OPA

WASHINGTON, DC – On February 15, 2013, President Obama will welcome to the White House the recipients of the 2012 Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation’s second-highest civilian honor.

“It is my distinguished honor to award these individuals the 2012 Citizens Medal for their commitment to public service,” said President Obama. “Their selflessness and courage inspire us all to look for opportunities to better serve our communities and our country.”

This event will be open press and begin at 10:45AM ET. Members of the media who wish to cover this event must send NAME, MEDIA OUTLET, PHONE AND EMAIL for each person planning to cover the event to media_affairs@who.eop.gov by Wednesday, February 13th at 5:00 PM ET. If we are able to accommodate your request for credentials, we will send a confirmation with further instructions and logistical details after the RSVP deadline passes.

NOTE: Members of the media who do not have a White House hard pass must also submit their full name (including middle name), date of birth, Social Security number, gender, country of birth, country of citizenship and current city and state of residence.

The Citizens Medal was established in 1969 to recognize American citizens who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens. President Obama is recognizing Americans whose work has had a significant impact on their communities but may not have garnered national attention. The President called on members of the public to nominate people in their lives who have performed exemplary deeds of service outside of their regular jobs, including individuals:

Who have a demonstrated commitment to service in their own community or in communities farther from home. Someone who has engaged in activities that have had an impact in their local community, on a community or communities elsewhere in the United States, or on fellow citizens living or stationed around the world.

Who have helped their country or their fellow citizens through one or more extraordinary acts. Individuals who have demonstrated notable skill and grace, selflessly placed themselves in harm’s way, taken unusual risks or steps to protect others, made extraordinary efforts to further a national goal, or otherwise conducted themselves admirably when faced with unusually challenging circumstances.

Whose service relates to a long-term or persistent problem. Individuals who have made efforts to combat stubbornly persistent problems that impact entire communities; for example, those who have taken innovative steps to address hunger, homelessness, the dropout crisis, lack of access to health care, and other issues that plague too many Americans.

Whose service has had a sustained impact on others’ lives and provided inspiration for others to serve. The ideal nominee for a Citizens Medal is a person whose work has had a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of others.

For more information on the President’s Citizens Medal and to nominate someone for the 2013 Citizens Medal, visit www.whitehouse.gov/citizensmedal.

Nearly 6,000 public nominations were submitted, and the President has selected the following awardees:

Dr. T. Berry Brazelton (Boston, Massachusetts)

Brazelton is one of the foremost authorities on pediatrics and child development as well as an author and professor. One of Brazelton’s best known achievements was the development of the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS), which is now used worldwide to recognize the physical and neurological responses of newborns, as well as emotional well-being and individual differences. In 1993, he founded the Brazelton Touchpoints Center® (BTC) at Boston Children’s Hospital where he continues to promote strengths-based, family-centered care in pediatric and early education settings around the world.

Adam Burke (Jacksonville, Florida)

Burke is an Iraq combat veteran and recipient of the Purple Heart which he received for injuries occurred by a mortar attack while running combat operation in Iraq. In 2009 he opened "Veterans Farm," a 19 acre handicap-accessible farm that helps teach veterans of all ages how to make a living from the find healing in the land. He has been awarded numerous accolades for his work, including the 2011 Good Person of the Year award from the Good People Foundation and the Star of Honor from Work Vessels for Veterans.

Mary Jo Copeland (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Copeland founded Sharing and Caring Hands in 1985, which has served as a safety net to those in the Minneapolis area through the provision of food, clothing, shelter, transportation, medical and dental assistance. Sharing and Caring Hands assists thousands of people a month, and is staffed almost entirely by volunteers. Copeland, who currently receives no salary for her work, has served as its director since its opening and still greets every client entering the center and conducts intake interviews.

