide.

-BIA-

ALBUQUERQUE – An estimated audience of almost 1,000 guests and dignitaries today watched as Interior Department officials formally dedicated the Bureau of Indian Affairs gleaming modern office building at 1011 Indian School Road N.W. in Albuquerque, N.M., to former Secretary of the Interior Manuel Lujan, Jr., and officially opened DOI’s new National Indian Programs Training Center (NIPTC), a major occupant of the facility. Interior Associate Deputy Secretary James E. Cason and Special Trustee for American Indians Ross O. Swimmer were joined at the dedication by state, local and tribal officials, including All Indian Pueblo Council Chairman Amadeo Shije and Pueblo of Jemez Governor and New Mexico State Representative Roger Magdalena.

“The Manuel Lujan, Jr. Indian Affairs Building is a remarkable achievement of the partnership between the Interior Department and the All Indian Pueblo Council,” Cason said. “As the new home for the Department’s Indian programs in Albuquerque, the Lujan Building carries on the ideals of its namesake who has worked tirelessly throughout his career on behalf of Indian country.”

Lujan represented the State of New Mexico in Congress from 1969 through 1989 where he was senior Republican on the House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee and vice chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. Appointed by President George H.W. Bush as the 46th Secretary of the Interior, Lujan sought to improve the BIA’s administration of programs and services to Indian people.

“I’m honored to have it named after me because many, many other people have worked in the background to get it built,” Lujan said. “It’s been a long time coming and badly needed by Indian country.” As Secretary, Lujan established education as a BIA priority, launched a series of education mini summits and regional meetings to expand economic development on Indian reservations, held the first Indian Tribal Leaders Conference and created a task force to make the Bureau a more efficient, effective organization. His administration also promoted tribal self-governance, Indian child welfare, and the preservation and protection of sacred Indian objects and human remains on Federal lands. In 1993, Lujan’s efforts led to the transfer of the BIA’s Albuquerque Indian School property into trust status for the benefit of the Pueblo people. Naming of the newest BIA building after him honored his long-standing support for the state’s Indian tribes.

The Albuquerque Indian School’s 44-acre site was developed by the Indian Pueblo Federal Development Corporation (IPFDC), the for-profit development arm of AIPC, a coalition of 19 New Mexico Pueblos. The IPFDC constructed the new facilities which comprise over 300,000 square feet within two structures – the Pete V. Domenici Indian Affairs Building (dedicated in 2004) and the 144,000 square foot Lujan Building, which was designed by DCSW Architects and built by the Dekker/Perich/Sabatini company, both of Albuqerque.

The buildings are connected by an interior hallway and house Indian program offices and personnel from the BIA’s Southwest Regional Office, Office of Indian Education Programs, Office of Management Support Services, Law Enforcement, and Information Technology; the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians; probate staff from DOI’s Office of Hearings and Appeals; and the National Indian Programs Training Center, which occupies the Lujan Building’s entire second floor.

“The opening of the National Indian Programs Training Center is an exciting step in our work of enhancing and reforming services for all Indian people,” Swimmer said. “NIPTC is vital to the continued development of a highly effective Interior and tribal workforce to fulfill our fiduciary responsibilities.”

Note to editors: A photo of the Manual Lujan, Jr. Indian Affairs Building/National Indian Programs Training Center may be viewed via the Interior Department website at www.doi.gov.

-DOI-

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of President Obama’s commitment to help strengthen American Indian communities, the Department of the Interior today released its revised Land Buy-Back Program Valuation Plan. The Appraisal Foundation (TAF), the nation’s foremost authority on appraisal standards and qualifications, performed a comprehensive review of the draft Plan, which was revised to incorporate all of TAF’s recommendations.

“There is no greater authority for establishing standards for appraisals and qualifications for appraisers than The Appraisal Foundation,” said Kevin Washburn, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. “TAF’s independent analysis confirms that the steps we are taking to determine fair market value for offers to landowners are cost-effective and conform to the best practices for valuation. We are grateful for their comprehensive review and have incorporated their recommendations into the Valuation Plan we will use in the months and years ahead as we work through a transparent process to provide fair market value to tribal landowners.”

