OPA

(Washington)-- Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Neal A. McCaleb will participate in a ground breaking ceremony held by the Muskogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma for a six million dollar office building that will house a Bureau of Indian Affairs regional office. "This project is an example of federal and tribal governments working to ensure needed services continue in a cooperative effort." said Perry Beaver, Principle Chief of the Creek Nation. The ground breaking ceremony will take place in Muskogee, Oklahoma on Friday, December 14, 2001 at 10:00 a.m. at the site located at Highway 69 and Peak Boulevard.

The 4500 square foot building is slated to be completed in September 2002, and will house the Bureau of Indian Affairs Eastern Oklahoma Regional office, which administers programs for the 21 federally acknowledged tribes located in eastern Oklahoma. "I'm glad the tribe took a proactive approach to providing economic development for the region and for helping the Bureau of lndian Affairs with a space problem at it's present facility," said Assistant Secretary Indian Affairs McCaleb. "It's a win-win situation for both parties."

The ground bre4king ceremony will include addresses by Will Freeman, Executive Director of the Muskogee Creek Nation. R. Perry Beaver, Principal Chief of the Muskogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma. U.S. Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Neal A. McCaleb.

The Muskogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma has 51,000 tribal members. They are located on land in the north-central portion of Oklahoma including the city of Tulsa. The tribe has 6,000 acres of land under federal trust and over 1.9 million acres allotted to it's members. It's capital is located at Okmulgee, Oklahoma.

The Bureau of lndian Affairs, a 176-year-old federal agency has 12 regional offices with approximately 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.

-BIA-

Washington – Associate Deputy Secretary James E. Cason today announced that the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED), in the Office of the Assistant Secretary Indian Affairs is a sponsor of the 20th Annual National Reservation Economic Summit & American Indian Business Trade Fair better known as RES 2006. The four day event is hosted by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED), and will be held on February 6-9, 2006 at Las Vegas, Nevada.

“We are pleased to support an endeavor that has shown to have a significant economic impact on reservation economies,” said James E. Cason. “Our involvement fits perfectly with President Bush’s effort to help the American Indian people develop entrepreneurial opportunities that will create jobs for Indian country and America.”

The IEED has developed an integrated symposium titled: “Moving from Talk to Action.” The track will feature six seminars that will focus on Tribal Economic Development and Indian Energy Development. The seminars are the following: 1) Roadmaps for Tribal Economic Development; 2) Access to Capital; 3) Successful Tribal Economic Development Stories; 4) Accelerated Development of Indian Fossil Fuel Resources; 5) Building Renewable Energy in Indian Country; and, 6) Educating a New Generation of Tribal Energy Leaders.

The Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development is the Department’s lead office to assist tribes and individuals with the exploration, development and management of energy resources in order to create sustainable economies for reservations.

The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development is a non-profit organization solely dedicated to developing American Indian economic self-sufficiency through business ownership. For more information about the summit contact NCAIED directly at (480)545-1298 or go to their web site at: www.ncaied.org.

--DOI--

WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that, as part of the Interior’s Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program, and in cooperation with five Interior agencies, the Bureau of Reclamation is approving two long-term research and experimental programs of high-flow releases and native fish protection to preserve and improve the Grand Canyon and its resources. Together, these decisions represent the most important experimental modification of operations of Arizona’s Glen Canyon Dam in over sixteen years.

The two programs authorize changes in flow releases from the dam to meet water and power needs, but also to allow better conservation of sediment downstream, more targeted efforts to control non-native fish predation, and continued scientific experimentation, data collection, and monitoring to better address the important resources in the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam.

“We’ve gained tremendous knowledge about the unique resources of the Grand Canyon in the Colorado River downstream of Glen Canyon Dam over the past sixteen years,” said Secretary Salazar. “Today’s decisions constitute a milestone in the history of the Colorado River and will provide a scientific foundation to improve future operations to benefit resources in the Grand Canyon, as well as the millions of Americans who rely on the river for water and power.”

The first program establishes a long-term protocol for testing high-flow releases from Glen Canyon dam to determine whether multiple high flow events can be used to rebuild and conserve sandbars, beaches, and associated backwater habitats that have been destroyed or lost over the years of the dam’s construction and operation. The experimental protocol will simulate natural flood conditions in order to provide key wildlife habitat, potentially reduce erosion of archaeological sites, enhance riparian vegetation, maintain or increase camping opportunities, and improve the wilderness experience along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park. The protocol is designed to take full advantage of sediment provided by tributaries of the Colorado River as a result of rainstorms and monsoons.

