OPA

Department of the Interior Deputy Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs James H. McDivitt today announced his approval of an application to take into trust a 55-acre parcel of land located in Hudson, Wisconsin, for three Federally-recognized Indian Tribes for gaming purposes after determining it would be in the best interest of the Tribes without being detrimental to the surrounding community. The application was submitted on March 4, 1994, by the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin, the Sokaogon Chippewa Community of Wisconsin and the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin. The Tribes had applied for a trust land acquisition of the 55.82 acre parcel of land and for a two part Secretarial determination pursuant to Section 20(b)(1)(A) of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), 25 U.S.C. Section 2719(b)(1)(A). The purpose of the Tribes’ action was to augment parimutuel dog racing already operating at the site as the St. Croix Meadows Greyhound Park with other Class III gaming activities.

The approval reverses a July 14, 1995, decision by the Deputy Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs not to exercise the Bureau’s authority to take the land into trust because the administrative record at the time failed to support a finding of no detriment to the surrounding community, a final determination for the Department of the Interior. In September 1995, the Tribes filed suit in U.S. District Court of the Western District of Wisconsin in Sokaogon Chippewa Community, et al., v. Babbitt, et al., Case No. 95-C-659-C (W.D. Wis.) to reverse the Department’s determination. In the Settlement Agreement dated October 8, 1999, the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs agreed to resume consideration of the Tribes’ application based on the administrative record already developed and as supplemented only in the manner specified in the Agreement. The decision to approve the application was based on the administrative record and additional information provided by the Tribes including a more thorough environmental assessment of the proposed facility and projected benefits, income, and employment, as well as projected impact on neighboring tribes and surrounding communities. In addition, the City of Hudson, Wisconsin, whose Common Council had passed a resolution opposing the casino in 1995, has since clarified its position as one of being in favor of the project.

McDivitt sent a letter to Wisconsin Governor Scott McCallum today announcing his decision. Governor McCallum must concur with the two-part Secretarial determination if the Interior Department is to complete the trust application process for the Hudson property pursuant to the requirements of 25 CFR Part 151.

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The Bureau of Indian Affairs has changed the location of the public meeting scheduled for August 8-9, 2000, to address technical questions raised by state, local and tribal officials concerning the Department of the Interior’s March 31, 2000, proposed findings to acknowledge federal recognition of the Eastern Pequot Indians of Connecticut and the Paucatuck Eastern Pequot Indians of Connecticut.

The meeting location was changed to better accommodate the participants and observers. The meeting will be held at the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), 1776 ‘D’ Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. The meeting will start at 9:00a.m.

The meeting was requested on May 18, 2000, by the Connecticut Attorney General’s office. Comments on the proposed findings are due by September 27, 2000.

WHO: U.S. Department of the Interior

WHAT: Public meeting.

WHEN: August 8-9, 2000, at 9:00a.m.

WHERE: National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, 1776 ‘D’ Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.

Map of Location

The Bureau of Indian Affairs will celebrate its 175th Anniversary tomorrow, Friday, September 8, 2000, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT) at the U.S. Department of the Interior headquarters, 1849 ‘C’ Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., in the Sydney R. Yates Auditorium with the theme “Reconciling the Past, Trusting the Future: A Renewed Commitment to Indian Tribes for the 21st Century.” The program will include a discussion on the BIA’s past, present, and future.

Ojibwe artist Sam English will be on hand to autograph commemorative posters featuring artwork he created specifically for the 175th Anniversary. At 1:30 p.m. the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs’ corridor in the Department’s main building will be dedicated as the “Hall of Tribal Nations” where tribal flags will be put on permanent display.

Note to Editors: The morning portion of the program will be broadcasted at the following coordinates:

Uplink Times: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (EDT)

Satellite: Galaxy 4 (C Band) Transponder: 22 (99 degrees west)

Downlink Frequency: 4140 Vertical

Audio Frequencies: 6.2 – 6.9

Program agenda and significant participants:

10:00 a.m.: Welcome - Sharon Blackwell, Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of Indian Affairs

-- Panel Discussion: Past, Present, and Future of the BIA

1:30 p.m: “Hall of Tribal Nations” dedication ceremony (4100 Corridor, main Interior building)

Credentials: Please bring your sanctioned media credentials and if possible, wear on your shirt collar or around your neck for easy viewing. This will assist our staff. Media are advised to be in place by 9:30 a.m. on September 8. Press seating will be provided. The program will not begin until 10:00 a.m.