The Valuation Plan will guide the methods Interior uses to determine the value of fractional lands held by Indian landowners to ensure that willing sellers are offered fair market value for their land interests. The Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program) implements the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which made $1.9 billion available to purchase fractionated interests in trust or restricted land from willing sellers within 10 years. Upon purchase, interests will be held in trust for tribal governments for their beneficial use.

TAF, a non-profit, non-partisan organization authorized by Congress to issue national appraiser standards and qualifications and guidance on valuation methods, found the Department’s Valuation Plan a sound approach to meeting the appraisal demands required of the Buy-Back Program.

“We are honored to participate in this historic project and to lend our expertise to the Department of the Interior and its mission to provide Indian landowners with a fair market price for their fractional lands,” said David S. Bunton, President of The Appraisal Foundation. “The Land Buy-Back Program is a massive undertaking deserving the highest quality in appraisal standards and techniques. We are pleased that the Department has incorporated all of our recommendations and we are confident that these will greatly benefit landholders for years to come.”

The Buy-Back Program has the potential to unlock millions of acres of fractionated lands for the benefit of tribal communities. Interior holds about 56 million acres in trust for American Indians. More than 10 million acres are held for individual American Indians and nearly 46 million acres are held for Indian tribes. The Department holds this land in more than 200,000 tracts, of which about 93,500 (on approximately 150 reservations) contain fractional ownership interests subject to purchase by the Buy-Back Program.

Because of the large number of properties involved, the Buy-Back Program plans to use mass appraisal techniques in which values are assessed simultaneously for many properties within a particular geographic area. TAF specifically analyzed and concurred with the Program’s determination that mass appraisals are the most efficient and cost-effective means to appraise similar, non-complex, vacant lands that have comparable land sales available. At the same time, recognizing that mass appraisals may not be appropriate for all tracts, TAF also reviewed the other appraisal methodologies identified in the Plan for such instances, including project appraisals and property-specific appraisals.

The Buy Back Program Valuation Plan was developed by the Office of Appraisal Services in the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians.

The revised Valuation Plan, TAF’s analysis, and the Department’s response to specific recommendations, are available at: www.doi.gov/buybackprogram/appraisals. More information about The Appraisal Foundation can be found here.

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Articles of incorporation for the first three Regional Corporations authorized by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, have been approved by the Department of the Interior.

The three regional corporations represent over one-third of the natives in Alaska. They are NANA Regional Corporation, Inc. - - Northwest Alaska Native Association (Kotzebue); Calista Corporation - - Association of Village Council Presidents (southwest coast, all villages in the Bethel area, including all villages on the Lower Yukon River and the Lower Kuskokwim River); and Cook Inlet Region, Inc. - - Cook Inlet Association (Kenai, Tyonek, Eklutna, llliamma).

In approving incorporation of the three associations, Harrison Loesch, Assistant Secretary for Public Land Management, urged nine remaining associations enumerated in the Native Claims Act to speed the filing of incorporation papers to establish eligibility to receive financial assistance in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1972.

Loesch formally approved the three regional corporations at a ceremony yesterday in the Department of the Interior. He pointed out that legislation approved by Congress and signed by President Nixon May 30, 1972, authorizes advances of up to $500,000 to each regional corporation requesting such assistance in fiscal year 1972. The Secretary of the Interior must determine that the regional corporations need financial advances for organization purposes, to identify land authorized by the Act, and to repay loans and other obligations previously incurred for such purposes.

In telegrams to the associations that have not filed incorporation papers, Loesch said that "no advance can be made unless approved by June 30, 1972, and none can be made except to corporations which are actually organized before that date.”

Loesch also said “establishment of regional boundaries will be a factor in considering release of any funds obligated for advancement, II and urged that boundaries be given immediate attention.

The nine remaining associations covered by the Native Claim’s Act are:

Arctic Slope Native Association (Barrow Point Hope); Bering Straits Association (Seward Peninsula, Unalakleet, Saint Lawrence Island); Tanana Chiefs' Conference (Koyukuk, Middle and Upper Yukon Rivers, Upper Kuskokwim, Tanana :River); Bristol Bay Native Association (Dillingham, Upper Alaska Peninsula); Aleut League (Aleutian Islands, Probolof islands and that part of the Alaska Peninsula which is in the Aleut League); Chugach Native Association (Cordova, Tatitlek, Port Graham." English Bay, Valdez, and, Seward); Tlingit-Haida Central Council (Southeastern Alaska, including Metlakatla); Kodiak Area Native Association (all villages on and around Kodiak island); and Copper River Native Association (Cooper Center, Glennallen, Chitina, Mentasta).

