OPA

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26, 2012—Officials from the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) have signed two memorandums of understanding (MOU) designed to foster improved access to USDA and BIA programs by tribes and tribal members. The memorandums apply to programs administered by the Farm Service Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Rural Development at USDA, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior (DOI). The MOUs will further improve the important government-to-government relationships and also the services offered between USDA, BIA and the tribal governments and the communities they serve.

“This agreement between USDA and the Bureau of Indian Affairs will help us increase efficiency, reduce redundancy and improve communications and services between our agencies and the tribes,” said Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager. “These improvements will help to spur economic development, strengthen the communities and improve the lives of the people of Indian country."

“We look forward to working closely with USDA to serve Indian Country. American Indian farmers are a vital part of Tribal economies and the nation’s agricultural industry. Agriculture is the backbone of the nation,” BIA Director Mike Black said. “With these MOUs in place, we will be able to work with USDA and its programs as partners in helping American Indian farmers maintain their farms, strengthen the local tribal economies, and bring their produce to market for the benefit of all Americans, and the world.”

"This partnership shows the important role tribal lands play in conservation stewardship in America," NRCS Chief Dave White said. "Landowners across the U.S., including those on tribal lands, contribute to cleaner water and air, healthier soil and better homes for wildlife. This memorandum is one effort of many in which NRCS, BIA and Indian landowners and land users can join together to nurture a better landscape."

“The Farm Service Agency is eager to implement this agreement,” said FSA Administrator Juan M. Garcia. “We respect and honor the centuries of stewardship that the Indian tribes participating in our conservation and farm programs have shown for the land we all share. We are pleased to solidify our partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Natural Resources Conservation Service to conserve the soil, care for our water and air, and help the tribe’s maximize their agricultural production.”

The MOUs set up a framework for consultation, training, coordination, and the provision of technical assistance which will increase the amount of Indian land enrolled under USDA conservation and farm loan programs and improve service delivery on those lands. Farming and animal management, grazing, ranching and related food and agricultural operations will be supported through improved interdepartmental coordination. The MOUs, which are in place for five years, also support establishment of Native rural businesses, renewable energy development, and job creation. Additionally, the BIA will work with Rural Development to increase homeownership, home repair, and rehabilitation opportunities, and improve energy efficiency of homes on Indian lands through improved coordination of program delivery. Finally, the MOUs will complement the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) work with BIA to implement and administer the Substantially Underserved Trust Areas (SUTA) provision of the 2008 Farm Bill to increase affordability and availability of RUS-supported infrastructure on Indian lands.

The MOUs also help further the objectives of the Keepseagle settlement agreement, which resolved a lawsuit regarding past discrimination by USDA against Native American farmers and ranchers concerning its farm loan program.

Since taking office, President Obama's Administration has taken historic steps to improve the lives of rural Americans, put people back to work and build thriving economies in rural communities. From proposing the American Jobs Act to establishing the first-ever White House Rural Council the President is committed to a smarter use of existing Federal resources to foster sustainable economic prosperity and ensure the government is a strong partner for businesses, entrepreneurs and working families in rural communities. The Rural Council is working to break down silos of information and to find areas for better collaboration and improved flexibility in administering government programs and to work closer with local tribal and non-tribal governments, non-profits and private companies to leverage federal support to enhance the services offered to rural beneficiaries. The MOUs are also an important step in implementing the administration’s Administrative Flexibility Initiative in Indian Country that has as its goal to provide greater efficiency and more effective program delivery to Indian Country across the federal government.

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

“This comprehensive initiative reflects President Obama’s commitment to strengthening the government-to-government relationship between the United States and tribal nations and recognizing their fundamental right to self-governance,” Secretary Salazar said in signing a Secretarial Order implementing the departmental policy. “The new framework institutionalizes meaningful consultation so that tribal leaders are at the table and engaged when it comes to the matters that affect them.”

“Under this policy, consultation will be an open, transparent and deliberative process,” said Assistant Secretary Echo Hawk. “Forging a strong role for American Indian and Alaska Native tribes at all stages in the government’s decision-making process will benefit Indian Country and federal policy for generations to come.”