Michael Dorman (Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina)

Dorman is the founder and executive director of Military Missions in Action, a North Carolina-based non-profit that helps veterans with disabilities, both physical and mental, achieve independent living. All veterans who have served are eligible to receive services including home modification, rehabilitation and family assistance. Since 2008, the organization has completed more than 100 home modification projects and shipped thousands of care packages to soldiers.

Maria Gomez (Washington, DC)

Gomez founded Mary’s Center 25 years ago with the mission to build better futures through the delivery of health care, family literacy and job training. Mary’s Center is part of the working group launching First Lady Michelle Obama's “Let's Read Let's Move Campaign.” Prior to establishing Mary’s Center, Maria was a public health nurse with the D.C. Department of Health. She has also worked for the Red Cross, directing community education programming and disaster services, and with the Visiting Nurses Association. She currently serves as Regional Representative for the South East to the National Council of la Raza, and previously served two terms on the board of the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington.

Pamela Green Jackson (Albany, Georgia)

Green Jackson is the Founder and CEO of the Youth Becoming Healthy Project (YBH), a non-profit organization committed to reducing the epidemic of childhood obesity through nutrition, fitness education and physical activity programs. YBH was created in memory of Pamela Green Jackson's only brother, Bernard Green, who died in 2004 from obesity-related illnesses. YBH provides resources for during and after school wellness programs for elementary and middle school students as well as a summer wellness camp where the students learn about exercise, nutrition and can participate in martial arts, walking club and dance programs.

Janice Jackson (Baltimore, Maryland)

Jackson is the creator and program director of Women Embracing Abilities Now, (W.E.A.N.) a nonprofit mentoring organization servicing women and young ladies with varying degrees of disabilities. She is also a professor at The University of Baltimore. Jackson has actively advocated on behalf of people with disabilities and currently serves on the board of directors for The League for People with Disabilities, the Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics at the University of Baltimore, and The Image Center of Maryland. She also serves on the Community Advisory Council at the Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities at Kennedy Krieger Institute, and is a counselor at Kernan Rehabilitation Center. She has also founded two support groups, We Are Able People (W.R.A.P.) and Women On Wheels & Walking (W.O.W.W.).

Patience Lehrman (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Lehrman is an immigrant from Cameroon and the National Director of Project SHINE (Students Helping in the Naturalization of Elders), an immigrant integration initiative at the Intergenerational Center of Temple University. SHINE partners with 18 institutions of higher learning, community-based organizations, and county and city governments across the country. SHINE engages college students and older adults to provide language and health education, citizenship and civic participation lessons to immigrant communities. Lehrman also mentors inner-city high school students, provides free meals to low-income children in the summer and serves as an election official. She holds three Masters Degrees from Temple University.

Jeanne Manford (Queens, NY)

Manford and her husband, Jules, co-founded in 1972 a support group for parents of gay children that grew into the national organization known as Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). Manford had always supported her son Morty, but was inspired to act after the police failed to intervene while Morty was beaten and hospitalized during a Gay Activists Alliance demonstration in April 1972. In the years that followed, Manford continued to march and organize, even after losing Morty to AIDS in 1992. Today, PFLAG focuses on creating a network of support and advancing equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Manford passed away in early January at the age of 92.

Billy Mills (Fair Oaks, California) Mills co-founded and serves as the spokesman for Running Strong for American Indian Youth, an organization that supports cultural programs and provides health and housing assistance for Native American communities. Mills gained prominence during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, when he unexpectedly won a Gold Medal in the 10,000 meter run. Today, he remains the only American to ever win this event. At the time Mills competed in the Olympics, he was a First Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. After the Olympics, Mills, an Oglala Lakota, was made a warrior by his tribe. In 1986, Mills and Eugene Krizek, president of Christian Relief Services, joined forces to found Running Strong.

Terry Shima (Gaithersburg, Maryland)

Shima was drafted into the US Army on October 12, 1944 as a replacement for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. This unit was composed of Japanese Americans who volunteered for combat duty. In November 2011, the US Congress awarded the Congressional Gold Medal collectively to the 442nd RCT, the 100th Battalion and the Military Intelligence Service. Shima served as Executive Director of the Japanese American Veterans Association (JAVA), a nonprofit organization that publicizes and assists Japanese American military veterans and their families, from 2004 to 2012 and is now chair of its Outreach and Education Committee.