WASHINGTON – Interior Associate Deputy Secretary James E. Cason today announced that the Indian Affairs Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) has approved a $106,000 grant to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota for the Intertribal Council On Utility Policy (ICOUP) to train tribal members for employment in the wind turbine construction, installation, operation, and maintenance industry.

“The Northern Great Plains tribes have significant wind resources flowing over their lands,” observed Cason. “This grant will support ICOUP’s efforts to increase the technical capacity among tribes to undertake and sustain large-scale wind energy projects that will move them closer to energy self-sufficiency.”

The grant will fund ICOUP’s preparation of curriculum for a two-week intensive course in wind turbine construction, retention of a tribal educator for a wind energy employment training class, and production of a multi-part DVD outlining wind turbine construction and operation methods and digital documentation of the training course for distribution to tribes outside of the Northern Plains area.

ICOUP sought the IEED grant on behalf of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, which passed a resolution urging the Interior Department to fund a wind employment training program. In its resolution the tribe cited unemployment levels on Indian reservations in the Northern Great Plains ranging from 65 percent to 80 percent and stated that wind energy development “represents an important opportunity for new jobs and a better quality of life for tribal members.”

The tribe plans to install a 30-megawatt wind farm on its reservation in the coming year and has secured a power purchase agreement. ICOUP proposes to design and conduct the wind energy construction training program in anticipation of the Rosebud wind farm development project.

Cason noted that since the majority of trained wind construction crews reside outside of ICOUP member areas, the tribes must contract with such crews to assist with their wind projects. However, training tribal members would create locally available crews to reduce the cost of constructing what amount to large-scale economic development projects both on and off reservation.

“For tribes to undertake wind projects that can bring employment opportunities to their communities, they must have tribal members who possess the necessary skills in wind energy development, operation and maintenance,” Cason said. “Training is essential for ensuring that such projects succeed in becoming independent, self-sustaining business ventures for those they serve.”

The grant will be administered under IEED’s 477 Program. Established in 1994 under the Indian Employment, Training and Related Services Act (Public Law 102-477), the program allows federally recognized tribes to combine funds from up to 12 federal employment, training and welfare reform programs administered by Interior and the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services into a single, tribally operated program with a single reporting system. Participating tribes, which includes the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, can devote up to 25 percent of their total 477 funding for economic development projects to provide employment opportunities for their members.

ICOUP was organized in 1994 to provide a tribal forum for discussing utility policy issues, particularly those concerning telecommunications and energy utility operations and services, from both regulatory and economic perspectives. Its member tribes are located in North and South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa. The nonprofit organization is chartered by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and has its headquarters on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation.

The Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development was established to provide high-level support for the Department’s goal of serving tribal communities by providing access to energy resources and helping tribes stimulate job creation and economic development, and supporting the President’s National Energy Policy by fostering development of domestic energy resources to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign energy sources.

For more information, contact Dr. Robert Middleton, Director, Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, at (202) 219-0740. For information on the Intertribal Council On Energy Policy, visit www.intertribalcoup.org.

-DOI-

WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Carl J. Artman today announced that the Interior Department has published final regulations in the Federal Register implementing Title V of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-58) regarding Tribal Energy Resource Agreements (TERAs) under the Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act. The regulations will become effective on April 9, 2008.

“The Tribal Energy Resource Agreement is a major step for tribal self-determination and self-governance that will usher in a new era of tribal economic development,” Artman said. “It is a new tool for tribes who want to directly manage their energy resources and develop their renewable and non-renewable energy resources to benefit their communities and the nation.”

