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Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
In September, President Trump announced the successful repatriation of ancestral remains and funerary items from Tribes associated with the Mesa Verde region from Finland. Following that effort, the White House has asked the U.S. Departments of the Interior and State to work together to assist other Native American tribes in the repatriation of any additional cultural items abroad.
In response to this mandate, the U.S. Department of State has requested U.S. embassies around the world to send information about Native American collections overseas to the Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior has announced formal government-to-government consultations will take place with Tribes on Wednesday, December 2, 2020. The announcement was issued through a Dear Tribal Leader letter dated October 26, 2020.
“The Department of the Interior is a proud partner with the U.S. Department of State in assisting tribes with their efforts to bring home from overseas objects and remains that are part of their cultural patrimony,” said Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Mac Lean Sweeney. “We take our NAGPRA responsibilities very seriously, including investigating illegally obtained items. We will continue working with our federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners to ensure they are safely returned to their rightful homes.”
“The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs raises awareness overseas about the damage to tribal communities when sacred items are bought and sold. Protecting Native American cultural property internationally continues to build a safer and more peaceful world for all global citizens,” said Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Marie Royce.
“Part of President Trump’s “Putting America’s First American’s First” plan is to honor Native American heritage, and this initiative shows further action, in partnership with tribal leaders, to repatriate Native American artifacts important to tribal communities across the Nation,” said Doug Hoelscher, Assistant to the President & Director of White House Intergovernmental Affairs.
Repatriation of Native American ancestral remains and items of cultural, spiritual and community significance is a priority for the Trump Administration, and the U.S. Departments of the Interior and State are interested in facilitating these repatriation efforts. Both Departments have supported several international repatriations from foreign museums in recent years in response to Native American Tribes’ requests for assistance.
The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA), requires U.S. institutions to consult with Native Americans about their collections and to return certain sensitive cultural items, including ancestral remains. Since its passage approximately 1.9 million such items have been returned to Native American communities that depend on them for their well-being. The Trump Administration is committed to using NAGPRA as a model at the international level to seek the repatriation of Native American items of cultural, spiritual and community significance.
For further information, please contact the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at eca-press@state.gov and the Department of the Interior’s Office of Public Affairs at interior_press@ios.doi.gov.
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https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/media-note-joint-statement-us-department-interior-and-us-department
Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
WASHINGTON – On October 28, 2020, Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Mac Lean Sweeney, accompanied by several Trump Administration officials, met in Flagstaff, Arizona, with Chairman Timothy Nuvangyaoma of the Hopi Indian Tribe to sign a commitment letter for $5 million dollars towards an infrastructure project to reduce arsenic levels in drinking water on the Hopi reservation. Accompanying Chairman Nuvangyaoma were Executive Advisor to the Chairman Duane Humeyestewa; Carroll Onsae, general manager of Hopi Tribal Communications Inc. (HTC) and Hopi Utility Corporation (HUC); and HUC engineer Timothy Bodell, who is leading the Tribe’s water quality analysis.
Joining Assistant Secretary Sweeney from the Administration were Assistant to the President and Director of White House Intergovernmental Affairs Doug Hoelscher; Deputy Assistant to the President and Domestic Policy Council Jennie Lichter; U.S. Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan; U.S. Indian Health Service Director Rear Admiral Michael Weahkee; U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona Michael Bailey; and Kate Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.
“It was an honor to join the Federal delegation in discussions with the Hopi Tribe, including the Chairman and other tribal leadership, to advance an important water quality project that will bring better health, improved infrastructure, and stronger communities to the Hopi people,” said Director Hoelscher.
“Clean, accessible drinking water is vital for the health of our Native communities,” said Assistant Secretary Tara Sweeney. “I am proud to announce that the Trump Administration has committed $5 million to the Hopi Arsenic Mitigation Project to reduce the levels of arsenic in water in three Hopi communities. This project has languished since 2008, but the Trump Administration made the Hopi Arsenic Mitigation Project a priority and is helping to move it forward.”
Arsenic is a naturally occurring element in the groundwater used by the Hopi communities of Second Mesa, First Mesa, Low Mountain and Keams Canyon. In 2001, the EPA adopted a new standard for concentrations of arsenic in drinking water of 10 parts per billion (ppb), replacing the old standard of 50 ppb.
In order to begin addressing the problem, EPA and the U.S. Indian Health Service (IHS) provided the Tribe with financial and technical assistance to implement a regional water supply delivery system. Named the “Hopi Arsenic Mitigation Project,” or HAMP, the system involves construction of wells at the Turquoise Trail region and installation of water lines to the areas of First Mesa and Second Mesa.
