OPA

Washington - Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs David W. Anderson will address attendees at the 618t Annual National Congress of the American Indians Convention on Tuesday, October 12, 2004, in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. The theme for this year's convention is "Renewing the Vision: Setting a New Course for Indian Country."

The Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs will speak during the third general assembly held in the Grand Floridian at the Ft. Lauderdale / Broward Country Convention Center. He will provide the tribes with an update on the progress made by Indian Affairs in the areas of economic development, BIA Law Enforcement, education of Indian children, and other issues of interest to American Indians.

The Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs is responsible for fulfilling the department's trust responsibilities to individual and tribal trust beneficiaries, as well as promotes tribal self determination, self-governance and economic development for the nation's 562 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and their 1.8 million members. The Assistant Secretary also manages the BIA, the 180-year old agency that provides services to individual American Indians and Alaska Natives from the federally recognized tribes, and the BIA school system. The school system serves nearly 48,000 American Indian children in 184 elementary and secondary day and boarding schools found on or near 63 reservations in 23 states. The BIA runs one-third of these schools and the remaining two-thirds tribes run under BIA contracts or grants.

WHO: Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs David W. Anderson

WHAT: Speech to Attendees

WHERE: National Congress of the American Indian 618t Annual Conference in Orlando, FL Grand Floridian, Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center

WHEN: 8:40 -10:00 A.M. Tuesday, October 12, 2004

Washington - Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs David W. Anderson will speak at the Circle of Cultures: Time of Renewal and Exchange Opening Ceremony held at the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND on October 22, 2004.

"Lewis and Clark played a significant role in shaping the history of our nation," said the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs. "But without the involvement of the American Indians they met along the way, it would have never been possible for them to achieve their goals."

"The Circle of Cultures: Time for Renewal and Exchange" is the ninth of fifteen events planned over the two and one half years of the commemoration. Beginning at President Thomas Jefferson's home of Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia, the Commemoration retraces the steps of the expedition to the Pacific at Fort Clatsop, and back again.

Also speaking at the event will be Governor John Hoeven, North Dakota, Senator Kent Conrad, North Dakota, Senator Byron Dorgan, North Dakota, Congressman Earl Pomeroy, Tex Hall President, National Congress of the American Indian; Steve Adams, Superintendent, Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, National Park Service, Gerard Baker, Superintendent, Mount Rushmore National Monument, National Park Service, Amy Mosset, Native American Involvement Coordinator, National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial, Clay Jenkins, Clark Reenactor, historian, and David Borlaug, President, North Dakota Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Foundation.

What: Assistant Secretary Indian Affairs David W. Anderson

Why: Speaking at the Circle of Cultures: Time of Renewal and Exchange

Where: University of Mary, Bismarck, ND

When: Friday October 22, 2004 - 12:00 noon - 2PM

WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs David W. Anderson will be in Albuquerque, N.M., on Wednesday, October 27, to lead a delegation in a groundbreaking ceremony for the new National Indian Programs Training Center. The delegation of the nation’s top Indian Affairs officials will also be joined by New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici, who will be honored in ceremonies dedicating Bureau of Indian Affairs offices on the Albuquerque site as the Pete V. Domenici Indian Affairs Building.

“This new facility in Albuquerque is one part of the important commitment this administration is fulfilling to Indian country,” Assistant Secretary Anderson said today. “The federal employees at the Department of the Interior who serve Indian people are primarily tribal members themselves. This training center will prepare our current and future employees to provide improved service to Indian country. I am pleased to join in this special tribute to Senator Pete Domenici. This gathering will be in recognition of his distinguished service to all of the people of the United States and New Mexico.”

In addition to Senator Domenici, Assistant Secretary Anderson will be joined by Special Trustee for American Indians Ross O. Swimmer and Amadeo Shije, chairman of the All Indian Pueblo Council, to honor Senator Domenici in dedicating the Bureau of Indian Affairs offices on the Old Indian School grounds across from the All Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

After the ceremony there will be an open house and entertainment throughout the afternoon. The ceremony is sponsored by the Indian Pueblo Federal Development Corporation.

WHAT: Groundbreaking Ceremony for the National Indian Programs Training Center and dedication of the Pete V. Domenici Building.