Harris Wofford (Washington D.C.) Wofford served as a U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania from 1991 to 1995, and from then to 2001 was the chief executive officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service. From 1970 to 1978 he served as the fifth president of Bryn Mawr College. He is a noted advocate of national service and volunteering. He began his public service career as counsel to the Rev.Theodore Hesburgh on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and was an early supporter of the Civil Rights movement in the South in the late 1950s. He became a volunteer advisor and friend of Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1961, Kennedy appointed him as special assistant to the President for civil rights. He was instrumental in the formation of the Peace Corps and served as the Peace Corps' special representative to Africa and director of operations in Ethiopia. On his return to Washington in 1964, he was appointed associate director of the Peace Corps. In 1966 he became the founding president of the State University of New York's College at Old Westbury.

Rachel Davino, Dawn Hochsprung, Anne Marie Murphy, Lauren Rousseau, Mary Sherlach, and Victoria Soto (Newtown, Connecticut) On December 14, 2012, the names of six courageous women were forever etched into the heart of our Nation as unthinkable tragedy swept through Newtown, Connecticut. Some of these individuals had joined Sandy Hook Elementary School only weeks before; others were preparing to retire after decades of service. All had dedicated themselves to their students and their community, working long past the school bell to give the children in their care a future worthy of their talents.

WASHINGTON – The Secretarial Commission on Indian Trust Administration and Reform will hold its next public meeting Feb. 12-13, 2013, Seattle, Wash. The meeting will be preceded by a public youth-outreach session the evening of Feb. 11.

“The Department of the Interior has a very important role to play in administering the federal trust responsibility, and the Commission is looking forward to discussing with the public how we can work together on ways to improve the Department’s management of Indian trust lands and assets,” said Commission Chair Fawn Sharp.

Commission members will hear from invited speakers on the management and administration of probate and real estate services administered through compacts and contracts; the management and administration of natural resources held in trust; and trust reform, including other trust models and the trust relationship. At the youth-outreach session, they will hear from young adults and students about their ideas and recommendations for improving the Department’s performance and services to Indian trust beneficiaries.

Members of the public who wish to attend in person, as well as those wishing to participate via teleconference or webinar, should RSVP to trustcommission@ios.doi.gov by Feb. 8, 2013. Visit http://www.doi.gov/cobell/commission/index.cfm for more information about the Commission’s work and the Feb. 11-13 events.

The Secretarial Commission on Indian Trust Administration and Reform was established by Secretary Salazar in 2011 to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the Department’s management and administration of nearly $4 billion in American Indian trust assets over two years and to offer recommendations on improvements in the future. Building on progress made with the historic Cobell Settlement, the Commission will help to establish a new era of trust administration: one that stresses responsive, accountable, transparent, and customer-friendly management of these substantial funds and assets. All of the Commission’s meetings are open to the public.

CREDENTIALS: This invitation is extended to credentialed media representatives, who must display sanctioned media credentials for admittance to the event.

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WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013, the Department of the Interior will hold the second of three tribal consultation sessions on its Initial Implementation Plan outlining how Interior will carry out the land consolidation component of the historic Cobell Settlement. The meeting will take place in Rapid City, S.D., with the remaining session to be held Feb. 14 in Seattle, Wash. The first consultation meeting was held in Prior Lake, Minn., on Jan. 31.

“The Land Buy-Back Program is a historic opportunity to address the fractionation problem and restore lands to Indian tribes, but it will not succeed without the active support of tribal leaders,” said Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn. “The Department is keenly interested in receiving guidance from tribal leaders on the draft Plan.”