The protocol for high-flow experimental releases applies scientific information gained in previous high flow releases in 1996, 2004, and 2008 and provides the necessary, flexible framework to conduct further experimental releases through 2020 to determine the optimal timing, duration, frequency, and conditions that will maximize ecological and riparian benefits downstream in the Grand Canyon. For more information on the program, click here.

The second program outlines a series of actions and research to control non-native fish and protect endangered native fish in the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam. Conservation of native fish, particularly the endangered humpback chub, will be enhanced by reducing the threat of predation and competition from non-native fish and improving critical habitat. The actions will also ensure continued compliance with the Endangered Species Act and a Final Biological Opinion issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2011. Extensive government-to-government tribal consultations and analyses were conducted to ensure the required non-native fish control actions can be implemented in a way that respects tribal perspectives. For more information on the program, click here.

“Implementation of these two programs marks a huge step forward in integrating the management of a dam that’s critical to the delivery of water and power to millions of people in the Southwest with better conservation of the incredible values of the Grand Canyon,” said Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Anne Castle. “We are refining our operations to reflect what we’ve learned and address the concerns expressed by several Native American tribes about the management of fish at locations honored as sacred sites by many of the tribes and pueblos.”

The actions outlined in both detailed Environmental Assessments completed today include important scientific research and monitoring components that are fundamental to the adaptive management process. Reclamation has primary responsibility for operation of Glen Canyon Dam and the National Park Service has primary responsibility for Grand Canyon National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

"The National Park Service is a strong supporter of high flow tests to help determine how best to rebuild and sustain the beaches and sand bars below Glen Canyon Dam. We appreciate the extensive collaboration required to develop these research programs which are critical to preserving the awesome resources and visitor experience along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park," said Jonathan B. Jarvis, Director of the National Park Service.

Today’s actions represent the most comprehensive experiment for protection of the Grand Canyon since Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt signed a Record of Decision in 1996 and conducted the first high flow release. The experiments will help answer critical questions about the complex interactions between dam releases and resource responses, and also advance the goal of the Grand Canyon Protection Act to improve resource conditions.

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WASHINGTON, DC – Following Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell’s recent visit with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation, Deputy Secretary of the Interior Mike Connor today announced that more than $8.3 million in purchase offers have been mailed to nearly 2,100 individual landowners with fractional interests on that reservation. This mailing will kick off several weeks of additional purchase offers to landowners who own fractional land interests on the Umatilla, Coeur d’Alene, Lake Traverse (homeland of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate) and Crow Indian Reservations.

As part of President Obama’s commitment to help restore tribal homelands, the Department’s Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program) has successfully concluded transactions worth almost $103 million, restoring the equivalent of nearly 265,000 acres of land to tribal governments.

“The success of the Buy-Back Program is reflected in our ongoing collaborations with tribal governments and active outreach to individual owners,” said Deputy Secretary Connor. “We know that tribal leaders can best explain the value of reducing fractionated lands and the significant benefit to Indian Country, and we are committed to making sure that individuals are aware of this historic opportunity to strengthen tribal sovereignty by supporting the consolidation of Indian lands.”

The Buy-Back Program implements the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractional interests in trust or restricted land from willing sellers at fair market value within a 10-year period. Individuals who choose to sell their interests receive payments directly into their Individual Indian Money (IIM) accounts. Consolidated interests are immediately restored to tribal trust ownership for uses benefiting the reservation community and tribal members.

There are almost 245,000 owners of nearly three million fractional interests, spanning 150 Indian reservations, who are eligible to participate in the Buy-Back Program. Many see little or no economic benefit from what are often very small undivided interests in lands that cannot be utilized due to their highly fractionated state.

In addition to receiving fair market value for their land based on objective appraisals, sellers also receive a base payment of $75 per offer, regardless of the value of the land.

Flathead Reservation landowners will have until October 24, 2014 to return accepted offers.

Sales of land interests will also result in up to $60 million in contributions to the Cobell Education Scholarship Fund. This contribution is in addition to the amounts paid to individual sellers, so it will not reduce the amount landowners receive for their interests.

Landowners can contact the Trust Beneficiary Call Center at (888) 678-6836 with questions about their purchase offers. Individuals can also visit their local Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST), or Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) office or find more information at www.doi.gov/buybackprogram/landowners in order to make informed decisions about their land.