WHO: Senator Pete V. Domenici, Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs David W. Anderson and Special Trustee for American Indians Ross O. Swimmer.

WHEN: Wednesday, October 27, 2004, at 10:00 a.m. (local time).

WHERE: 12th Street and Menaul N.W., Albuquerque, N.M. (across from the All Indian Pueblo Cultural Center).

CREDENTIALS: This invitation is extended to working media representatives, who are required to display sanctioned media credentials for admittance to the event.

(WASHINGTON) - Secretary Norton today praised the Senate's confirmation of David Anderson, a nationally recognized entrepreneur and American Indian leader, as Interior's Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs.

"Dave Anderson's inspiring vision, proven management expertise and compassion for Indian issues will help us improve our ability to support tribal governments," Secretary Norton said in commending the Senate's action. "Dave's innovative leadership and dedication to constant improvement will serve him well as assistant secretary for Indian Affairs."

The Senate confirmed Anderson on December 9. President Bush had nominated Anderson in September.

"I am deeply honored and humbled to accept the position as Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs. There are many opportunities and challenges ahead, and my first order of business is to continue to immerse myself in the issues at hand and to work hand-in-hand with the American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments, as well as the Bureau of Indian Affairs to determine the immediate goals and priorities of these organizations," said David Anderson. "Next, I look forward to setting the stage for a new positive direction in Indian Country for our youth, one that is full of achievement and accomplishment. Our youth need to know that there isn't anything that we can't accomplish as Indian people if we start believing in ourselves and start taking full responsibility for own destinies."

The Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs is responsible for fulfilling Interior's trust responsibilities and promoting self-determination on behalf of the 562 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments. The Assistant Secretary also oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs, an agency with 10,500 employees nationwide, which is responsible for providing services to about 1.4 million individual American Indians and Alaska Natives from the federally recognized tribes. Anderson, a member of the Chippewa and Choctaw tribes and an enrolled member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Lake Superior Band of Ojibwa, is a successful entrepreneur, expert in revitalizing failing companies, and founder and chairman of Famous Dave's of America, Inc. - one of the nation's fastest growing chains of family restaurants. With his confirmation,

Anderson steps down as chairman of the Board of Directors and his other capacities with Famous Dave's. Well-known for his dedication to the American Indian community, Anderson has donated more than $6 million to Indian advancement projects.

To help disadvantaged American Indian children, the Anderson Family established the Youth Skills Foundation in 1999 with a $1.4 million gift. Proceeds from Anderson's award winning BBQ cookbook are donated to the foundation.

In 2001, Anderson also founded the Life Skills Center for Leadership, offering life-changing programs for at-risk Indian youth and young adults. Television personality Oprah Winfrey was so impressed that her Angel Network awarded a $25,000 grant to the Life Skills Center in 2002.

During his business career, Anderson founded three publicly traded companies on Wall Street, created more than 18,000 new jobs, and reorganized a number of failing businesses in Indian Country, enabling them to become financially successful operations.

In 1982, Anderson, as chief executive officer for the Lac Courte Oreilles Chippewa tribal enterprises, built a team that successfully turned reservation businesses into profitable and stable operations. Under his leadership, gross revenues increased from $3.9 million to $8 million. This achievement was recognized by President Reagan's Commission on Indian Reservation Economics. Anderson has served on numerous national and state commissions, including the American Indian Education Foundation (2003); Presidential Advisory Council for Tribal Colleges and Universities (2001); National Task Force on Reservation Gambling (1983); Council on Minority Business Development for the State of Wisconsin (1983); Wisconsin Council on Tourism (1983) and Harvard University's Native American Program.

Having weathered the changing fortunes of an entrepreneurial career, Anderson also has used his life experiences to help others. As a public speaker he shares his optimism and inspiration with youth groups and community organizations. "No matter how tough things may seem today, if you hold fast to your dreams and work hard, tomorrow's rewards will always come," Anderson has said. His numerous honors include being named a Bush Leadership Fellow (1985); recognized as Minnesota and Dakota's Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young, NASDAQ, and USA Today; Restaurateur of the Year by Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine (1998); and chosen an Olympic Torch Carrier of the 2002 Winter Olympics by his community.