The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues, communicates policy to and oversees the programs of the BIA and the BIE, provides leadership in consultations with tribes, and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter-departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on Indian matters.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs directly administers and funds tribally operated infrastructure, law enforcement and justice, social services (including child welfare), tribal governance, and trust land and natural and energy resources management programs for the nation’s federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes through four offices: Indian Services, Justice Services, Trust Services, and Field Operations.
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https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/trump-administration-provide-5-million-hopi-tribe-begin-work
Dear Tribal Leader Letter: DTTL Banned Electronic Equipment, Software and Services
United States Department of the Interior
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
Washington, DC 20240
OCT 26, 2020
Dear Tribal Leader:
Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary -- Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney announced today that the U.S. Department of Interior’s Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) has approved $3 million in Living Languages Grant Program (LLGP) funds to 18 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages to document, preserve, and revitalize Native languages.
“A tribe’s traditional language is the foundation of cultural identity and is essential for the survival of our Native cultures, histories and values,” said Assistant Secretary Sweeney. “I’m proud that Indian Affairs has created an opportunity for language promotion and revitalization. The IEED Living Languages Gants Program is there to support tribal efforts to preserve and actively promote traditional language usage. I congratulate the awardees from this round of funding, and I wish them success in their language preservation programs. I also encourage other tribes to apply during the next Living Language grants funding opportunity.”
Grant submissions were rated on how effectively the language programs would document, preserve, or revitalize a Native language; the degree to which the language addressed by a proposal risks extinction; the likelihood that the instruction to be funded would revitalize the language by preventing intergenerational disruption; and the number of students or percentage of tribal members the proposal would benefit.
While only tribes were eligible for LLGP grants, grantees can retain tribal organizations, or for-profit and non-profit community groups to perform a grant’s scope of work.
LLGP grantees and amounts funded are:
- Cherokee Nation, OK: $200,000
- Citizen Potawatomi Nation, OK: $200,066
- Comanche Nation, OK: $169,443
- Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana: $198,559
- Douglas Indian Association, AK: $199,645
- Forest County Potawatomi Community, WI: $189,326
- Hydaburg Cooperative Association, AK: $188,430
- Igiugig Village, AK: $138,088
- Lummi Tribe, WA: $168,969
- Makah Indian Tribe, WA: $73,156
- Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, MA: $200,000
- Rosebud Sioux Tribe, SD: $199,829
- Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, AZ: $64,700
- Skokomish Indian Tribe, WA: $185,319
- Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, CA: $131,858
- Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, CO: $191,570
- Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska: $100,717
- Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, CA: $200,000
IEED is administering the Living Languages Grant Program through its Division of Economic Development (DED). Please visit the IEED website for more information about other IEED programs and services.
The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues, communicates policy to and oversees the programs of the BIA and the BIE, provides leadership in consultations with tribes, and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter-departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on Indian matters.
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https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/trump-administration-invests-3-million-preserve-native-american
Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney approved the Coquille Indian Tribe’s Indian Trust Asset Management Plan (ITAMP) and tribal forestry regulations in a virtual signing ceremony held with Coquille Chief Don Ivy on October 16, 2020. The approval is the Department’s first Indian Trust Asset Management Demonstration Project.
On February 22, 2019, Coquille, whose reservation is located on the coast of Oregon, became the first federally recognized tribe to be approved to participate in the demonstration project. On June 9, 2020, it also became the first to submit an ITAMP.
“The Indian Trust Asset Management Demonstration Project, another important way for tribes to exert sovereignty over their trust lands, had been unused until now. Thanks to its willingness to be a trailblazer in utilizing this project, the Coquille Indian Tribe now can take control of its trust forest land and resources, and manage them in a way that meets their needs,” said Assistant Secretary Sweeney.
"This is a great day for the Coquille Tribe and for tribal self-determination in general," said Coquille Chairperson Brenda Meade. "We're grateful for the opportunity to prove that we can meet our members' needs while managing a diverse, sustainable forest. We're going to show people a better way to do things."
The demonstration project was established under the Indian Trust Asset Reform (ITAR) Act of 2016. Title II of the act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to establish and carry out an Indian Trust Asset Management Demonstration Project. Under the project, tribes engaged in forest land management and/or surface leasing activities on trust lands may apply to participate in it. If selected, a tribe must submit an ITAMP for the management of its trust assets.