Individual participation is voluntary. A decision to sell land for restoration to tribes does not impact a landowner’s eligibility to receive individual settlement payments from the Cobell Settlement, which are being handled by the Garden City Group. Inquiries regarding Settlement payments should be directed to (800) 961-6109

WASHINGTON, DC – Deputy Secretary of the Interior Mike Connor today announced that purchase offers have been sent to nearly 1,800 landowners with fractional interests on the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon as part of the Department of the Interior’s commitment to reduce fractionation and strengthen tribal sovereignty through its Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program).

Thus far, the Buy-Back Program has successfully concluded transactions worth more than $115 million and has restored the equivalent of almost 270,000 acres of land to tribal governments.

“We continue to fulfill President Obama’s pledge to help strengthen Native American communities with the ongoing momentum and steady implementation of the Buy-Back Program,” said Deputy Secretary Connor. “We must work together to ensure individuals are aware of this historic opportunity to support the consolidation of tribal lands for the benefit of each tribal community.”

Umatilla landowners will have until October 31, 2014, to return accepted offers.

The Buy-Back Program implements the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractional interests in trust or restricted land from willing sellers at fair market value within a 10-year period. Individuals who choose to sell their interests receive payments directly into their Individual Indian Money (IIM) accounts. Consolidated interests are immediately restored to tribal trust ownership for uses benefiting the reservation community and tribal members.

There are almost 245,000 owners of nearly three million fractional interests, spanning 150 Indian reservations, who are eligible to participate in the Buy-Back Program. Many see little or no economic benefit from what are often very small undivided interests in lands that cannot be utilized due to their highly fractionated state.

In addition to receiving fair market value for their land based on objective appraisals, sellers also receive a base payment of $75 per offer, regardless of the value of the land.

Offers are also pending for landowners with fractional interests at the following locations:

• Gila River Indian Reservation: October 10, 2014 ·
• Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation: October 17, 2014 ·
• Flathead Indian Reservation: October 24, 2014

Sales of land interests will also result in up to $60 million in contributions to the Cobell Education Scholarship Fund. This contribution by Interior is in addition to the amounts paid to individual sellers, so it will not reduce the amount landowners receive for their interests.

Landowners can contact the Trust Beneficiary Call Center at 888-678-6836 with questions about their purchase offers. Individuals can also visit their local Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) or Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) office, or find more information at www.doi.gov/buybackprogram/landowners in order to make informed decisions about their land.

Individual participation is voluntary. A decision to sell land for restoration to tribes does not impact a landowner’s eligibility to receive individual settlement payments from the Cobell Settlement, which are being handled by the Garden City Group. Inquiries regarding Settlement payments should be directed to (800) 961-6109.

WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney today honored all Indian Country law enforcement officers in her address at the 28th Annual Indian Country Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial service. The event was held on the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers' campus in Artesia, N.M.

The Indian Country Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial Service honors tribal, state, local and federal law enforcement officers who have given their lives in the line of duty while serving on federal Indian lands and in tribal communities. It is also the occasion when the names of officers to be added to the Indian Country Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial monument at the academy are formally announced.

The names of three officers were added at this year’s ceremony bringing the total number listed on the memorial to 119:

• Sac & Fox Nation Police Department Officer Nathan B. Graves who, on January 24, 2017, was killed when his patrol car was struck head-on by an oncoming vehicle that was attempting to pass another car.

• Omaha Nation Law Enforcement Services Police Sergeant Uga’shon Curtis W. Blackbird who, on March 26, 2017, was killed in a vehicle crash that occurred when he was responding to a call and, while driving along a closed section of Nebraska Highway 94 in a period of dense fog, his patrol car struck a construction crane.

• Salt River Police Department Officer Clayton Joel Townsend who, on January 8, 2019, was struck and killed while approaching a vehicle on a traffic stop. The subject driver who struck him admitted to texting and driving at the time of the crash.

“Public safety is a dutiful calling. Officers and their families become a part of the fabric of a community, and when an officer’s life is lost, it is felt by so many,” Sweeney said. “Although no amount of words from a compassionate nation can replace them, we are thankful for their years of dedicated service to the tribal communities they protected every day. As the names of these three dedicated officers are etched into the memorial, may their bravery and courage be everlastingly etched into our memories and hearts.”