TERAs further the goal of Indian self-determination by promoting tribal oversight and management of energy and mineral resource management on tribal trust lands. With a TERA, a tribe may, at its discretion, and with the Secretary of the Interior’s review and approval, enter into business agreements and leases for energy resource development as well as grant rights-of-way for pipelines or electric transmission or distribution lines across its trust lands. The new regulations are optional for federally recognized tribes, some of whom may choose not or find they are unable to assume the greater level of oversight and administrative responsibility that TERAs require.

The new regulations, which can be found at 25 CFR Part 224, fully implement the provisions of 25 USC 3504, which lay out the process by which a tribe can consult with the Interior Department on whether a TERA is a viable means for it to use for energy development, what the TERA requirements and application consist of, and what the Secretarial decision-making process is. The regulations also provide for a periodic review of the tribe’s compliance with the approved TERA’s provisions.

“We stand ready to work closely with any tribe that chooses to establish a TERA with the Interior Department by ensuring access to the expertise and data necessary for this level of decision-making responsibility,” Artman said. “I have directed the Indian Affairs Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development to put these resources in place immediately.”

The IEED intends to hold a national information and discussion session for tribes on the TERA regulations in the near future with dates, times and location to be announced.

The Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development was established within the Office of the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs to provide high-level support for the Interior Department’s goal of serving tribal communities. It does so by providing access to energy resources and helping tribes with stimulating job creation and economic development in their communities.

-DOI-

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Crow Tribe Apsáalooke Nation, the United States of America and the State of Montana executed the Crow Tribe-Montana Water Rights Compact in an historic signing ceremony today at the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Crow Chairman Cedric Black Eagle and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer signed the compact—marking a major milestone in implementing the Crow Tribal Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010.

Today’s event signifies the resolution of more than three decades of litigation and negotiations, clearing the way to address pressing needs on the Crow Reservation for safe drinking water and the rehabilitation of the dilapidated Crow Irrigation Project.

“The Obama Administration is proud to be a party to the Crow-Montana Compact. Signing the Compact today demonstrates the Administration’s continued commitment to resolving Indian water rights and providing settlements that truly benefit Indian tribes,” Secretary Salazar said. “The Compact not only ensures delivery of a much-needed safe supply of water for the Crow community, but will also bolster their economic security.”

With signing of the Compact today, the Settlement Act authorizes $460 million, calling for the Bureau of Reclamation to plan, design and construct a Municipal, Rural and Industrial (MR&I) water system for the tribe and to rehabilitate and improve the Crow Irrigation Project.

"Today is a significant day for the Crow people," said Chairman Black Eagle. "We began negotiating the Crow-Montana Compact over a decade ago and with continued commitment by all of the parties, including the State and the United States, we were able to come together today and sign the Compact,” said Chairman Black Eagle. “Water is life. This Compact ensures that Crow people will have water and the necessary infrastructure for generations to come. Now the hard work continues to implement the Compact and Settlement legislation to ensure that Crow people realize these benefits from the settlement.”

“Today is an important day in Montana history,” Governor Schweitzer said. “The signing of the Crow-Montana Compact evidences the State’s dedication to successfully resolving both Indian and federal reserved water rights claims through settlement negotiations.”

The signatories also thanked both U.S. Senators from Montana—Sen. Max Baucus and Senator Jon Tester—for their leadership. As Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Baucus worked diligently to build a bipartisan compromise around the Crow-Montana Water Rights Compact to help successfully pass the legislation in 2010. Sen. Tester has been a strong supporter of the Crow Water Settlement both during his time as a Montana State Senator and as a U.S. Senator.

The signing ceremony with tribal, state and federal representatives was livestreamed to the public, including participants at the reservation in Montana. A recording of the ceremony is available at www.livestream.com/interior.

BACKGROUND

On December 8, 2010, President Obama signed Public Law 111-291, the Claims Resolution Act of 2010. Title IV of the Act, the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement, authorizes and directs the Secretary of the Interior to execute the Compact.

Together, the Settlement Act and the Compact quantify the Tribe’s water rights and authorize funding of $131.8 million for the rehabilitation and improvement of the Crow Irrigation Project and $246.4 million for the design and construction of the MR&I water system to serve numerous reservation communities, as well as funding totaling more than $81 million for tribal water administration and for a portion of costs for the irrigation and municipal water systems. The Settlement also provides funding to boost energy development projects such as hydropower generation at Yellowtail Afterbay Dam, clean coal conversion, and other renewable energy projects.