The program is open to the public and can be easily accessed via the department’s ‘C’ Street (South) entrance.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Bush’s pledge on education that “no child shall be left behind” was reaffirmed today with the release of his Fiscal Year 2002 budget request of $2.2 billion for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).The request includes $292.5 million for BIA school construction – an increase of $162,000 over the 2001 enacted level – of which $122.8 million is to replace six aging BIA school facilities around the country, including the Ojibwa Indian School located in Belcourt, N.D. “President Bush and I are committed to providing all BIA students with healthy and safe schools,” said Interior Secretary Gale Norton. “For far too long, Indian children have been left behind. This budget request shows the Bush Administration’s dedication to creating environments where the minds, spirits and aspirations of thousands of Native American children may flourish. Children can best learn, and teachers can best teach, when they aren’t worrying that their classrooms will fall down.”

The Ojibwa Indian School is comprised of 10 portable and four temporary buildings, some of which were built in the 1930s, that serve 351 students in grades K-8 from the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in North Dakota. Eighty percent of the student body attends class in the portable buildings. The budget request includes $29.0 million for the Ojibwa Indian School Replacement project to replace both building types with one facility that meets safety, environmental quality, and accessibility standards; that can accommodate an increasing student enrollment; and provides a setting conducive to learning. At present, the buildings pose a serious safety and health threat to students, school employees, and visitors. For example, portable buildings are located on ground with a steep grade and slippery conditions that create hazards for children and adults. In addition, pipelines freeze under the extreme winter weather conditions found in North Dakota, and critical servicing components, including mechanical, electrical, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, ventilation, communications, fire, and safety systems, require major repairs to bring them up to acceptable health and safety standards. In contrast, the replacement school will be a warm, safe, modern-day K-12 teaching and learning facility serving a projected 728 day-school students from the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Tribe.

The BIA’s 185 schools and dormitories have suffered for decades from neglect and disrepair. The five additional school facilities slated for replacement in FY2002 are: Polacca Day School, Polacca, Ariz.; Holbrook Dormitory, Holbrook, Ariz.; Santa Fe Indian School, Santa Fe, N.M.; Wingate Elementary School Dormitory, Ft. Wingate, N.M.; and Paschal Sherman Indian School, Omak, Wash. The President’s request for BIA education also includes $5.0 million for advance planning and design of future replacement schools, $161.6 million to fund maintenance and repair projects to reduce the backlog of needed repairs to BIA school buildings, $504.0 million to fund BIA school and dormitory operations, and a $1.0 million increase for operating grants to 25 tribally controlled community colleges. The BIA’s mission is to fulfill its trust responsibilities and promote self-determination on behalf of Tribal governments, American Indians, and Alaska Natives. As part of its mission, the BIA provides services to approximately 1.4 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who are members of the 561 federally recognized Tribes in the 48 contiguous United States and Alaska.

In a powerful and moving speech at a ceremony commemorating the Bureau of Indian Affairs' l75th anniversary, Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Kevin Gover today apologized for the ethnic cleansing and cultural annihilation the BIA had wrought against American Indian and Alaska Native people in years past. Speaking before an estimated audience of 300 people, most of whom were BIA employees, he observed that the event was not an occasion for celebration, but a time for reflection and contrition.

"We desperately wish that we could change this history," Gover said, "but of course we cannot. On behalf of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, I extend this formal apology to Indian people for the historical conduct of this agency."

Gover pointed out that the agency's lengthy cultural assault on American Indians and Alaska Natives for most of its history, particularly on the children sent to BIA boarding schools and their parents, has yielded a trauma of shame, fear, and anger that has passed from generation to generation fueling the alcohol and drug abuse and domestic violence that continues to plague Indian country. "These wrongs," he said, "must be acknowledged if the healing is to begin."

Gover noted a healing process is crucial to letting go of the past and laying the groundwork for the future. "The Bureau of Indian Affairs was born in 1824 in a time of war on Indian people," he said. "May it live in the year 2000 and beyond as an instrument of their prosperity."

Gover also presided at a ceremony dedicating the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs' corridor in the Department's headquarters as the "Hall of Tribal Nations" where tribal flags from across the country will be on permanent display.