The 28th Annual Indian Country Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial Service was live-streamed. To view the event, visit the memorial service’s website.

The event is held annually on the first Thursday in May. BIA-OJS conducts the memorial service in conjunction with the International Association of Chiefs of Police Indian Country Law Enforcement Section and other law enforcement organizations and agencies including the National Sheriffs’ Association and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers in Artesia. FLETC is home to the memorial, service and academy.

The formal ceremony consists of full law enforcement honors with flag presentation, 21-gun salute, honor guard, traditional drum song and prayer, officer roll call, and family recognition. Each year, invited dignitaries provide keynote remarks at the ceremony.

The Indian Country Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial was first dedicated on May 7, 1992, at the Indian Police Academy, then located in Marana, Ariz. The academy and memorial were later moved to their present site where the latter was re-dedicated on May 6, 1993. The memorial’s design is based upon indigenous design concepts. Comprised of three granite markers sited within a circular walkway lined with sage, a plant of spiritual significance to many tribes, the memorial includes four planters filled with foliage in colors representing people of all nations. The planters represent the four directions and are located near the walkway’s entrance.

The earliest inscribed name dates back to 1852. In addition to those from Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal law enforcement, officers listed represent numerous law enforcement agencies including U.S. Border Patrol, Alaska State Police, New Mexico State Police, Arizona Department of Public Safety, Navajo County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Customs Bureau, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The list includes one female officer from the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety who was killed in 1998; a father and son, both BIA officers, who died in 1998 and 2001, respectively; and two FBI agents killed on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1975.

To view an image of the Indian Country Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial and a list of the officers’ names inscribed on it, visit the FLETC website.

-DOI-

William G. Demmert will be Director of Indian Education Programs for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Commissioner of Indian Affairs Morris Thompson announced today.

Demmert, who is part Tlingit and part Oglala Sioux, is well known in the Indian community as a top administrator of Indian education programs in the Department of Health, education, and Welfare. He is the first Deputy Commissioner of Indian education in the United States Office of education (USOE), a position created in 1972 by the Indian education Act (P.L. 92-318).

Demmert will assume this new position in the immediate future. In addition, during a transition period until the middle of June, he will complete some tasks already undertaken at USOE.

"We are delighted to get Bill for this critical job in the Bureau," Commissioner Thompson said. "The Indian community is moving into a new era of progress and achievement in which improved education programs are essential for success. We expect Bill to provide the leadership that is needed."

Demmert, 42, received his doctorate in education Administration at Harvard in a special program for American Indians co-funded by the BIA and USOE. While completing his studies at Harvard, Demmert worked as Director of the Indian program at the school and served as a consultant to the U.S. Senate Education Subcommittee.

A native of Klawock, Alaska, Demmert earned his M.W. at the University of Alaska and the B.A. at Seattle Pacific College.

For ten years, from 1960 to 1970, Demmert worked as a teacher, coach and school administrator in Washington and Alaska.

Commissioner of Indian Affairs Morris Thompson announced today that Jose M. Carpio, an Isleta Pueblo Indian, has been appointed superintendent of the Bureau of Indian Affairs' San Carlos Agency in Eastern Arizona.

Carpio has been Superintendent of the Umatilla Agency at Pendleton, Oregon. Carpio's appointment is effective May 9. He replaces James P. Howell who has retired. The agency serves the San Carlos Apache Tribe.

A veteran of the Marina Corps, Carpio has worked with the Bureau since 1955. He was formerly the Administrative Manager at the Eastern Navajo Agency, Crownpoint, New Mexico and at the Institute of American Indian Arts at Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Carpio, 47, is a graduate of the Albuquerque Indian School and has completed the Department of the Interior supervisory and management training.

WASHINGTON, DC – Deputy Secretary of the Interior Mike Connor today announced that the Department’s Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program) has sent purchase offers worth more than $298 million to nearly 4,000 landowners with fractional interests on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana. Interested sellers will have until November 21, 2014, to return accepted offers.

As part of President Obama’s pledge to help strengthen Native American communities, the Buy-Back Program has mailed more than $690 million in purchase offers to date, to more than 41,000 owners of fractionated interests. The Program has successfully concluded transactions worth more than $144 million and has restored the equivalent of nearly 280,000 acres of land to tribal governments.