Developed in close coordination with tribal leaders around the Nation – including extensive meetings in seven cities with more than 300 tribal representatives – the new policy sets out detailed requirements and guidelines for Interior officials and managers to follow to ensure they are using the best practices and most innovative methods to achieve meaningful consultation with tribes.

Salazar’s announcement comes in advance of the third White House Tribal Nations Conference occurring Friday, December 2nd at the Department of the Interior. The conference will bring together leaders from the 565 federally recognized tribes to hear from President Obama and meet with senior federal officials.

The consultation policy creates a framework for synchronizing Interior’s consultation practices with its bureaus and offices by providing an approach that applies in all circumstances where statutory or administrative opportunities exist to consult with the tribes - including any regulation, rulemaking, policy, guidance, legislative proposal, grant funding formula change or operational activity that may have a substantial and direct effect on a tribe. Interior bureaus and offices, which are required to designate one or more Tribal Liaison Officers, must examine and change their consultation policies within 180 days to ensure they are consistent with the new departmental policy.

Under the policy, Interior officials will identify appropriate tribal consulting parties early in the planning process, provide the tribes a meaningful opportunity to participate in the consultation process, and participate in a manner that demonstrates a commitment and ensures continuity.

To increase accountability, bureaus and office heads will implement training, performance standards and comprehensive annual reporting to the Secretary, through his designated Tribal Governance Officer, on the scope, cost and effectiveness of their consultation efforts.

Based on information received from the bureaus and offices, the Secretary will provide an annual report to the tribes on the Tribal Consultation Policy. In consultation with the tribes, the Secretary will also establish a joint Federal-Tribal Team to make recommendations on implementing and ensuring continued improvement of the policy.

Today’s announcement fulfills President Obama’s directive that all federal agencies develop ways to improve communication and consultation with tribal leaders to generate positive solutions for issues affecting the First Americans.

A Secretarial-established Tribal Consultation Team drafted the new policy, informed by input from the seven regional meetings. The team included tribal representatives from each Bureau of Indian Affairs region, in addition to departmental representatives, ensuring that the draft policy was a direct result of collaboration with tribal leaders. The draft policy was submitted to the tribes and public for review and comment, leading to further refinements reflected in the final policy announced today.

A picture of today’s signing ceremony is available here.

The consultation policy is available here.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar kicked off the White House Tribal Nations Conference today at the Interior Department, emphasizing President Obama’s commitment to reform, restructure and rebuild federal relations with Indian Country and underscoring initiatives that are building safer and stronger American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

The President is hosting the day-long conference – the third he has convened since taking office – and will deliver keynote remarks this afternoon to leaders from the 565 federally-recognized tribes. Members of the President’s cabinet and other federal officials also participated in the conference and breakout discussions focused on addressing the needs and aspirations of Indian communities.

“Today is about continuing a meaningful nation-to-nation dialogue that furthers the march of progress happening in Indian Country,” Secretary Salazar said. “President Obama is committed to making government work better to fulfill our trust management duties, support tribal self-determination and empower American Indian and Alaska Natives to unlock the economic potential of Indian communities.”

During his opening remarks, Salazar announced the promising results of a pilot program to reduce the high incidence of violent crime on four Indian reservations. The Safe Indian Communities initiative, a two-year program that included targeted community policing, achieved a 35 percent overall decrease in violent crime across the four communities.

“We know that safer Indian communities mean stronger Indian communities,” said Salazar. “The positive results from the pilot program are extremely encouraging and far surpassed our goals. We are committed to building on that progress and will be expanding the Safe Indian Communities initiative to other reservations that are experiencing high levels of violent crime.”

With an initial target of reducing violent crime by at least five percent, the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Office of Justice Service-led effort far exceeded this goal, achieving a 68 percent decrease in violent crime at the Mescalero Reservation in New Mexico, a 40 percent reduction at Rocky Boys in Montana, and a 27 percent reduction in violent crime at Standing Rock in North and South Dakota. The successful program is now being expanded to two additional reservations: the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota and the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona.