A proposed tribal ITAMP must have provisions that:
- Identify the trust assets that will be subject to the proposed plan;
- Establish trust asset management objectives and priorities for Indian trust assets that are located within the reservation, or otherwise subject to the jurisdiction, of the tribe;
- Allocate trust asset management funding available for the Indian trust assets subject to the proposed plan in order to meet the trust asset management objectives and priorities;
- If the tribe has contracted or compacted functions or activities under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450 et seq.) relating to the management of trust assets, identify the functions or activities that are being, or will be, performed by it under contracts, compacts, or other agreements under that Act, which may include any of the surface leasing or forest land management activities authorized by the proposed plan;
- Establish procedures for nonbinding mediation or resolution of any dispute between the tribe and the United States relating to the proposed plan;
- Include a process for the tribe and the federal agencies affected by the plan to conduct evaluations to ensure that trust assets are being managed in accordance with the proposed plan; and
- Identify any federal regulations that will be superseded by the proposed plan.
The BIA’s Division of Forestry and Wildland Fire Management (DFWFM), which, with the Department’s Solicitor’s Office, reviewed Coquille’s plan, also provided technical assistance to the tribe during the ITAMP’s development.
With its ITAMP approved, the Coquille Indian Tribe now has the authority to conduct forest land management activities on forest lands held in trust by DOI for it without further approval from the Secretary.
“We are very excited that the Coquille Indian Tribe chose to participate in this demonstration project and allow the BIA and the Interior Department to support their efforts to develop their Indian Trust Asset Management Plan. As with HEARTH leasing regulations and Tribal Energy Resource Agreements, an ITAMP is another tool the Department has that promotes tribal sovereignty and self-determination,” Sweeney said.
The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues, communicates policy to and oversees the programs of the BIA and the BIE, provides leadership in consultations with tribes, and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter-departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on Indian matters.
The Division of Forestry and Wildland Fire Management (DFWFM) in the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Office of Trust Services (OTS) oversees the National Indian Forestry and Wildland Fire Management Program, which is a cooperative effort of the Interior Department, the OTS Deputy Bureau Director, the Division of Forestry and Wildland Fire Management, the Intertribal Timber Council, and reservation-based tribal governments. The Division is responsible for providing coordination, management, planning, oversight, and monitoring for all activities, including the National Wildland Fire Program, related to the development and protection of trust forest resources.
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https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/assistant-secretary-sweeney-signs-coquilles-indian-trust-asset
Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney today announced she has approved two fee-to-trust applications submitted by The Chickasaw Nation for casino resorts in and near the Oklahoma cities of Ardmore and Kingston, respectively.
“In reviewing The Chickasaw Nation’s applications, I determined that the transfer of these parcels into trust for gaming purposes would promote its long-term economic development and self-sufficiency, self-determination, and self-governance,” said Assistant Secretary Sweeney. “This action comports with our mission to support tribes in their efforts to utilize their lands and resources for the long-term benefit of their people.”
“We appreciate Secretary David Bernhardt of the United States Department of the Interior and Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Mac Lean Sweeney of the Bureau of Indian Affairs for their leadership and thoughtful consideration of the Lake Murray and Lake Texoma projects,” said Chickasaw Nation Secretary of Commerce Bill Lance. “The Chickasaw Nation may now proceed to the next phase of development on these important regional tourism and entertainment projects, which are projected to create approximately 200 new jobs at the Lake Murray location and 175 jobs at the Lake Texoma location. Studies conducted on behalf of the Chickasaw Nation estimate a combined economic impact, including construction, of $160 million in the first year, and a combined five-year economic impact of $783 million. We look forward to the tremendous positive impacts these projects will have on our Chickasaw citizens and surrounding communities for many years to come.”
In 2016, The Chickasaw Nation submitted applications to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to transfer into trust approximately 248.09 acres of land known as the Ardmore Tract in the City of Ardmore in Carter County, and two parcels totaling approximately 61.63 acres known as the Kingston Property near the City of Kingston in Marshall County, for gaming and other purposes. The Nation plans on constructing casino resorts at both sites.
Chickasaw Ardmore Project:
The total estimated economic impact on the regional economy in year one from this project is estimated to be $102,394,029.
Economic output from initial construction of the development is expected to be $44,214,375. This includes the direct impact of construction costs, the indirect impact of spending from the construction company suppliers, and the induced impact from spending from employees of all these companies.
The total impact on regional economic output from the Ardmore Project’s annual revenue is expected to be $57,093,713. This includes the direct impact of revenue from the Ardmore Project, the indirect impact of spending from suppliers, and the induced impact from spending by employees of these companies.