“Today’s announcement continues the Buy-Back Program’s momentum, and our commitment to reach as many interested landowners as possible across Indian Country,” said Deputy Secretary Connor. “Payments through Program sales are making a significant difference for individuals, families and their communities. We will continue to work closely with tribal representatives to ensure that individuals are aware of this historic opportunity.”

The Crow Tribe will host an outreach event on Thursday, October 9 in the Multi-Purpose Building, Crow Agency, Montana. The all-day event will feature speakers from the Buy-Back Program, notary public services, and staff available to help landowners with questions about their offer packages. Landowners can contact the tribe’s staff at: 406-638-2041.

The Buy-Back Program implements the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractional interests in trust or restricted land from willing sellers at fair market value within a 10-year period. Individuals who choose to sell their interests receive payments directly into their Individual Indian Money (IIM) accounts. In addition to receiving fair market value for their land based on objective appraisals, sellers also receive a base payment of $75 per offer, regardless of the value of the land.

Consolidated interests are immediately restored to tribal trust ownership for uses benefiting the reservation community and tribal members.

There are almost 245,000 owners of nearly three million fractional interests, spanning 150 Indian reservations, who are eligible to participate in the Buy-Back Program. Many see little or no economic benefit from what are often very small, undivided interests in lands that cannot be utilized due to their highly fractionated state.

Sales of land interests will also result in up to $60 million in contributions to the Cobell Education Scholarship Fund. This contribution by Interior is in addition to the amounts paid to individual sellers, so it will not reduce the amount landowners receive for their interests.

Offers are currently pending at a number of locations with deadlines approaching soon, including the Gila River (Oct. 10), Northern Cheyenne (Oct. 17), Flathead (Oct. 24) and Umatilla (Oct. 31) Indian Reservations. Landowners can contact the Trust Beneficiary Call Center at 888-678-6836 with questions about their purchase offers. Individuals can also visit their local Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) or Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) office, or find more information at www.doi.gov/buybackprogram/landowners in order to make informed decisions about their land.

Individual participation is voluntary. A decision to sell land for restoration to tribes does not impact a landowner’s eligibility to receive individual settlement payments from the Cobell Settlement, which are being handled by the Garden City Group. Inquiries regarding Settlement payments should be directed to (800) 961-6109.

WASHINGTON, DC – With a transfer of nearly $1 million, the Department of the Interior today announced that total contributions to the Cobell Education Scholarship Fund have surpassed $5 million for 2014. The Scholarship Fund was authorized by the historic Cobell Settlement and is funded in part by the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program). The Scholarship Fund will provide financial assistance through scholarships to American Indian and Alaska Native students wishing to pursue post-secondary education and training.

“As we developed the Buy-Back Program in partnership with Cobell plaintiffs, we sought not only to right the wrongs of the past, but to provide for future generations of Native American youth,” said Interior Solicitor Hilary Tompkins. “This Program is a rare opportunity to shape the future course of Indian Country and this investment in our next generation of tribal leaders will create a lasting, living legacy for Indian nations.”

Interior makes quarterly transfers to the Scholarship Fund as a result of Buy-Back Program sales, up to a total of $60 million. The amount contributed is based on a formula set forth in the Cobell Settlement that sets aside a certain amount of funding depending on the value of the fractionated interest sold. These contributions do not reduce the amount that an owner will receive for voluntarily consolidating their interests.

The Scholarship Fund is administered by the American Indian College Fund in Denver, Colorado, with 20 percent directed to the American Indian Graduate Center in Albuquerque, N.M. A five-member Board of Trustees is responsible for the oversight and supervision of the activities of the Fund’s administering organization and for developing and adopting a charter outlining its role and responsibilities. More information about the Cobell Education Scholarship Program can be found at the American Indian College Fund website.

The Buy-Back Program was created to implement the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractionated interests in trust or restricted land from willing landowners. Consolidated interests are transferred to tribal government ownership for uses benefiting the reservation community and tribal members.

To date, the Buy-Back Program has successfully concluded transactions worth more than $300 million and has restored the equivalent of more than 500,000 acres of land to tribal governments.

Offers are currently pending for fractional interest owners at the Squaxin Island Indian Reservation (deadline: January 26, 2015) and the Coeur d’Alene Reservation (deadline: February 2, 2015). Landowners can contact the Trust Beneficiary Call Center at 888-678-6836 with questions about their purchase offers. Individuals can also visit their local Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) or Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) office, or find more information at www.doi.gov/buybackprogram/landowners in order to make informed decisions about their land.