The Wind River Reservation in Wyoming saw a seven percent increase in reported violent crime over the same period – in part attributable to more frequent reporting of crimes as a result of the rapidly growing law enforcement presence on the reservation and increased public trust of law enforcement. Although the two-year period reflected a total seven percent increase, the Wind River Reservation saw a 30 percent decrease in violent crime between the first and second years of this 24-month initiative, showing that once the spike in reported crimes occurred, the ongoing work of law enforcement in the community began to make a real impact on reducing actual violent crime.

Earlier in the week, Salazar announced several other initiatives - developed in consultation with tribal leaders - that strengthen consultations, restore greater control to individual American Indians and Alaska Natives and tribes over their lands, reform trust asset management and resolve water rights disputes:

• The comprehensive and transparent consultation policy will provide a strong, meaningful role for tribal governments at all stages of federal decision-making on Indian policy. The draft policy embodies the best consultation practices and most innovative methods available, contains detailed accountability requirements for Interior managers, responds to the needs of tribal leaders to be more engaged in policy development and promotes more responsible decision-making on issues affecting Indian Country.
• The sweeping reform of antiquated, “one-size-fits-all” federal leasing regulations for the 56 million surface acres the federal government holds in trust for tribes and individual Indians will provide landowners certainty and flexibility on the use of their land. The revised regulations, the most comprehensive reform of Indian land leasing rules in more than 50 years, will streamline the approval process for home ownership, expedite business leases and spur renewable energy development in Indian Country.
• The Secretarial Commission on Indian Trust Administration and Reform was activated by naming five prominent tribal leaders to this national commission to undertake a forward-looking, comprehensive evaluation of how Interior manages nearly $4 billion in American Indian trust funds. The goal is to make the trust administration system more transparent, responsive, customer-friendly and accountable.
• The release of $21 million under the Soboba of Luiseño Indians Settlement Act marks the final step in an historic water rights settlement and fulfills promises made to the Soboba Band and southern California communities when Congress approved the Act in 2008. The settlement will stabilize water supplies in the San Jacinto River Basin and enhance economic development opportunities for the Soboba Band and its neighbors.

These initiatives build on other Administration achievements during the past three years, including the historic $3.4 billion Cobell Settlement that addresses long-standing injustices; $1 billion in settlements to meet the critical water needs of Native American communities; the Tribal Law and Order Act, which allowed federal agencies to accelerate their focus on safe tribal communities; and acquiring more than 157,000 acres of land in trust on behalf of tribal nations.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As part of President Obama’s efforts to expand domestic energy production and strengthen American Indian communities, on Wednesday, October 10, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will join Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Donald E. “Del” Laverdure, Bureau of Indian Affairs Director Mike Black and Three Affiliated Tribes Chairman Tex Hall to make an announcement regarding energy development on tribal lands in North Dakota.

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WASHINGTON – As part of the Obama Administration’s all-of-the-above energy strategy to expand domestic energy production, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced approval of a ‘land-into-trust’ application from the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation. Today’s action is one in a series of necessary approvals that will enable the tribes to build the first U.S. refinery in decades, supporting American made energy – including domestic resources from the Bakken Formation – while also creating jobs.

“Today’s historic decision is another step forward in the Obama Administration’s all-of-the-above energy strategy and commitment to strengthen Tribal communities and generate jobs for rural America,” Salazar said. “By working with the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara people to place this land into trust status, we are supporting infrastructure that will help bring American oil and gas to market while promoting Tribal economic development and self-determination regarding land and resource use.”

If all required approvals are granted, the proposed MHA Nation Clean Fuels Refinery would be the first new refinery built in the United States in more than 30 years. Project developers estimate the refinery could create 800 to 1,000 construction jobs, up to 140 operations jobs, and millions in annual revenue streams to benefit the Tribes and surrounding rural communities. As proposed, the 13,000 barrel-per-day facility would refine Bakken Formation crude oil into diesel fuel, propane and naptha products for the U.S. market. Since the President took office, domestic oil and gas production has increased each year, with domestic oil production currently at an eight year high, and natural gas production at its highest level ever.