Construction and operation of the Ardmore Project will generate substantial temporary and ongoing employment opportunities and wages that would be primarily filled by the available labor force in the city of Ardmore and surrounding communities in Carter County, Oklahoma. The Ardmore Project will create 213 jobs. Of those, 128 will be new jobs, and 85 will be filled by employees expected to transfer from other Chickasaw facilities. In addition, the Ardmore Project will create 78 indirect and induced positions at other businesses, resulting in the creation of 206 new direct and indirect jobs (128 direct and 78 indirect).
Chickasaw Kingston Project:
The total construction costs for the Kingston Project are estimated to be $19,420,000. After including direct impact of construction costs, the indirect impact of spending from the construction company suppliers, and the induced impact from spending from employees of these companies, the total impact on regional economic output from initial construction of the development is estimated to be $34,345,727.
Annual revenue from the operations of the Kingston Project is estimated to be $15,862,427. By including the direct impact of revenue from the casino and hotel, the indirect impact of spending from the casino and hotel suppliers, and the induced impact from spending from employees of these companies, the total impact on regional economic output from the development’s annual revenue is estimated to be $22,860,136.
Operation of the Kingston Project would generate 174 new full-time employment positions. Of the 174 jobs generated, 108 would be a direct result of the proposed project, while the remaining 66 consist of indirect and induced employment opportunities.
Environmental Assessments (EAs) on both projects analyzed the potential impacts of the proposed casino resort projects and alternatives. The EAs evaluated the transfers of the sites into trust and the Nation’s subsequent development of the casino resorts. The BIA made the EAs available for public comment: The Ardmore site from February 15 through March 18, 2019, and the Kingston site from March 12 to April 13, 2020. It received no comments from the public on both. The Ardmore EA is available at www.ardmorecasinoea.com and the Kingston EA is available at www.kingstoncasinoea.com.
The Assistant Secretary determined that the proposed projects would have no significant impact on the quality of the human environment and issued a Finding of No Significant Impact for each. This fulfills the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Since the Assistant Secretary also determined that the sites are eligible for gaming pursuant to the “Oklahoma Exception” of Section 2719 of Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, 25 U.S.C. § 2719 (a)(1)(A)(i)(i), the Chickasaw Nation may conduct gaming on them now. The Oklahoma Exception authorizes gaming on lands acquired by the Secretary in trust for the benefit of an Indian tribe after October 17, 1988.
The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues, communicates policy to and oversees the programs of the BIA and the BIE, provides leadership in consultations with tribes, and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter-departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on Indian matters.
The Office of Indian Gaming acts as the primary advisor to the Secretary and Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs on Indian gaming and the requirements of Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), P.L. 100-497, and other federal laws. Its duties and responsibilities include the administrative review and analysis of IGRA’s statutory and regulatory requirements and related statutes as well as policy development and technical assistance to tribal and state stakeholders. OIG implements the Secretary’s responsibilities under IGRA and, as such, has a significant impact on economic development resulting from Indian gaming.
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https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/assistant-secretary-sweeney-approves-fee-trust-gaming-applications
Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
WASHINGTON – In late 2019 the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) launched an innovative school bus internet connectivity project with the goal of using its 25 longest bus routes to keep students connected to learning. Well before COVID-19 hit the United States, the Bureau had begun to transform the designated school bus fleet into extended classrooms so that students remained connected while traveling, in some cases over 200 miles roundtrip per day, on distant bus routes.
Once schools resume in-person instruction, the internet-enabled buses will serve 19 BIE-operated and tribally administered schools in Arizona, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Michigan, Minnesota and Washington State.
“Connectivity is an Administration priority, as it is in the traditional and cultural sense for tribal communities like my own,” said Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney “The Wi-Fi Bus pilot project is another opportunity to help bridge the digital divide in Indian Country.”
BIE Director Tony Dearman stated, “This innovative project will benefit hundreds of our students who must travel long distances by bus every day to reach their classrooms and return home.”
According to the U.S. Department of Education, about a third of the homes with school-aged children don't have internet due to financial challenges. BIE’s Wi-Fi Bus project is a step closer to closing the connectivity issue and inequality issues already seen in low-income communities, especially in Indian Country
From the work with the National Tribal Broadband Summit, Indian Affairs is very aware that reliable, affordable broadband access is critical to the health and economic well-being of tribal communities. The completion of the Wi-Fi Bus project moves BIE that much closer to achieving one of Summit’s goals: that of bridging the connectivity gap in Indian Country.
The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues, communicates policy to and oversees the programs of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the BIE, provides leadership in consultations with tribes, and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter-departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on Indian matters.
