News by Year
The Bureau of Indian Affairs today announced it has published a rule that finalizes revisions to the probate process for American Indian and Alaska Native individuals with property held in federal Indian trust status. The final rule eliminates ambiguities and procedural delays in the federal process for probating Indian trust estates so that such property may be distributed more quickly to a decedent’s heirs and devisees.
Date: 12/17/21
Website will allow tip submissions and makes important case information easily shareable.
Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland and Deputy Assistant Secretary — Indian Affairs for Policy and Economic Development Kathryn Isom-Clause today delivered remarks to the Northwest Gaming Law Summit and California Nations Indian Gaming Association meeting respectively, on the present and future of Indian gaming law.
Date: 12/09/21
The Indian Affairs Office of Indian Economic Development announced today it is soliciting applications for its Living Languages Grant Program. Funds provided through the LLGP enable federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal entities, as listed in 86 FR 7554, to support Tribal programs that document Native languages or build Tribal capacity to create or expand language preservation programs.
Date: 12/03/21
The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs today announced proposed membership for the Practical Reforms and Other Goals To Reinforce the Effectiveness of Self-Governance and Self-Determination for Indian Tribes Act of 2019 (PROGRESS Act) Negotiated Rulemaking Committee, which will negotiate and advise the Secretary of the Interior on the implementation of the PROGRESS Act.
Date: 11/22/21
List of Tribal nations with restored authority to regulate leasing of their trust, restricted fee lands continues to grow.
Date: 11/03/21
Interested sellers have 45 days to respond to offers.
Date: 10/28/21
Funding sustains Indigenous knowledge by preserving Tribal languages.
Date: 10/26/21
Rule would eliminate competitive barriers that disadvantage American Indian economic enterprises
Date: 10/26/21
Application solicitation included focus on challenges to Tribal tourism businesses from COVID-19 pandemic.
Date: 10/19/21
The Department of the Interior (DOI) hosted five virtual listening sessions in October thru December of 2021 for Tribal Nations. These sessions took place as a part of implementing Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.
Date: 10/13/21
Interested sellers have until October 28 to respond to offers.
Date: 10/08/21
Funds Will Support Child and Family Service Programs for Off-Reservation Indian Organizations.
Date: 09/29/21
Funds Will Aid Tribes, Tribal Orgs in Enhancing Preparedness, Resilience, Ocean and Coastal Management and Planning Response to Climate Change.
Date: 09/24/21
Funding will enable Tribal leaders to better evaluate, identify viable economic opportunities for their communities.
Date: 09/16/21
Interested sellers have until Sept. 24, 2021, to respond to offers.
Date: 09/07/21
Interested sellers have until Sept. 27, 2021, to respond to offers.
Date: 09/07/21
Interested sellers have 45 days to respond to offers. Landowners who received offers have until October 22, 2021, to consider and return accepted offers in the pre-paid postage envelopes provided.
Date: 09/07/21
Adds to growing list of Tribal nations with restored authority to regulate leasing of their trust, restricted fee lands.
Date: 09/01/21
Updates comport with HEARTH Act and TERAs, reflect 21st century approach to managing Indian trust and restricted fee land records.
Date: 08/18/21
Announce Call For Nominations For Commission Members and Upcoming Tribal Consultations.
Date: 08/04/21
Interested sellers have until Sept. 10 to respond to offers.
Date: 08/04/21
Dear Tribal Leader:
Congress enacted the Not Invisible Act o/2019 (Act) 1 to increase intergovernmental coordination to identify and combat violent crime within Indian lands and against Indians. Section 4 of the Act requires that the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), in coordination with the United States Attorney General, establish and appoint non-Federal members to a Joint Commission on Reducing Violent Crime Against Indians (Commission). The Commission will develop recommendations on actions the Federal Government can take to identify, coordinate, and combat violent crime, within Indian lands and of Indians, as required under the Act
Date: 08/04/21
Dear Tribal Leader:
The U.S. Department of the Interior (Department), in coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking Tribal and stakeholder input related to the implementation of the Not Invisible Act of 2019 (Act). The Act aims to increase intergovernmental coordination to identify and combat violent crime on Indian lands and against Indians. See Pub. L. No. 116-166, 134 Stat. 766 (2020).1 Section 4 of the Act requires the Secretary of the Interior, in coordination with the Attorney General, to establish a joint Commission on reducing violent crime against Indians.
Date: 08/02/21
WASHINGTON – On the ninth anniversary of the signing of the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership (HEARTH) Act of 2012, Department of the Interior Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Bryan Newland noted the legislation’s importance to Indian Country’s development.