Anderson received a master's degree in Public Administration from Harvard University at the John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1986. He lives in Edina, Minnesota, with his wife.

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WASHINGTON – Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Aurene M. Martin today announced that she has affirmed the results of the October 21, 2003 recall election and November 5, 2003 special election held by the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, a federally recognized tribe. The action ended a long-standing internal dispute over the tribe’s leadership, which led to the closing of the tribe’s casino and brought economic and political uncertainty to tribal members.

"Further delay in this already long-standing dispute can not be justified,” Martin said in her decision. “I believe that the recall and special elections were fair and open and the results sufficiently reflect the will of the people.

"The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Midwest Regional Office had spent several months attempting to end a dispute among Sac and Fox tribal members about who represented their tribal government. On August 4, 2003, the Midwest Regional Director wrote to the tribal chairman and other interested parties stating the BIA’s position on the dispute and cautioning them about the impact that would result from the tribal council’s “failure to deal with the efforts of the tribal membership to express their will.” A solution was offered whereby the Interior Department would recognize the results of a “fair and openly conducted” special election “initiated by a representative group of tribal members” as the representatives of the tribe “for the purposes of the government-to-government relationship between the United States and the Tribe."

On October 21 the tribe held a recall election and on November 5 a special election was held to fill four vacancies that had been created by the recall election. The results of the special election were verified by a six-member tribal election committee comprised of a representative group of tribal members and by two independent judges. After the Midwest Regional Director accepted the verified results of the special election, he issued a letter on November 7 identifying the seven members of the tribal council which the Bureau would recognize based on the recall and special elections: Wayne Pushetonequa, Harvey Davenport, Jr., Homer Bear, Jr., Keith Davenport, Deron Ward, Frank Black Cloud and Ray Young Bear. The three candidates who received the most votes in the special election each received overwhelming pluralities representing the votes of more than 30 percent of all eligible tribal voters.

The Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary’s decision affirmed the Midwest Regional Director’s recognition of the members of the tribal council for the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa as stated in his November 7, 2003 letter, and her decision is final for the Department and effective immediately.

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ALBUQUERQUE – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs David W. Anderson says the planned construction of the new National Indian Programs Training Center here is part of an ongoing effort to improve the delivery of federal services to Indian country. Assistant Secretary Anderson joined New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici at a groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility and a separate dedication of Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) offices on the Albuquerque site as the Pete V. Domenici Indian Affairs Building.

Assistant Secretary Anderson presided over the events that included a delegation of the nation’s top Indian Affairs officials, including Special Trustee for American Indians Ross O. Swimmer. The chairman of the All Indian Pueblo Council (AIPC), Amadeo Shije, also participated in today’s ceremony.

“Establishing the National Indian Programs Training Center in Albuquerque places a key facility in the effort to improve the quality of service for Indian people within ready access of the nation’s most populous American Indian community,” Assistant Secretary Anderson said today. “Construction will begin in about 30 days, and when it is complete, the center will be available for training Interior employees, as well as tribal employees engaged in trust services. This will be the center for a unified approach to training that will develop a strong program expertise on behalf of Indian country.”

Assistant Secretary Anderson also said he was proud to recognize the achievements of New Mexico’s senior United States Senator:

“Senator Pete Domenici has been a tireless supporter of Indian programs, so it is fitting that we also take this opportunity to recognize his record of achievement by designating the new building housing many BIA offices in his honor.”

Indian dancers and drummers were featured at the ceremony, followed by a traditional Indian feast. The event was sponsored by the Indian Pueblo Federal Development Corporation, the development arm of the All Indian Pueblo Council.

The existing 150,000 square foot building – on the 12th Street site of the old Albuquerque Indian School – opened in February 2004. It houses the BIA’s Southwest Regional Office, Southern Pueblos Agency and the Office of Law Enforcement Services, as well as the Department of the Interior’s Environmental Policy Regional Office. Located just west of the Pete V. Domenici Indian Affairs Building, the National Indian Programs Training Center will take up approximately one-third of the new 150,000 square-foot building, which will be connected to the Domenici Building by an interior hallway. It is expected that other BIA agencies located throughout Albuquerque will move into the new building when the design-build construction is completed.