Note to Editors: The full text of Assistant Secretary Gover's speech is on the BIA's web site

WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Bush’s pledge on education that “no child shall be left behind” was reaffirmed today with the release of his Fiscal Year 2002 budget request of $2.2 billion for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The request includes $292.5 million for BIA school construction – an increase of $162,000 over the 2001 enacted level – of which $122.8 million is to replace six aging BIA school facilities around the country, including the Paschal Sherman Indian School located in Omak, Wash., on the Colville Indian Reservation. “President Bush and I are committed to providing all BIA students with healthy and safe schools,” said Interior Secretary Gale Norton. “For far too long, Indian children have been left behind. This budget request shows the Bush Administration’s dedication to creating environments where the minds, spirits and aspirations of thousands of Native American children may flourish. Children can best learn, and teachers can best teach, when they aren’t worrying that their classrooms will fall down.”

The Paschal Sherman Indian School is a K-9 school and dormitory located on 26 acres of Colville tribal land. The facility serves 160 students who attend classes in 18 buildings, 4 of which are temporary. The budget request includes $16.7 million for the Paschal Sherman Indian School Replacement project to replace these buildings, the average age of which is 40 years, with one facility that meets safety, environmental quality, and accessibility standards; that can accommodate an increasing student enrollment; and provides a setting conducive to learning. Many of the buildings have deteriorated to the point where it is no longer economically feasible to continue making repairs to them, and health and safety code violations expose students and staff to potential life-threatening situations throughout the campus. In addition to educational and administrative facilities, needs include a gymnasium, cafeteria, dormitories, bus garage, and improved access for disabled individuals are needed. The replacement school will be a safe, modern-day teaching and learning facility that will serve approximately 260 students.

The BIA’s 185 schools and dormitories have suffered for decades from neglect and disrepair. The five additional school facilities slated for replacement in FY2002 are:

• Polacca Day School, Polacca, Ariz.;
• Holbrook Dormitory, Holbrook, Ariz.;
• Santa Fe Indian School, Santa Fe, N.M.;
• Wingate Elementary School Dormitory, Ft. Wingate, N.M.; and
• Ojibwa Indian School, Belcourt, N.D.

The President’s request for BIA education also includes $5.0 million for advance planning and design of future replacement schools, $161.6 million to fund maintenance and repair projects to reduce the backlog of needed repairs to BIA school buildings, $504.0 million to fund BIA school and dormitory operations, and a $1.0 million increase for operating grants to 25 tribally controlled community colleges. The BIA’s mission is to fulfill its trust responsibilities and promote self-determination on behalf of Tribal governments, American Indians, and Alaska Natives. As part of its mission, the BIA provides services to approximately 1.4 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who are members of the 561 federally recognized Tribes in the 48 contiguous United States and Alaska.

The Department of the Interior provided its determination to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that the bones of the 9,000 year-old human skeletal remains known as Kennewick Man be given to the five Indian tribes that have collectively claimed him as their ancient ancestor. The decision was announced in a letter from Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt to Secretary of the Army Louis Caldera and represents the culmination of a thorough process of scientific examinations and investigations. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers currently is responsible for the skeletal remains, which are now located at the Burke Museum of Natural and Cultural History in Seattle. Under an agreement with the Corps, the Interior Department agreed to determine the proper disposition of the remains under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA).

"This is a unique case on so many levels," Babbitt said. "The bones are of great antiquity and were found in the shallows of the Columbia River without an archaeological context. The Department completed a careful, detailed series of scientific investigations involving world-class experts to learn as much as possible. All that information is now available to anyone, and is posted on the Internet. After evaluating this complex situation, I believe that it is reasonable to determine that the Kennewick Man remains should be transferred to the Tribes that have jointly claimed him -Tribes that have inhabited, hunted and fished this area around the confluence of the Columbia and the Snake Rivers for millennia."

Secretary Babbitt based his determination on two grounds. First, he concluded that the remains were culturally affiliated with the five Tribes making a joint claim. " Although ambiguities in the data made this a close call, I was persuaded by the geographic data and oral histories of the five tribes that collectively assert they are the descendants of people who have been in the region of the Upper Columbia Plateau for a very long time," Babbitt explained.

Second, Secretary Babbitt concluded that the land adjacent to the river shallows where the more than 380 pieces of bone were found scattered had been determined by the Indian Claims Commission (ICC) to be the aboriginal land of a number of the five tribes that are currently claiming the skeletal remains. The land is currently federal land managed by county government as Columbia Park in Kennewick, Washington.