The Settlement provided a $1.9 billion fund to purchase fractional interests in American Indian trust lands from willing sellers, thereby enabling federally recognized tribal governments to use the consolidated parcels for the benefit of their communities. The Plan reflects comments received from tribal consultation sessions the Department held in the summer and fall of 2011 and on a draft Plan released in January 2012. On Dec. 18, the Department announced the launch of the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations, which will purchase the fractional interests, as well as a Secretarial Order outlining the program’s organizational structure.

For more information about the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations, the Cobell land consolidation component, the Initial Implementation Plan, and the Department’s 2011 and 2013 tribal consultation sessions, visit www.doi.gov/buybackprogram.

CREDENTIALS: All media must present government-issued photo I.D. (such as a driver’s license) and valid media credentials.

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WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk today announced that tribal consultation will be held regarding the Interior Department’s Fiscal Year 2011-2016 Strategic Plan in a series of meetings across Indian Country from September 15 through October 7, 2010. The Plan is a roadmap for the Department for the next six years, and a means of communicating its goals and specific commitments to the federally recognized tribes, DOI employees and other stakeholders. The Assistant Secretary notified tribal leaders of the upcoming consultation in a letter dated September 8, 2010.

“One of my top priorities is ensuring an Indian Affairs organization that efficiently serves Indian Country. The input of tribal leaders is vital in prioritizing the needs of Indian Country and identifying measures and milestones that can gauge our progress as we work to meet those needs,” Echo Hawk said. “I urge all tribal leaders to participate in this consultation through attendance at these meetings and through the submission of comments to ensure all tribal concerns and recommendations are heard.”

Also announced today is the schedule for the tribal consultation meetings (all times are local):

Alaska Region

Date: Wednesday, September 15

Times: 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Location: Hilton Hotel, 500 W. 3rd Ave., Anchorage, Alaska; 907-272-7411.

Northwest Region

Date: Thursday, September 16

Times: 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Location: Red Lion SeaTac Airport, 18220 International Blvd., Seattle, Wash.; 206-246-5535.

Eastern Oklahoma and Southern Plains Regions

Date: Thursday, September 23 Times: 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Location: Four Points Hotel, 6300 Terminal Dr., Oklahoma City, Okla.; 405-681-3500.

Eastern Region

Date: Tuesday, September 28 Times: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Location: Crowne Plaza Hotel Providence-Warwick Airport 801 Greenwich Ave., Warwick, R.I.; 401-732-6029.

Great Plains and Midwest Regions

Date: Thursday, September 30 Times: 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Location: Best Western Ramkota, 2111 N. Lacrosse St., Rapid City, S.D.; 605-343-8550.

Pacific Region

Date: Tuesday, October 5 Times: 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Location: Red Lion Hotel at Arden Village, 1401 Arden Way, Sacramento, Calif.; 916-922-8041.

Navajo, Rocky Mountain, Southwest and Western Regions

Date: Thursday, October 7 Times: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Location: MGM Grand Las Vegas, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, Nev.; 877-880-0880.

Comments and recommendations may be submitted during the meetings, by email at consultation@bia.gov, or by U.S. Postal Service, overnight carrier or hand-delivery to: Indian Affairs Office of Planning and Performance Management, Ely S. Parker Building, Room 245, 2051 Mercator Drive, Reston, Va., 20191-3413. The submission deadline is no later than October 8, 2010.

To view the Assistant Secretary’s September 8 letter to tribal leaders, visit the Indian Affairs website at http://www.indianaffairs.gov/WhoWeAre/AS-IA/Consultation/index.htm.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, Jan. 31., 2013, the Department of the Interior will hold the first of three tribal consultation sessions on its Initial Implementation Plan outlining how Interior will carry out the land consolidation component of the historic Cobell Settlement. The first meeting will take place in Prior Lake, Minn., with the remaining sessions to be held Feb. 6 in Rapid City, S.D., and Feb. 14 in Seattle, Wash.