The National Indian Programs Training Center will be a hub for training all BIA employees associated with delivering fiduciary and trust services, employees of the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) and tribal employees involved in trust reform and self-determination programs. The facility will be equipped with modern classrooms and employ state-of-the-art computer hardware for consistent training. In fiscal year 2005, BIA and OST will spend a minimum of $11.7 million for employee training.

The 44-acre Albuquerque Indian School site, located at 12th Street and Menaul, is Indian trust land held for the AIPC. It is being developed by the Indian Pueblo Federal Development Corporation.

The new building will be similar in design to the Domenici Building, which features large open office areas with energy efficient and cost savings office automation technical centers for up to 403 employees. The architect for both buildings is Design Collaborative Southwest of Albuquerque. The Domenici Building was the first government facility to be located on Indian trust land within Albuquerque’s central business district. The firm of Dekker/Perich/Sabatini served as the interior design architect for the Domenici Building

WASHINGTON, D.C. - President George W. Bush has signed into law a measure championed by U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado and supported by Interior Secretary Gale Norton that will reform American Indian probate rules and will help facilitate the consolidation of Indian land ownership across the nation. The legislation introduced by Sen. Campbell, chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, was passed by both the House of Representatives and the United States Senate under 'unanimous consent' rules - meaning no member of Congress expressed opposition to the measure.

The American Indian Probate Reform Act of 2004 (S. 1721) provides valuable tools to the Department of the Interior, Tribal governments, and individual Indians to facilitate the consolidation of Indian land ownership in order to restore economic viability to Indian assets.

"The swift consideration and enactment of this important legislation reflects this administration's commitment to Indian Trust issues," Secretary Norton said today. "This measure is one of the pieces necessary for true Trust reform."

"This legislation provides us with tools to help improve probate and to help tackle the complicated issue of fractionation," Assistant Secretary -Indian Affairs David Anderson said. "The federal government and Indian leaders have a mutual interest in promoting economic viability on lands that are rapidly becoming converted into an unmanageable mosaic of tiny interests due to fractionated ownership. This is one more step in the right direction."

Ross Swimmer, the Special Trustee for American Indians, echoed the importance of the legislation: "The ownership of many disparate, uneconomic, small interests has limited benefit in Indian country. It has been feeding an administrative burden that continues to drain resources and attention away from other beneficial Indian programs. This new law is a meaningful step in our effort to improve the quality of Trust management services throughout Indian country."

The legislation provides a clearer method to pass individual Indian land ownership from one generation to the next - creating a uniform federal Indian probate code instead of the multiple individual state laws that now govern Indian probate activity. This new law establishes a definition of highly fractionated lands, allows small interests in land to pass exclusively to single heirs when there is no will involved, and allows greater flexibility for individuals and Tribes to consolidate and acquire interests during the probate process. The measure makes the Department of the Interior's Land Acquisition Pilot Program permanent and allows a Tribe or a co-owner to request a sale of a highly fractionated parcel of land for the purposes of making that parcel whole under one individual owner.

Secretary Norton today recognized Sen. Campbell's role in introducing the legislation and successfully seeing it enacted in his last term in office:

"Historians will have much to consider when reflecting upon the legacy of Senator Campbell's service to Indian people and this nation. This legislation will surely be considered among Senator Campbell's most significant achievements."

Washington – James E. Cason, Associate Deputy Secretary announced a series of consultation meetings to be held January 9-19, 2005 throughout Indian country. In accordance with Title V, Section 504 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and Executive Order 13175, the DOI, Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development seeks to consult on the development of proposed regulations to govern Tribal Energy Resource Agreements. The purpose of these agreements is to promote tribal oversight and management of energy and mineral resource development on tribal lands and further the goal of Indian self-determination. A letter of invitation was sent to Tribal Leaders with specific information on the meetings. We invite the public to comment at one or more of these meetings. The public comment period will be held from 8 am to 12 pm at each meeting.

For more information on the meetings contact Darryl Francois, Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, 1849 C St., NW, MS-2749-MIB, Washington, DC 20240. Or call: 202- 219-0740 or by email at darryl.francois@mms.gov. CREDENTIALS: This invitation is extended to working media representatives, who are required to display sanctioned media credentials for admittance to these events.