Date: 07/30/21
Applications can include how Tribal tourism businesses recover and adapt to challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic
Date: 07/15/21
WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) announced today that it has awarded more than 6.5 million in Energy and Mineral Development Program (EMDP) grants to 27 federally recognized tribes and seven Alaska Native corporations in 15 states. The funding will aid their efforts to identify, study, design and/or develop projects using energy, mineral and natural resources, which, in turn, will help them achieve economic self-sufficiency by developing and controlling their own energy production capabilities.
Date: 07/01/21
WASHINGTON – Today, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Bryan Newland announced appointments to two key leadership posts within the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA): Bartholomew “Bart” Stevens, an enrolled member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe in Arizona with ancestry from the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes in Idaho and the Ute Tribe in Utah, as Deputy Bureau Director for Field Operations in Albuquerque, N.M., and Kimberly Bouchard, of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians in Wisconsin, as Eastern Regional Office Regional Director in Nashville, Tenn. Both appointments became effective this month.
Date: 06/17/21
Project will provide multiple benefits to Band members, help Nevada meet its renewable energy needs, and contribute to America’s clean energy future.
Date: 06/03/21
Program encourages informed decision-making by landowners considering whether to accept a voluntary purchase offer
Date: 05/28/21
Request reflects Biden-Harris Administration’s investment in Indian Country to empower Tribal nations and strengthen their resilience by improving quality of life and economic self-sufficiency in their communities.
Date: 05/28/21
Proposed budget would expand educational opportunities, fund supports and services for Native American youth, and invest in early childhood education
Date: 05/28/21
WASHINGTON – Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Bryan Newland will host a briefing for Tribal leaders on the President’s FY 2022 budget request for Indian Affairs. The briefing will take place via conference call on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. EDT.
Date: 05/28/21
Tribal nation joins growing list of those authorized to govern and manage leasing of their trust lands without prior Secretarial approval.
Date: 05/06/21
Indian Affairs is hosting a consultation regarding a strategy to provide funding to Tribal Colleges and Universities for facility needs. The presentation is hosted via a teleconference.
Date: 05/06/21
WASHINGTON – Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Bryan Newland announced today that the IA Office of Indian Economic Development (formerly the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development) is soliciting applications for its Native American Business Development Institute grant program.
Date: 05/06/21
Funds will aid tribal governments’ response to COVID-19’s damaging impact on their populations and economies
Date: 04/30/21
Funds will provide COVID-19 relief for education in BIE- and tribally operated K-12 schools and TCUs.
Date: 04/23/21
Over 60 tribes now possess the ability to govern and manage leasing of their trust lands without prior BIA or Secretarial approval.
Date: 04/20/21
WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) announced today that it has approved leasing regulations submitted by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, a federally recognized tribe whose reservation is in North and South Dakota, under the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Home Ownership (HEARTH) Act of 2012.
Date: 04/19/21
Interested sellers have 60 days to respond to offers.
Date: 04/15/21
Dear Tribal Leader:
On February 22, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) issued guidance providing flexibilities in administering School Year (SY) 2020-2021 assessments required by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), Pub. L. 89-10, as amendedi. BIE’s implementing regulations of the ESEA, as amended, require BIE to administer unified assessments each SY. ED’s assessment flexibilities included extending the testing window and moving assessments to the summer or fall and shortening the state assessment, to make testing more feasible to implement and prioritize in-person learning time.
Date: 04/15/21
New Rule Would Establish Indian Business Incubators Program Under the Native American Business Incubators Program Act of 2020.
Date: 04/13/21
Dear Tribal Leader:
I am pleased to invite you to comment on a new proposed regulation to implement the recently enacted Native American Business Incubators Program Act. The Indian Business Incubators Program (IBIP), also known as the Native American Business Incubators Program, is a program in which IEED provides competitive grants to eligible applicants to establish and operate business incubators that serve Tribal reservation communities.
Date: 04/13/21
HEARTH Act underscores importance of tribal self-determination and sovereignty
Date: 04/09/21
Dear Tribal Leader:
The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) would like your input on its school reopening plans. The BIE will rely upon the latest U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance regarding reopening its K-12 schools, residential facilities, and post-secondary schools for safe delivery of in-person and hybrid instruction.
Date: 04/07/21
Dear Tribal Leader:
On March 2, 2021, the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) hosted a Tribal consultation regarding two draft BIE policies: (I) Draft Progress and Promotion Policy, and (2) Draft Certificate of Completion Policy. The BIE is now planning an additional Tribal consultation session and would like to invite you to participate.
Date: 04/07/21
Dear Tribal Leader:
I am following up on the enrollment data collection discussed at the Tribal consultations sessions held March 25, 26, and 29 of this year regarding Indian Affairs' implementation of the American Rescue Plan. Indian Affairs identified, and Tribes expressed support for, collection of current Tribal enrollment data to inform American Rescue Plan funding allocations for Tribes. As a result, Indian Affairs is reaching out to all federally recognized Tribes to get update, aggregate Tribal enrollment information.