“Today’s action is an important step in the Three Affiliated Tribes’ proposal to develop the MHA Nation Clean Fuels refinery,” said Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn, who approved the application as one of his first acts in office. “Approving the land into trust status will allow the Tribes to continue their work to develop the facility in a safe and responsible way that brings increased economic opportunity and employment to their people and to North Dakota.”

Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of Obama Administration initiatives to facilitate safe and responsible development of domestic energy resources on U.S. public lands and Indian trust lands across the country. Interior manages nearly 2 million subsurface acres of mineral estate in active areas of the Bakken play in North Dakota.

The Tribes requested that Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) accept a 469-acre piece of property into trust, with a proposed refinery on about 190 acres and the remaining acreage to be used for the production of feed for the Tribes’ buffalo herd.

Future federal permitting and oversight will be handled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety & Health Administration.

The BIA and EPA co-led the Environmental Impact Statement, with the Army Corps of Engineers and the Tribes as cooperating agencies. The BIA and EPA consulted with the Tribes, on a government-to-government basis, as well as with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and tribal and state historic preservation officers to determine compliance with EPA’s relevant regulations, the Endangered Species Act and the National Historic Preservation Act. The proposed project received full public review and comment, and the final EIS was issued in August 2009.

The EPA issued a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit for the refinery in August 2011, a step under the Clean Water Act that details required conditions and limitations for the proposed refinery’s operations.

The thirty-day notice of the Department’s decision to acquire the land in trust will be published in the Federal Register

Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 199

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Bureau of Indian Education today announced a new policy aimed at preventing domestic violence and sexual assaults at the two post secondary institutions operated by the BIE for American Indians: Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU) in Lawrence, Kan., and the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) in Albuquerque, N.M.

“As we recognize National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, it’s important that we recommit to breaking the cycle of violence,” Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn said. “One in five women have been sexually assaulted while in college, and this policy is an important step in our efforts to reduce domestic violence and sexual assaults at Haskell and SIPI.”

The policy outlines actions, response protocols, authorities, and roles and responsibilities for the institutions to address reports on sexual assault, stalking, dating and domestic violence incidents at their campuses. A copy is available for review here.

The new policy was announced at a two-day kickoff event at Haskell for “Restoring the Circle: Ending Violence and Abuse on Tribal College and University Campuses,” an initiative to address gender-based violence among college students and help increase awareness about reducing violence against American Indian women ages 16-24. The event was held by the BIE, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services (OJS), Haskell, SIPI, and the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), an organization of 37 tribal colleges and universities (TCUs).

Restoring the Circle is an initiative of the Office of the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs to stop violence against women on TCU campuses and to help keep them safe. Three TCUs are leading the campaign: Haskell, SIPI, and the United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) in Bismarck, N.D. These participating institutions – with a combined reach of approximately 3,600 American Indian students – are partnering with the BIE, BIA and AIHEC on the Restoring the Circle campaign. Other federal partners in the effort to stop violence against women on TCU campuses include the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women (OVAW).

Despite significant progress made in reducing violence against women, there is still a long way to go. In the last year, one in 10 teens reported being physically hurt on purpose by a boyfriend or girlfriend, with young women still facing the highest rates of dating violence and sexual assault.

The Restoring the Circle campaign kickoff event encompasses two goals: 1) educate and train the campus community about gender-based violence such as sexual assault, domestic violence and on-campus stalking, and 2) provide students with the opportunity to take ownership of the Restoring the Circle initiative by engaging in behavior-changing activities in the community.

The Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs oversees the Bureau of Indian Education, which operates the federal school system for American Indian and Alaska Native children from the federally recognized tribes. The BIE oversees and implements federal education laws, such as the No Child Left Behind Act, in 183 elementary and secondary day and boarding schools on 64 reservations in 23 states serving over 40,000 students. The Bureau also funds or operates off-reservation boarding schools and peripheral dormitories near reservations for students attending public schools. The Bureau serves post secondary students through higher education scholarships and support funding to 35 TCUs, in addition to operating Haskell and SIPI.

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WASHINGTON - Tomorrow, Wednesday, December 7 at 10:30 am eastern, Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate and White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Cecilia Munoz will hold a press conference call with reporters to make an announcement regarding tribal nations and federal disaster aid.