The BIE implements federal Indian education programs and funds 183 elementary schools, secondary schools and dormitories (of which over two-thirds are tribally operated) located on 64 reservations in 23 states serving an estimated 46,000 individual students. The BIE also operates two post-secondary schools and administers grants for 29 tribally controlled colleges and universities and two tribal technical colleges.
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https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/bureau-indian-education-equips-its-25-longest-school-bus-routes-wi
Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney today announced the establishment of the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration (BTFA) which will report directly to her office. The new BTFA will assume responsibility for financial operations and functions currently performed by the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) effective today. The new Bureau will maintain the current OST fiduciary functions and reflects the Department of the Interior’s efforts to reform and modernize its accountability and management of Indian funds held in trust.
“Twenty-six years after Congress enacted the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994, this Administration has finished the work necessary to modernize and professionalize the federal government’s handling of its fiduciary responsibilities for tribal and individual Indian trust fund accounts,” said Tara Sweeney, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. “These reforms – the higher standard of care and best practices necessary for fulfilling the Secretary’s trust responsibility – must be institutionalized and made permanent. I am proud that this reorganization was accomplished consistent with President Trump’s vision to reorganize the federal government in a commonsense way, making the executive branch more lean, accountable, and efficient while still allowing the government to deliver core services.”
Established by the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-412), OST was created to improve the accountability and management of Indian funds held in trust by the federal government. As trustee, DOI has the primary fiduciary responsibility to manage both tribal trust funds and Individual Indian Money (IIM) accounts.
In evaluating the potential transition of these functions, the Department engaged in multiple meetings and forums with tribes and stakeholders. In addition, numerous formal government-to-government consultations were conducted and one Listening Session held throughout Indian Country as part of the implementation of the Indian Trust Asset Reform Act (ITARA) Section 304(a), codified at 25 U.S.C. § 5635, which requires that the Secretary prepare a transition plan and timetable for the termination of OST.
The mission of the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration is to manage the financial assets of trust beneficiaries. This effort is integrally related to DOI's goal of meeting its responsibilities to American Indians. BTFA carries out its mission in pursuit of the following vision—We Excel, Native America Prospers.
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https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/interiors-bureau-trust-funds-administration-latest-example-increased
Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney announced today that approximately $5.5 million is available for Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) Energy Mineral Development Program (EMDP) grants to help federally recognized American Indian tribes, Alaska Native entities and tribal energy resource development organizations identify, evaluate or assess the market for energy or mineral resources to be developed. EMDP will fund about 25 to 30 grants. The application deadline is December 2, 2020.
EMDP grants fund resource inventories and assessments, feasibility studies, or other pre-development studies related to energy and mineral resources. Assessments and studies funded through EMDP focus on biomass (woody and waste) for heat or electricity; transportation fuels; hydroelectric, solar or wind generation; geothermal heating or electricity production; district heating; other forms of distributed energy generation; oil, natural gas, geothermal and helium; and sand and gravel, coal, precious minerals and base minerals.
“Revenues from the development of energy and mineral resources are second only to gaming as a source of revenues for tribes,” Assistant Secretary Sweeney said. “The feasibility studies and resource assessments funded by EMDP are a necessary first step in developing those resources. I encourage all those interested to submit proposals for this important funding opportunity.”
IEED’s solicitation for EMDP funding and details on how to apply can be found in the Federal Register notice published on September 3 and at the Grants.Gov website.
EMDP is a competitive, discretionary program. To qualify for funding, applicants must submit a proposal and a supporting tribal resolution to IEED by December 2, 2020, using the standard Application for Federal Assistance Form SF-424 and the Project Narrative Attachment Form, both of which can be found at Grants.gov.
Applications will be evaluated chiefly on the basis of a project’s potential to attract financing, create jobs, generate revenues, and foster other long-term benefits to a Native community, as well as the clarity and completeness of the application’s scope of work, deliverables and budget.
IEED is administering this program through its Division of Energy and Mineral Development (DEMD).
Questions about EMDP may be addressed to: Ms. Winter Jojola-Talburt, Deputy Chief, Division of Energy and Mineral Development at 13922 Denver West Pkwy, Suite 200, Lakewood, CO 80401; by telephone at (720) 207-8063; or by email at winter.jojola-talburt@bia.gov.
Please visit the IEED website for more information about other IEED programs and services.
The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues, communicates policy to and oversees the programs of the BIA and the BIE, provides leadership in consultations with tribes, and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter-departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on Indian matters.
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https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/assistant-secretary-tara-sweeney-announces-55-million-available-ieed
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