Date: 04/05/21
Following consultation, Indian Affairs is pleased to release a new Certification Form for tribes to use when submitting tribal enrollment numbers needed to equitably & transparently distribute American Rescue Plan funding. The form and other ARP info is online now!
Date: 04/05/21
New unit will coordinate interagency collaboration and strengthen existing law enforcement resources
Date: 04/01/21
The ARP webpage is live. Tribal Consultations start today.
Date: 03/25/21
Dear Tribal Leader:
I invite you to consult on the additional funding appropriated to Indian Affairs under the American Rescue Plan (ARP). We are seeking feedback from federally recognized Tribes and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU) on three general topics:
On January 27, 2021, President Biden issued Executive Order (E.O.) 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. He stated that, “[t]he United States and the world face a profound climate crisis. We have a narrow moment to pursue action at home and abroad in order to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of that crisis and to seize the opportunity to that tackling climate change presents.” See E.O. 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.
Date: 03/16/21
Relief package will benefit tribal government pandemic initiatives.
Date: 03/15/21
March 12 consultation will seek to strengthen the U.S.-Tribal Nation-to-Nation Relationship in accordance with Biden January 26 Presidential Memorandum
Date: 03/11/21
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians in Nevada today announced the opportunity to comment on potential environmental impacts of the proposed Southern Bighorn Solar Project (SBSP).
Date: 03/11/21
March 10 consultations will seek to strengthen the U.S.-Tribal Nation-to-Nation Relationship in accordance with Biden January 26 Presidential Memorandum.
Date: 03/09/21
March 8 consultation will seek to strengthen the U.S.-Tribal Nation-to-Nation Relationship in accordance with Biden January 26 Presidential Memorandum.
Date: 03/05/21
WASHINGTON – The Department of the Interior announced today that it will host initial consultations with Tribal leaders next month. In addition to honoring and strengthening the nation-to-nation relationship, these steps will help ensure that future White House and Interior efforts at addressing the four converging crises of our time – COVID-19, economic security, racial justice and climate change – are inclusive of Tribal Nations’ priorities and recommendations.
Date: 02/11/21
BIE’s mission is to provide quality education opportunities from early childhood through life in accordance with a tribe’s needs for cultural and economic well-being, in keeping with the wide diversity of Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages as distinct cultural and governmental entities.
Date: 01/20/21
We Excel, Native America Prospers. We manage the financial assets of American Indians held in trust by the Department of the Interior. We disburse more than $1 billion annually and have more than $5 billion under active day-to-day management and investment on behalf of Tribes and individuals.
Date: 01/20/21
The Bureau of Indian Affairs’ mission is to enhance the quality of life, to promote economic opportunity, and to carry out the responsibility to protect and improve the trust assets of American Indians, Indian tribes and Alaska Natives.
Date: 01/20/21
Grant will replace outdated facilities as part of the historic Great American Outdoors Act.
Date: 01/19/21
Upon U.S. Senate confirmation, I began my service as Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs in July 2018, and it has been my distinct honor to serve Indian Country and Alaska Native villages in this position.
Date: 01/19/21
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Interior’s (DOI) Indian Affairs released the National Tribal Broadband Strategy (NTBS), a work product of the American Broadband Initiative. Designed as a roadmap for the Federal Government and the private sector, the NTBS highlights the strategic components to broadband deployment and expansion, and the necessary actions needed to spur investment within American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities.
Date: 01/16/21
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney today announced the appointment of Charles Addington as the Senior Advisor – Law Enforcement, Security and School Safety in the Office of the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs and the appointment of Jason O’Neal as the Deputy Bureau Director for the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS). The appointments become effective January 17, 2021.
Date: 01/15/21
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary David L. Bernhardt signed Secretary’s Order 3390 and directed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to facilitate the transition of property related to the National Bison Range (NBR) to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The BIA will formally take the land into trust for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) of Montana and restore the land to the Flathead Indian Reservation.
Date: 01/15/21
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary -- Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney announced today that Indian Affairs’ Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) has approved $762,346 in Native American Business Development Institute (NABDI) grants to fund 14 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and tribal entities to perform feasibility studies of proposed economic development projects, businesses, and technologies located in designated Opportunity Zones.
Date: 01/14/21
Office is last of seven established starting in July 2020.
Date: 01/13/21
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney today announced proposed changes to regulations put in place in 2008 that govern the probating of trust and restricted property belonging to individual American Indians and Alaska Natives. The proposed changes would streamline Department of the Interior’s current process.
Date: 01/08/21
Approval is second under DOI’s Indian Trust Asset Management Demonstration Project
Date: 01/04/21