The existing drinking water system on the reservation has significant deficiencies in terms of both capacity and water quality, and many tribal members at times must haul water. The Crow Irrigation Project is in a state of significant disrepair and currently cannot support the Reservation's mainstay of farming and ranching.

Litigation concerning the Tribe's water rights has been ongoing since 1975. Negotiations with the State of Montana and the Crow Tribe on the Compact began nearly thirty years ago in the mid-1980’s. In June 1999, after reaching agreement with the Tribe, the State legislature ratified the Compact.

In March 2011, the members of the Tribe voted to ratify the Compact and Settlement Act. On July 15, 2011, Secretary Salazar and Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Mike Connor visited the Crow Indian Reservation to participate with Chairman Black Eagle and a crowd of 200 celebrating the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement.

The Crow Reservation is the largest reservation in Montana, encompassing about 2.3 million acres, and is home to approximately 8,000 of the 11,900 enrolled Crow tribal members.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) Director Keith Moore announced today that the Circle of Nations-Wahpeton Indian Boarding School from Wahpeton, N.D. has been selected to receive the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Green Ribbon Schools award.

“I am happy that our BIE School is being recognized for meeting the challenging standards of the Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools pilot program,” said Moore. “Being selected as one of the Green Ribbon Schools is a tremendous achievement in a national pool of applicants and allows BIE schools to take pride in our efforts to create healthy learning environments.”

The Green Ribbon Schools (GRS) program was recently launched by ED to recognize schools that save energy and reduce operating costs, create environmentally friendly learning spaces, promote student health, and provide environmental education to incorporate sustainability into their curricula. The recognition award is part of a larger ED and BIE effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about practices proven to result in improved student engagement, academic achievement, graduation rates, and workforce preparedness, as well as a government-wide aim to increase energy independence and economic security.

According to ED guidance, Green Ribbon Schools receiving the national award will have achieved or made considerable progress toward the three pillars established in the program: 1) energy efficient buildings; 2) healthy students and school environments; and 3) environmental literacy of all graduates. The combined achievement in these three areas will be the basis for the Green Ribbon Schools award. All schools must meet high college- and career-ready standards, be in compliance with federal civil rights laws, and all federal, state and local health and safety standards and regulations.

The bureau has posted additional information on their website, including the BIE Green Ribbon Schools application, training opportunities, and program timeline. For more information about the bureau’s participation in the program visit http://www.bie.edu/greenribbonschools/index.htm or visit the ED Green Ribbon Schools website at www2.ed.gov/programs/green-ribbon-schools to learn more about the program.

As part of this effort to promote a comprehensive approach to creating a healthier school environment in all BIE-funded schools, the bureau committed to the Let’s Move! in Indian Country (LMIC) initiative in 2010 and encouraged all BIE-funded schools to sign up to become Team Nutrition Schools. The LMIC website http://www.letsmove.gov/indiancountry includes information about resources, grants and programs available to assist schools in becoming healthier places of learning.

In addition to being selected for the Green Ribbon Schools award, the Circle of Nations School earned a 2012 Gold Award in meeting the U.S. Department of Agriculture's HealthierUS School Challenge criteria for school meals. The challenge was established in 2004 to recognize schools in the National School Lunch Program that create healthier school environments through promoting nutrition and physical activity. The program is a cornerstone of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative to solve the childhood obesity epidemic in a generation. Only three percent of the 100,000 participating schools around the country have actually received the recognition as part of the HealthierUS School Challenge. The Circle of Nations School has achieved tremendous accolades in their winning both awards.

The Bureau of Indian Education in the U.S. Department of the Interior implements federal education laws, such as the No Child Left Behind Act, in and provides funding to 183 elementary and secondary day and boarding schools and peripheral dormitories located on 64 reservations in 23 states and serving approximately 48,000 students from the nation’s federally recognized tribes. Approximately two-thirds are tribally operated with the rest BIE-operated. The bureau also serves post secondary students through higher education scholarships and support funding to 26 tribal colleges and universities and two tribal technical colleges. It also directly operates two post secondary institutions: Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kan., and the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque, N.M.