“The Land Buy-Back Program is a historic opportunity to address the fractionation problem and restore lands to Indian tribes, but it will not succeed without the active support of tribal leaders,” said Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn. “The Department is keenly interested in receiving guidance from tribal leaders on the draft Plan.”

The Settlement provided a $1.9 billion fund to purchase fractional interests in American Indian trust lands from willing sellers, thereby enabling federally recognized tribal governments to use the consolidated parcels for the benefit of their communities. The Plan reflects comments received from tribal consultation sessions the Department held in the summer and fall of 2011 and on a draft Plan released in January 2012. On Dec. 18, the Department announced the launch of the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations, which will purchase the fractional interests, as well as a Secretarial Order outlining the program’s organizational structure.

For more information about the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations, the Cobell land consolidation component, the Initial Implementation Plan, and the Department’s 2011 and 2013 tribal consultation sessions, visit www.doi.gov/buybackprogram.

CREDENTIALS: All media must present government-issued photo I.D. (such as a driver’s license) and valid media credentials.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the Department of the Interior has started work on its 4,000th American Recovery and Reinvestment Act project, a $7.2 million school improvement project at the St. Francis Indian School in South Dakota. Larry Echo Hawk, Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, will visit the school next week, where he will represent Secretary Salazar in a groundbreaking ceremony.

“The Recovery Act has given us a great opportunity to meet some of our longstanding infrastructure challenges in Indian Country, including refurbishing schools,” said Secretary Salazar. “We are thrilled to be able to fund this project that will improve the learning environment for Native American school children at the St. Francis Indian School.”

The 4,000th project will provide St. Francis Indian School with a new gymnasium and kitchen facilities that were not included in the original replacement school project (completed previously with non Recovery Act funds). St. Francis Indian School serves more than 550 students for Grades 7-12 for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe on one of the poorest reservations in the nation.

More than 18,000 Bureau of Indian Education students will benefit from improved or new schools due to Recovery investments that include construction of three new schools and provide major additions to four others.

“The $3 billion in funding allocated as part of President Obama’s economic recovery plan for tribal communities has created jobs and stimulated businesses in communities across America,” Echo Hawk added. “With children going back to school this month, the Recovery Act is helping create new opportunities and great places to learn in Indian Country.”

Indian Affairs is investing $500 million in Recovery Act funding nationwide, including projects to build new homes for nearly 200 American Indian and Alaska Native families and provide employment opportunities through On- the- Job Workforce training programs to more than 300 tribal members.

Through aggressive management of the Recovery Act’s large construction projects, Indian Affairs has saved $33 million, or 11 percent, of their construction allocation under the Recovery Act. Indian Affairs has used these savings to undertake three school construction projects in addition to those originally planned, including the St. Francis Indian School, putting more people to work in ways that will also benefit students and Indian Country communities. In total, the Department of the Interior has saved over $200 million on Recovery Act projects, which it has directed towards completing additional high-priority projects and putting more people to work.

The Recovery Act is an important component of the President's plan to jumpstart the economy and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so the country can thrive in the 21st century. Under the Recovery Act, Interior is making an investment in conserving America's timeless treasures – our stunning natural landscapes, our monuments to liberty, the icons of our culture and heritage – while helping American families and their communities prosper again. Interior is also focusing on renewable energy projects, the needs of Native Americans, employing youth and promoting community service.

Secretary Salazar has pledged unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability in the implementation of the Department’s economic recovery projects. The public has been able to follow the progress of each project on www.recovery.gov and on www.interior.gov/recovery. Secretary Salazar has appointed a Senior Advisor for Economic Recovery, Chris Henderson, and an Interior Economic Recovery Task Force who has worked closely with Interior’s Inspector General to ensure the recovery program is meeting the high standards for accountability, responsibility, and transparency set by President Obama.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services/Tribal Justice Support (BIA-OJS/TJS) and the Indian Affairs Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) have partnered with the Federal Reserve Banks of Minneapolis, San Francisco, and Kansas City, Mo., to present three training workshops designed specifically for tribal judges and attorneys on the topic of secured transactions.