The announcement will come after Fugate, Munoz and other administration officials met with tribal leaders from across the country at the White House Tribal Nations Conference, which the administration hosted last week. Under the leadership of this administration, FEMA has committed to strengthening its government-to-government relationship with tribal nations and furthering engagement with American Indians and Alaska Natives, to better support tribal governments as we work to build more resilient and better prepared communities.

WHAT: Administration Officials Host Press Conference Call

WHEN: Tomorrow, Wednesday, December 7th, at 10:30 am eastern

CALL IN: Number: 1-800-369-1706 Passcode: Tribal

For questions or more information, contact the FEMA Press Office at 202-646-3272. For more information on the White House Tribal Nations Conference, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/12/02/president-obama-tribal-nations-conference.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced today a policy addressing the ability of members of federally recognized Indian tribes to possess or use eagle feathers, an issue of great cultural significance to many tribes and their members. Attorney General Eric Holder signed the new policy after extensive department consultation with tribal leaders and tribal groups. The policy covers all federally protected birds, bird feathers and bird parts.

Federal wildlife laws such as the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act generally criminalize the killing of eagles and other migratory birds and the possession or commercialization of the feathers and other parts of such birds. These important laws are enforced by the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior and help ensure that eagle and other bird populations remain healthy and sustainable.

At the same time, the Department of Justice recognizes that eagles play a unique and important role in the religious and cultural life of many Indian tribes. Many Indian tribes and tribal members have historically used, and today continue to use federally protected birds, bird feathers or other bird parts for their tribal cultural and religious expression.

“This policy will help ensure a consistent and uniform approach across the nation to protecting and preserving eagles, and to honoring their cultural and spiritual significance to American Indians,” said Attorney General Holder. “The Department of Justice is committed to striking the right balance in enforcing our nation’s wildlife laws by respecting the cultural and religious practices of federally recognized Indian tribes with whom the United States shares a unique government-to-government relationship.”

The department is issuing this policy to address the concerns of tribal members who are unsure of how they may be affected by federal wildlife law enforcement efforts, and because of a concern that this uncertainty may hinder or inhibit tribal religious and cultural practices. The department first announced it was considering formalizing a policy on eagle feathers in October 2011 and sought tribal input at that time. The department held formal consultations with tribal leaders in June, July and August 2012.

“From time immemorial, many Native Americans have viewed eagle feathers and other bird parts as sacred elements of their religious and cultural traditions,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The Department of Justice has taken a major step forward by establishing a consistent and transparent policy to guide federal enforcement of the nation’s wildlife laws in a manner that respects the cultural and religious practices of federally recognized Indian tribes and their members.”

“The Justice Department’s policy balances the needs of the federally recognized tribes and their members to be able to obtain, possess and use eagle feathers for their religious and cultural practices with the need to protect and preserve these magnificent birds,” said Donald E. “Del” Laverdure, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. “Its reasoned approach reflects a greater understanding and respect for cultural beliefs and spiritual practices of Indian people while also providing much-needed clarity for those responsible for enforcing federal migratory bird protection laws.”

“This policy helps to clarify how federal law enforcement goes about protecting these special birds and also should reassure federally recognized tribal members that they do not have to fear prosecution for possessing or using eagle feathers for their religious and cultural purposes,” said Brendan V. Johnson, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota and the Chairman of the Native American Issues Subcommittee of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee. “Eagles and other native migratory bird species are a vital part of our nation’s natural heritage, and we remain dedicated to providing every American with the opportunity to experience them in the wild,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe. “This new policy honors the past while looking to the future, contributing to the preservation of these species and ensuring that tribal members can continue their religious and cultural practices for generations to come.” The policy provides that, consistent with the Department of Justice’s traditional exercise of its discretion, a member of a federally recognized tribe engaged only in the following types of conduct will not be subject to prosecution:

• Possessing, using, wearing or carrying federally protected birds, bird feathers or other bird parts (federally protected bird parts);
• Traveling domestically with federally protected bird parts or, if tribal members obtain and comply with necessary permits, traveling internationally with such items;
• Picking up naturally molted or fallen feathers found in the wild, without molesting or disturbing federally protected birds or their nests;
• Giving or loaning federally protected bird parts to other members of federally recognized tribes, without compensation of any kind;
• Exchanging federally protected bird parts for federally protected bird parts with other members of federally recognized tribes, without compensation of any kind;
• Providing the feathers or other parts of federally protected birds to craftspersons who are members of federally recognized tribes to be fashioned into objects for eventual use in tribal religious or cultural activities.