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WASHINGTON – Special Agents Craig Janis and Mario Redlegs of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Office of Law Enforcement Services (OLES) were recognized today by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) for their efforts that helped lead to the eradication of a major marijuana cultivation site last year on the Yakama Nation Indian Reservation in Washington State. Janis, 34, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in Pine Ridge, S.D., and Redlegs, 38, of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in Fort Yates, N.D., were presented with awards by ONDCP Director John Walters at a ceremony here today.

“Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement personnel play a vital role in the detection, investigation and prosecution of drug crime in the United States,” said Interior Associate Deputy Secretary James E. Cason. “I congratulate Special Agents Craig Janis and Mario Redlegs on being recognized for contributing to the successful completion of their mission.”

The marijuana crop, or “grow”, was the largest seized in Washington State history and the fourth largest in U.S. history. It consisted of 60,500 mature plants weighing approximately 30 tons with an estimated value of $35 million.

In August 2004, the BIA Division of Special Investigations’ Drug Enforcement Section initiated an investigation into marijuana cultivation taking place on the Yakama Reservation. Agents Redlegs and Janis were part of multi-agency effort led by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Yakima (Wash.) Resident Office and included personnel from the Yakama Nation Tribal Police, the local multi-jurisdictional L.E.A.D. (Law Enforcement Against Drugs) Task Force, Klickitat County Sheriff’s Department and the Washington State National Guard. The two agents hiked over tough terrain in adverse weather conditions to locate what was found to be numerous camp sites and collected crucial initial evidence that helped lead to several arrests. None of the suspects who were arrested as a result of this investigation were Yakama tribal members.

“This is only one example of how BIA officers work shoulder-to-shoulder with other Federal, tribal and local law enforcement offices and agencies,” said OLES Director Christopher B. Chaney. “Special Agents Redlegs and Janis exemplify the hard work, dedication and professionalism that are expected of BIA law enforcement personnel.”

The Office of Law Enforcement Services carries out its mission to improve law enforcement services and preserve public safety in Indian country through six district offices and by supporting, through funding and/or training, over 170 tribally operated police departments and directly operating 31 police departments, as well as funding 59 tribally operated detention facilities and directly operating 22 detention facilities, across the country, by coordinating homeland security support on Federal Indian lands, by working cooperatively with other Federal and local law enforcement agencies in Indian country, and by providing training and professional development through the Indian Police Academy in Artesia, N.M.

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, a component of the Executive Office of the President, was established by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. The principal purpose of ONDCP is to establish policies, priorities and objectives for the Nation’s drug control program. The goals of the program are to reduce illicit drug use, manufacturing and trafficking, drug-related crime and violence, and drug-related health consequences.

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Washington – Associate Deputy Secretary James E. Cason today announced that the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED), in the Office of the Assistant Secretary Indian Affairs is a sponsor of the 20th Annual National Reservation Economic Summit & American Indian Business Trade Fair better known as RES 2006. The four day event is hosted by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED), and will be held on February 6-9, 2006 at Las Vegas, Nevada.

“We are pleased to support an endeavor that has shown to have a significant economic impact on reservation economies,” said James E. Cason. “Our involvement fits perfectly with President Bush’s effort to help the American Indian people develop entrepreneurial opportunities that will create jobs for Indian country and America.”

The IEED has developed an integrated symposium titled: “Moving from Talk to Action.” The track will feature six seminars that will focus on Tribal Economic Development and Indian Energy Development. The seminars are the following: 1) Roadmaps for Tribal Economic Development; 2) Access to Capital; 3) Successful Tribal Economic Development Stories; 4) Accelerated Development of Indian Fossil Fuel Resources; 5) Building Renewable Energy in Indian Country; and, 6) Educating a New Generation of Tribal Energy Leaders.

The Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development is the Department’s lead office to assist tribes and individuals with the exploration, development and management of energy resources in order to create sustainable economies for reservations.

The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development is a non-profit organization solely dedicated to developing American Indian economic self-sufficiency through business ownership. For more information about the summit contact NCAIED directly at (480)545-1298 or go to their web site at: www.ncaied.org.

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