The “Commercial Law for Tribal Judiciary: The Model Tribal Secured Transactions Act” workshops are designed to provide intensive training to tribal judges, attorneys and court staff on specific issues that arise in secured transaction litigation. The two-day workshops, which are free and open to the public, will be held from January through May 2013 in three cities.

“In order for tribes to develop sustainable economies, it is vital they create a solid foundation that respects and enforces the rights of sellers, buyers and lenders,” Washburn said. “The ‘Commercial Law for Tribal Judiciary: The Model Tribal Secured Transactions Act’ training will provide a greater understanding and appreciation in the tribal court judiciary system for the roles, rights and responsibilities of consumers, businesses and tribal government in Indian Country in the area of secured transactions.”

“I am deeply grateful to the Federal Reserve Banks for partnering with us to provide this training, and to all of those who have worked with the federally recognized tribal governments on this important matter,” Washburn said. Outreach has begun to past participants in OJS/TJS training sessions, tribal courts and other agencies listed in OJS databases. In this collaborative effort, the OJS/TJS is fulfilling its statutory responsibility under 25 USC 3602 to provide training and technical assistance to tribal courts.

Tribal secured transactions commercial codes enable tribal businesses and individuals residing on federal Indian trust lands to obtain credit for making off-reservation purchases, such as cars, appliances and other durable goods, by allowing sellers to enforce liens or security interests in such items after they have been transported onto a reservation. The Model Tribal Secured Transactions Act (MTSTA) covers, among other things, the use of all types of personal property as collateral for lenders and sellers, and the conditions which must be satisfied for an enforceable interest in collateral to arise.

The dates and locations for the workshops are:

January 30-31, 2013 Seattle, Wash.

March 21-22, 2013 Oklahoma City, Okla.

May 8-9, 2013 Minneapolis, Minn.

The MTSTA was designed to assist tribes in identifying roadblocks and solutions to securing business transactions in Indian Country, explaining the significance of commercial laws to borrowers, and discussing why lenders and sellers must have the ability to secure their transactions.

The tribal court MTSTA workshops build on MTSTA training to tribal governments, tribally affiliated organizations and American Indian businesses by training tribal court judges and tribal attorneys on the scope and application, as well as specific nuances, of tribal secured transaction codes. Training will be based on materials developed by the Uniform Law Commission (ULC), a principal sponsor of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), which have been used to inform tribal governments considering or that have enacted secured transactions laws based on MTSTA.

The ULC developed the Model Tribal Secured Transactions Act based on principles derived from Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code with the aid of tribal attorneys and economic development officers and the support of the Minneapolis Fed, who, along with other sponsors, has helped the ULC train tribal governments. The principal lecturers for the tribal courts training will be William H. Henning, a Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Alabama School of Law and ULC member, and Professor Maylinn Smith, director of the University of Montana Indian Law Clinic. Professor Henning served on the ULC committee that drafted the MTSTA as nationally recognized expert in secured transactions law and Professor Smith has worked extensively on secured transaction models for tribal entities and tribal organizations.

Key to any modern secured transactions regime is a central filing system that serves as the place for lenders and sellers to file public notices of their interests in collateral. The workshops will provide attendees with an understanding of how the system works and the consequences of filing or failing to file. They also will be instructed on the importance of understanding the rights, in the event of a default, of a lender or seller to realize on its collateral, as well as the protections provided to a defaulting borrower or buyer.

The IEED has funded several federally recognized tribes in developing their own tribal secured transactions commercial codes. They include the Blackfeet Tribe, the Crow Nation and the Chippewa-Cree Tribe in Montana; the Sac and Fox Nation and the Seminole Nation in Oklahoma; the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation in Oregon; the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota; the Tulalip Tribes in Washington State; and the Shoshone and Arapaho Tribes of the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming.