University of California at Davis and the University of Michigan. None of the laboratories was able to extract DNA for analysis due to the antiquity and mineralization of the more than 9,000 year-old bone. "Clearly, when dealing with human remains of this antiquity, concrete evidence is often scanty , and the analysis of the data can yield ambiguous, inconclusive or even contradictory results," Babbitt said "We worked hard to gather and analyze all information and evidence that might possibly be relevant and these investigations and documentation were essential to my determination.. If the remains had been 3,000 years old, there would be little debate over whether Kennewick Man was the ancestor of the Upper Plateau Tribes. The line back to 9,000 years, with relatively little evidence in between, made the cultural affiliation determination difficult."

The Secretary's determination would preclude further study of the remains by the public. His letter and other accompanying documents, scientific expert reports, and radiocarbon and DNA analysis reports are available on the Department of the Interior's web site, with a web link off the Interior home page or at htm://www.cr.nps.gov/aad/kennewick/

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – President Bush’s pledge on education that “no child shall be left behind” was reaffirmed today with the release of his Fiscal Year 2002 budget request of $2.2 billion for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).The request includes $292.5 million for BIA school construction – an increase of $162,000 over the 2001 enacted level – of which $122.8 million is to replace six aging BIA school facilities around the country, including the Polacca Day School located in Polacca, Ariz., on the Hopi reservation. “President Bush and I are committed to providing all BIA students with healthy and safe schools,” said Interior Secretary Gale Norton.“For far too long, Indian children have been left behind. This budget request shows the Bush Administration’s dedication to creating environments where the minds, spirits and aspirations of thousands of Native American children may flourish.Children can best learn, and teachers can best teach, when they aren’t worrying that their classrooms will fall down.” The budget request includes $19.9 million for the Polacca Day School Replacement project that will replace the current facility as a way to eliminate unsafe conditions, alleviate severe overcrowding, and accommodate a projected increase in student enrollment. The school’s main building and cafeteria were built in 1956 with portable classrooms added in 1975 and 1995.At present, the K-6 school serves 188 students from the Hopi Tribe, 80 percent of whom are housed in the portable classrooms that are too small for teachers to provide an optimal level of academic instruction.

The condition of the main school building and portable classrooms are at a point where an unsafe and unhealthy learning environment exists:the building’s exterior walls have deteriorated and are not insulated, the mechanical system cannot provide needed air circulation or heating, the electrical system and power supply are inadequate to support educational and office equipment, and the plumbing system is causing problems for students and staff. In contrast, the replacement school will be a safe, modern-day teaching and learning facility serving approximately 375 elementary school students. The BIA’s 185 schools and dormitories have suffered for decades from neglect and disrepair.The five additional school facilities slated for replacement in FY2002 are:Holbrook Dormitory, Holbrook, Ariz.; Santa Fe Indian School, Santa Fe, N.M.; Wingate Elementary School Dormitory, Ft. Wingate, N.M.; Ojibwa Indian School, Belcourt, N.D.; and Paschal Sherman Indian School, Omak, Wash. The President’s request for BIA education also includes $5.0 million for advance planning and design of future replacement schools, $161.6 million to fund maintenance and repair projects to reduce the backlog of needed repairs to BIA school buildings, $504.0 million to fund BIA school and dormitory operations, and a $1.0 million increase for operating grants to 25 tribally controlled community colleges. The BIA’s mission is to fulfill its trust responsibilities and promote self-determination on behalf of Tribal governments, American Indians, and Alaska Natives. As part of its mission, the BIA provides services to approximately 1.4 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who are members of the 561 federally recognized Tribes in the 48 contiguous United States and Alaska.

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The Bureau of Indian Affairs will hold a historic signing ceremony to formalize consultation procedures for the agency, as to agency actions effecting the 558 federally recognized tribes. The procedures establish guidelines to be used by the Bureau of Indian Affairs when consulting with the tribes on policy, regulatory statutes and executive orders. The ceremony is being held on December 13, 2000 at the Daybreak Star Center, Discovery Park in Seattle, Washington.

Although the Government-to-Government relationship is not new, a formal policy on consultation will assist each party in eliminating misunderstandings and misgivings. It is vital to the government-to-government relationship that all contacts and consultation with Indian tribal leaders be conducted in a professional and respectful manner and in accordance with the guidelines.

