Past News Items

Ada E. Deer, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs announces the dedication of a new Jr/Sr High School at Fort Hall, Idaho for the Shoshone-Bannock. Federal, state and tribal agencies worked cooperatively to provide funding for the construction of this new school. The school is designed in traditional motif and is considered one of the most beautiful educational facilities in the State of Idaho. The facility will offer state-of-the-art equipment, resources, and instruction for the Fort Hall Indian Community.

The Department of the Interior announced today the award of a $1,149,000 contract for construction of high school facilities at the Phoenix Indian School in Phoenix, Arizona.

The contract calls for the construction of a seven-building complex, approximately 61,500 square feet in enclosed area, arranged around an open court. Included in the project are 28 standard classrooms, home economics and science laboratories, a library and instructional materials center, and administrative and guidance areas.

The accomplishments of Patrick A. Hayes, Esq., former Area Director of the Albuquerque Area Office will be recognized at the graduation ceremony of the Water Resource and Engineering Surveying Technical Training Programs on August 15, 1996, Hilda Manuel, Deputy Commissioner for Indian Affairs announced today. The Water Resource Technical Training is being held at New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico in August 1996 through September 1996.

Award of a $283,675 contract for the construction of a community recreation building on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation at Fort Hall, Idaho, was announced today by the Department of the Interior.

The contract calls for the construction of a multipurpose building with a total floor area of 20,660 square feet. The main floor will consist of a full-sized basketball court and stage. The basement will contain a kitchen-dining room, a library and reading room, hobby rooms and toilet and shower rooms.

"Eight federally recognized Indian tribes and approximately 56,000 Indian people have been adversely affected by the recent disastrous weather in South Dakota," Ms. Deer said.

The Dakotas have been hit by freezing temperatures and record snowfall. Snow has drifted to as high as 15 feet in some areas closing all roads and stranding people in remote areas. "Mercifully, there has been only one reported Indian death as a result of this bad weather." Mr. Delbert Brewer, Area Director for the Aberdeen Area Office said.

Adoption of regulations for preparing a membership roll of the Ponca Indian Tribe of Nebraska was announced today by the Department of the Interior.

The roll is to be compiled under a 1962 law giving enrolled tribal members an opportunity to express themselves for or against division of the tribal assets among themselves. Those on the roll would be the beneficiaries if division of the assets is approved.

I was briefed this morning for the first time by Special Trustee Paul Homan on his final Strategic Plan to reform trust fund management for Tribal and individual trust funds and resources.

The plan represents his views, independent from the Department of the Interior or the Office of Management and Budget. Before I make final recommendations, I intend to give the Strategic Plan close and thorough study.

The Second Annual Invitational Exhibition of American Indian Paintings will open November 30, at the Department of Interior Art Gallery.

The exhibition is composed of 91 paintings and 12 works of sculpture, assembled and organized through direct invitation to the outstanding Indian artists in the Nation. The exhibition illustrates the great diversity of fine artistic expression among contemporary Indian, Eskimo and Aleut artists living in the United States. The majority of these works were created in 1965 and will be offered for sale to gallery visitors.

Assistant Secretary of the Interior Eddie Brown today ordered the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to revise procedures and to focus attention on increased monitoring and inspections to curtail abuses and mismanagement in federal programs to improve housing for American Indians.

Nearly 400 more Indian college students received scholarships from the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs this year than in 1964, Commissioner Philleo Nash reported today.

BIA awarded college scholarships to 1,718 students--an increase of 30 percent over last year's figure, he said. Grants amounted to $1,225,000, or an average of $700 per student.