The Department of Justice will continue to prosecute tribal members and non-members alike for violating federal laws that prohibit the killing of eagles and other migratory birds or the buying or selling of the feathers or other parts of such birds. The policy expands upon longstanding Department of Justice practice and Department of the Interior policy. It was developed in close coordination with the Department of the Interior. The Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and United States Attorneys’ Offices work closely with the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs on enforcement of federal laws protecting birds.

The view the policy and a fact sheet on the policy, visit: www.justice.gov/tribal.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that Indian Affairs will be holding informational and consultation sessions in the coming weeks seeking input from tribal leaders in preparation for the Interior Department’s 2013 American Indian Population and Labor Force Report. The sessions will provide an opportunity for tribal leaders to provide their views on what should comprise the report’s scope, data, and methodology.

“It is important to identify the best policies and strategies for promoting economic development in Indian Country,” Washburn said. “As we begin to develop the 2013 Labor Force Report, I encourage tribal leaders to provide us with their insights and thoughts on how the report can be accurately and effectively produced and can best help tribes address job training and employment needs.”

Tribal leaders will be asked to provide their ideas on issues such as data collection, definitions of “service population” and other terms, how service populations should be measured, and other issues in order for the Department to meet the report’s 2013 deadline. The Department did not publish a report in 2010 because the data collected did not meet the standards of quality and reliability that are required of federal agencies in reporting official statistics.

Two informational sessions will be held for the exchange of information and to receive informal comments (all times are local):

• October 20, 2012, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon: Alaska Federation of Natives Annual Conference, Dena’ina Center, 600 W. 7th Ave., Second Floor – Room #3, 600 W. 7th Ave., Anchorage, Alaska.
• October 24, 2012, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.: National Congress of American Indians 69th Annual Convention, Sacramento Convention Center, 1400 J Street, Room #305, Sacramento, Calif In addition to the listening sessions, there will be four consultation sessions – three in-person and one via a national teleconference (all times are local):
• October 29, 2012, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Hilton Garden Inn, 801 South Meridian, Oklahoma City, Okla.; phone: (405) 942-1400.
• October 30, 2012, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.: Bureau of Indian Affairs Western Regional Office, 2600 North Central Ave., Fourth Floor – Eagle and Buffalo Rooms, Phoenix, Ariz.
• November 1, 2012, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Holiday Inn Rushmore Plaza, 505 North 5th Street, Rapid City, S.D.; phone (605) 348-4000.
• November 9, 2012, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. EST: Phone in using (877) 716-4290 and participant code 5074051. For technical assistance during the call, use (202) 208-7163.

Public Law 102-477, the Indian Employment, Training, and Related Services Demonstration Act of 1992, as amended, requires the Department to publish the American Indian Population and Labor Force Report at least once every two years. Section 17 of the Act requires the report to capture the population eligible for services the Secretary provides to American Indians at the national level by state, Bureau of Indian Affairs service area and tribal level.

Written comments may be submitted by email to consultation@bia.gov no later than November 12, 2012. For more information and to view background and explanatory materials related to the listening and consultation sessions, please see “Preparation for American Indian Population and Labor Force Report – 2013” at http://www.bia.gov/WhoWeAre/AS-IA/Consultation/index.htm.

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SACRAMENTO, Calif.—On Monday, October 22, 2012, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will deliver keynote remarks at the National Congress of American Indians’ 69th Annual Convention & Marketplace in Sacramento. Salazar is expected to discuss the Obama Administration’s progress in opening a new chapter in our nation-to-nation relationship with American Indian and Alaska Natives tribal governments.

Following his remarks, Secretary Salazar will introduce Interior’s new Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, Kevin K. Washburn. Washburn, a member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma and former Dean of the University of New Mexico School of Law, was sworn into his position on October 9, 2012.

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