What: Government-to-Government Consultation Policy Signing Ceremony

Where: Daybreak Star Center, Discovery Park, Seattle, Washington

When: December 13, 2000 Time: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

A traditional Salmon Luncheon will be held at Noon

The Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Public Information. 202-208-3710

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – President Bush has proposed a $2.2 billion budget for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Fiscal Year 2002 that includes an increase of $65.9 million over the FY2001 appropriation. The increase will strengthen the commitment to replace, maintain and operate Indian schools, reform trust management, and ensure public safety in Indian Country. In addition, the request calls for increases in spending on Indian water and land claims settlements. “This request reflects the Bush administration’s determination to protect the rights of American Indian and Alaska Native citizens,” said James McDivitt, Acting Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs.

The BIA, which has the major responsibility for Indian matters within the U.S. Department of the Interior, carries out the Federal trust responsibility for and provides services to approximately 1.4 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who are members of 561 federally recognized Tribes in the 48 contiguous United States and Alaska. The President’s FY2002 budget emphasizes areas of priority in Indian Country, including quality education within structurally sound and adequately equipped and maintained school facilities, continued improvement of trust management services, and implementation of recently authorized Indian lands and water rights settlements.

The Federal government is the sole funding source for two school systems: the Department of Defense schools for military dependents, and 185 elementary and secondary schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the education of American Indian children on reservations throughout the U.S. Over several decades, BIA schools have suffered from neglect and disrepair, which has had a direct impact on student learning and safety.

The FY2002 request for BIA School Construction is $292.5 million, an increase of $162,000 over the FY2001 enacted level. The construction budget includes $122.8 million for replacement facilities for six schools: Polacca Day School, Polacca, Ariz.; Holbrook Dormitory, Holbrook, Ariz.; Wingate Elementary School Dormitory, Ft. Wingate, N.M.; Santa Fe Indian School, Santa Fe, N.M.; Ojibwa Indian School, Belcourt, N.D.; and Paschal Sherman Indian School, Omak, Wash. The request also provides $5.0 million for advance planning and design of future replacement schools.

In addition to replacement school construction, the FY2002 budget request includes $161.6 million to address critical health and safety concerns at existing education facilities. The request, an increase of $13.6 million over 2001, will fund maintenance and repair projects to reduce the backlog of needed repairs to BIA school buildings. “This is one of Secretary Norton’s highest priorities and a positive step in the right direction to bring the BIA school system into the 21st century. Indian children deserve, as do all children, to be educated in safe and healthy learning environments,” said Acting Assistant Secretary James McDivitt.

The FY2002 School Operations budget supports the President’s commitment to “leave no child behind” by providing quality educational opportunities for American Indians and Alaska Natives from early childhood through adulthood. The request for School Operations, which funds operations at BIA schools and dormitories, is $504.0 million, including a program increase of $9.1 million over FY2001. The increase will ensure that BIA schools maintain accreditation and have access to computers and other critical learning tools. The request also provides a $1.0 million increase for operating grants to 25 tribally controlled community colleges.

As part of the Department’s ongoing Trust Management Improvement project, the BIA is working with the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians to reform current trust systems, policies, practices and procedures. To ensure trust management improvements are sustained, the FY2002 budget request includes $118.4 million for several BIA trust services programs and related efforts, an increase of $14.1 million over FY2001. Of the increase, $12.0 million is a program increase for BIA real estate services and appraisals, probate functions, land titles and records offices, tribal courts, background security checks for BIA employees and contractors, management support for national resources and trust land revenues, and information resource management and trust records security.

To meet Federal requirements for recently authorized settlements resolving longstanding claims to water and lands in California, Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico and Utah, the FY2002 budget request of $60.9 million includes an increase of $23.5 million to fund the Colorado Ute-Animas LaPlata settlement ($8.0 million), the Torres-Martinez settlement ($6.0 million), the Shivwitz Band settlement ($5.0 million) and the Santo Domingo Pueblo settlement ($2.0 million), and to complete the Federal commitment for tribal payments in the U.S. v Michigan Great Lakes fishing settlement consent decree ($6.3 million). The budget request also includes funding for the Ute Indian Rights Settlement ($24.7 million) and the Rocky Boy’s Reservation Indian reserved water rights settlement ($7.95 million). Furthermore, additional funds have been requested to provide continued support for the BIA’s Law Enforcement Program to improve public safety and justice in Indian Country. The FY2002 budget request of $160.7 million includes a $5.0 million increase for basic detention services, such as dispatchers and detention officers. The increase will assist Tribes with costs associated with the opening of new detention centers.

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