The Secretary of the Interior created the Indian Affairs Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development to encourage economic development in Indian Country. The IEED’s mission is to foster strong tribal communities by creating jobs, American Indian-owned businesses and a trained workforce, helping tribes develop their energy and mineral resources, and increasing tribes’ access to capital. The IEED believes that thriving economies and opportunities for work are the best solutions to Indian Country’s economic and social challenges.

The BIA Office of Justice Services’ mission is to enhance public safety and protect property in Indian Country by funding or providing law enforcement, corrections and tribal court services to the nation’s federally recognized tribes. It also coordinates emergency preparedness support on federal Indian lands by working cooperatively with other federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies throughout Indian Country. It also operates the Indian Police Academy in Artesia, N.M., which provides training and professional development to BIA and tribal law enforcement personnel.

For information on the Commercial Law for Tribal Judiciary: The Model Tribal Secured Transactions Act workshops, please contact Danica D. Kaydahzinne, IPA Training, at 575-746- 5751 or Danica.Kaydahzinne@bia.gov, or Katherine Scotta, BIA Office of Justice Support, Office of Tribal Justice, at 202-208-6711.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk announced today that a listening session will take place at Haskell Indian Nations University on Monday, September 20, 2010. This youth listening session is a part of America’s Great Outdoors Initiative and will be hosted by the Department of the Interior Office of Youth in the Great Outdoors and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE).

Representatives from the Department of the Interior will be on-site at Haskell Indian Nations University to facilitate the nationwide initiative intended to gather local ideas about conservation and the environment. For more information about this initiative please visit the following website at: http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/.

The Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs oversees the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), which operates one of two federal school systems (the other is under the Department of Defense). The BIE funds 183 elementary and secondary day and boarding schools located on 64 federal Indian reservations in 23 states serving approximately 42,000 American Indian and Alaska Native students. The Bureau also services American Indian and Alaska Native post secondary students through higher education scholarships and support funding to 26 tribal colleges and universities, two technical colleges including the United Tribes Technical College, and it directly operates two institutions: Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque, N.M. and Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kan.

WHO: Students at Haskell University, Haskell University staff, Acting President Chris Redman, Assistant Deputy Bureau Director of BIE Stephanie Birdwell, other representatives from BIE, and the Department of the Interior’s Office of Youth.

WHAT: America’s Great Outdoors Youth Listening Session.

WHEN: Monday, September 20th from 3-5pm (CDT).

WHERE: Haskell Indian Nations University Haskell Auditorium 155 Indian Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66046

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NOTE: All media must present government-issued photo I.D. (such as a driver’s license) and valid media credentials. Media inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Stephen Prue of Haskell Indian Nations University at 785-764-6333.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk announced today that a groundbreaking ceremony will take place at the St. Francis Indian School in South Dakota on Monday, September 27, 2010. This ceremony marks the Department of the Interior’s 4,000th American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) project, a $7.2 million school improvement project at a Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) school.

Representatives from the Department of the Interior will be on-site at the 4,000th project. The project will provide St. Francis Indian School with a new gymnasium and kitchen facilities that were not included in the original replacement school project (completed previously with non-Recovery Act funds). St. Francis Indian School serves more than 550 students for Grades 7-12 for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe on one of the poorest reservations in the nation.

The Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs oversees the Bureau of Indian Education, which operates one of two federal school systems (the other is under the Department of Defense). The BIE funds 183 elementary and secondary day and boarding schools located on 64 federal Indian reservations in 23 states serving approximately 42,000 American Indian and Alaska Native students. The Bureau also services American Indian and Alaska Native post secondary students through higher education scholarships and support funding to 26 tribal colleges and universities, two technical colleges including the United Tribes Technical College, and it directly operates two institutions: Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque, N.M. and Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kan.

WHO: Larry Echo Hawk, Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior; Wizipan Garriott, Policy Advisor to the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs; Jack Rever, Director of the Office of Facilities, Environmental and Cultural Resources - Indian Affairs; Brian Drapeaux, Chief of Staff, the Bureau of Indian Education; Rodney Bourdeaux, President of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe; and other officials.

