Past News Items

Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Forrest Gerard said today that his office has initiated plans to implement changes in Indian education programs mandated by Title XI of the Education Amendments Act of 1978, (P.L. 95-561), signed by President Carter November 1. Title XI, of the Act stresses self ... determination and control of Indian education programs by the Indian community. Its three parts deal with federally assisted programs in public schools, Bureau of Indian Affairs education programs, and programs administered by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

Secretary of the Interior Walter J. Hickel announced today that he has approved an “executive realignment” of top positions in the Bureau of Indian affairs.

“These changes will help make the Bureau more responsive to the needs of the Indian people and will provide the necessary flexibility in developing and carrying out programs to meet those requirements.” Secretary Hickel said.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk today announced a Tribal Consultation Policy for the Department of the Interior, launching a new era of enhanced communication with American Indian and Alaska Native tribes. The new policy emphasizes trust, respect and shared responsibility in providing tribal governments an expanded role in informing federal policy that impacts Indian Country.

The Chairman of the Colville Indian Tribal Council, Eddie A. Palmanteer, Jr., has been named Superintendent of the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Colville Agency. Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Morris Thompson, announced the appointment effective October 13. The tribe's Vice Chairman, Al Aubertin, will move into the Chairman's position until the next election.

"Eddie Palmanteer is a competent, hard working person,” Commissioner Thompson said. "We consulted with the tribal council about filling this position and he was their nominee. I think he is an excellent choice."

The action of the Jicarilla Apache Tribe of New Mexico in setting up a $1,000,000 trust fund to provide college scholarships for the younger members was hailed today by Commissioner of Indian Affairs Glenn L. Emmons as “an outstanding example of tribal progress.”

The fund, largest of its kind ever established by an Indian tribal organization, represents chiefly income from oil and gas leasing of the tribal lands, It will be administered by the First National Bank of Albuquerque under terms of a 20-year agreement which was approved by Commissioner Emmons on July 2.

WASHINGTON – Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Gil Kerlikowske and the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk today announced that on Saturday, October 29, 2011, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time, Americans will be able to drop off their expired, unused and unwanted prescription drug pills at sites across Indian Country free of charge, no questions asked. By doing so, they will be helping prevent drug abuse and theft.

Final regulations governing the procedures by which an Indian group would be acknowledged to be an Indian tribe are being published in the Federal Register Interior Assistant Secretary Forrest Gerard announced today.

The increased number of Indian groups requesting that the Secretary of the Interior officially acknowledge them as Indian tribes has necessitated the development of uniform procedures to be followed.

Because of competitive interest in their property, two Indians of the Spokane Reservation in Washington have recently been offered a $317,500 bonus for a 15-year mining lease on their 120 acre tract in comparison with an offer of about one-fourth this amount which they wanted to Accept several months ago, Commissioner of Indian Affairs Glenn L. Emmons pointed out today.

WASHINGTON – Bureau of Indian Education Director Keith O. Moore today announced that he has named Dr. Charles M. “Monty” Roessel as the associate deputy director overseeing 66 BIE-funded schools on the Navajo Nation reservation. Roessel, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, had served since 2007 as superintendent of the Rough Rock Community School, a BIE-funded, tribally operated K-12 boarding school near Chinle, Ariz., on the Nation’s reservation. His appointment is effective today.

Secretary of the Interior Cecil D. Andrus announced today he will review the Department's policy requiring five years' occupancy before land can be withdrawn under the 1906 Alaska Native Allotment Act.

Action on such withdrawals will be suspended pending the review, the Secretary said. A notice of the review and suspension was published in the Federal Register July 11, 1978