Past News Items

WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk today announced a sweeping reform of federal surface leasing regulations for American Indian lands that will streamline the approval process for home ownership, expedite economic development and spur renewable energy development in Indian Country.

A formal agreement has been signed by the Department of the Interior's Office of Surface Mining (OSM) with the Council of Energy Resource Tribes (CERT) of Washington, D.C., for a comprehensive $700,000 study of surface mining of coal on Indian lands, OSM Director Walter N. Heine announced today.

The study, expected to take nine months, was contracted by OSM under Section 710 of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. CERT was organized three years ago by 25 Indian tribes.

The new Miss Indian America, Margery Winona Haury is in Washington for her first visit this far East, during which she plans to meet with government officials.

Since Monday, the 18-year old Indian beauty has been in Columbus, Ga., participating in a week-long TV presentation (WRBL-TV) honoring the American Indian.

Miss Haury, from Albuquerque, N.M. is a sophomore in pre-Law at the University of New Mexico. On her mother's side is Navajo and Sioux, and on her father's side, Cheyenne and Arapahoe.

WASHINGTON – Bureau of Indian Affairs Director Michael S. Black today announced that he has named Sharon A. Pinto as regional director of the BIA’s Navajo Regional Office in Gallup, N.M. Pinto, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, had been serving as the regional deputy director since October 28, 2007, and as the acting regional director since May 4, 2011.

Russell A. Bradley, a member of the Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas, has been appointed Superintendent of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Winnebago Agency in Nebraska. His appointment is effective September 10, 1978.

After careful consideration of a progress report submitted in person recently by T. B. Watters and Eugene G. Favell, management specialists working under Secretarial contract with the Klamath Indian Tribe of Oregon, Assistant Secretary of the Interior Wesley A. D'Ewart today expressed the opinion that amendment of the Klamath Termination Act (Public Law 587 of the 83rd Congress) would be premature at the present time.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Associate Deputy Secretary Meghan Conklin and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Director Michael Black today were in Tulalip, Washington for the third of six regional government-to-government tribal consultations regarding the Trust Land Consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement. The meetings with tribal leaders represent part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to re-invigorating nation-to-nation relationships with tribes.

The Interior Department's Bureau of Indian Affairs has submitted for publication in the Federal Register final rules governing removal from the roll of Alaska Natives the names of those ineligible under terms of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

Appointment of Herman E. O'Harra as superintendent of the Hopi Indian Agency, Keams Canyon, Ariz., was announced today by Acting Commissioner of Indian Affairs W. Barton Greenwood.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Acting Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Donald E. “Del” Laverdure today announced that the U.S. Department of the Interior will conduct a series of listening sessions with federally-recognized tribes regarding American Indian sacred sites located on federal lands.