WHAT: The Department of the Interior American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 4,000th Project Gym – Kitchen Addition Groundbreaking Ceremony for the St. Francis Indian School serving the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. WHEN: Monday, September 27 th from 10:00 a.m. (CDT).

WHERE: St. Francis Indian School, P.O. Box 379, 502 East Warrior Drive, St. Francis, SD.

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NOTE: All media must present government-issued photo I.D. (such as a driver’s license) and valid media credentials. Media inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Marlene Short Bull or James Hogan of St. Francis Indian School at 605-747-2299 x2104 or x2116.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk today announced Darren A. Cruzan as Deputy Bureau Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Office of Justice Services (OJS). Cruzan, an enrolled member of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, comes to the position from the Department of Defense, Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA). The appointment became effective on September 27, 2010.

“I am pleased that Mr. Cruzan has accepted this challenging opportunity to lead the BIA’s Office of Justice Services,” Echo Hawk said. “His knowledge and experience in law enforcement and time at the Pentagon make him a strong member of my team.”

“Mr. Cruzan will be a crucial addition to the Bureau of Indian Affairs senior executive ranks,” said BIA Director Michael S. Black. “He has experienced law enforcement at all levels within Indian Country and brings with a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the position.”

Cruzan brings a wide range of experience to OJS, beginning as a patrolman in 1992 with the Joplin Police Department in Joplin, Mo. He served as a tribal police officer with the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, until 1995, when he was hired by the BIA and assigned to the District II OJS Office in the Eastern Oklahoma Regional Office in Muskogee, Okla.

In 1998, he was promoted to the rank of Supervisory Police Officer and assigned to the United States Indian Police Academy (IPA), located at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Artesia, N.M. There he provided law enforcement training to newly hired police, detention and telecommunications officers working in Indian Country.

In 2001, Cruzan was promoted to Criminal Investigator assigned to the BIA’s Field Office in Portland, Ore., where he performed federal criminal investigations and provided technical law enforcement assistance to the Indian tribes located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.

Cruzan’s next promotion was as the Supervisory Special Agent at the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana. It was at this time that his department was honored by the Secretary of the Interior with the “Customer Service Excellence Award” (2004). The award details the recipient as “a hero of citizen centered service, a champion of government excellence, and an ambassador of creative partnerships.” Cruzan’s department was pivotal in reducing the number of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) related fatalities on the Crow Indian Reservation.

In 2004, Cruzan was asked to serve as the Senior Law Enforcement Advisor to the BIA’s Associate Director of Operations in Washington, D.C. Cruzan also served as the Indian Country Law Enforcement liaison to the Department of the Interior.

In 2006, Cruzan joined the PFPA, as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Criminal Investigative and Protective Directorate. While there, Cruzan supervised the day-to-day operations of the agency’s Criminal Investigations Division. He also served as the detail leader on dignitary protection missions for senior level DoD officials, both within the continental United States, and overseas. His overseas missions included assignments into Iraq, Beirut, Saudi Arabia, Germany, France, Belgium, The Czech Republic, The United Kingdom, Austria and Japan. Most recently, Cruzan was appointed by the Director of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency as Division Chief of the agency’s Recruitment and Medical Division.

“I am honored to be rejoining the OJS and to lead this group of dedicated women and men serving Indian country.” Cruzan said. “Because of the many challenges currently faced in Indian Country, it is with a sense of urgency that we will move forward with creative, innovative and meaningful initiatives designed to improve the quality of life for our tribal communities.” Cruzan said, “The recently signed Tribal Law and Order Act affords us the unique opportunity to improve law enforcement services in Indian Country and promotes positive changes in the way we serve and protect our people.” C

Cruzan is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy (FBINA), Class 224 (2006). He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Mountain State University, W.Va. Darren and his wife and their two daughters, live in the D.C. area