OPA

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk announced today that he has directed the head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Michael S. Black, and the BIA’s Deputy Bureau Director for Justice Services, Darren A. Cruzan, to increase the training of BIA and tribal law enforcement officers to aid them as they respond to domestic violence incidents in the tribal communities they serve.

“Violent crime in Indian Country is twice the national average and more than 20 times the national average on some reservations,” Echo Hawk said. “Our records show the majority of calls that Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal police respond to are related to domestic violence. While our first duty is to prevent crime, I am directing the BIA’s Office of Justice Services to better train its officers to address domestic violence issues.”

The U.S. Indian Police Academy in Artesia, N.M., in conjunction with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) and its Office of State and Local Training and Rural Policing Institute, will dedicate four Domestic Violence Train-the-Trainer Instructor Training Programs to BIA and tribal law enforcement officers.

The training will enhance the officers’ skills to help them work more effectively with victims suffering from the physical and emotional effects of domestic violence. The four programs will provide 96 domestic violence subject matter experts to teach the officer trainees in:

• Dynamics of Domestic Violence
• Documentation and collection of evidence
• Report Writing dynamics
• Victim Impact statements
• Referral to Domestic Violence Shelter or Services
• Referral to Victim Services
• Referral to Victim Witness Advocate
• Case Report
• Testimony in Tribal/Federal Court

The Train-the-Trainer program also will provide subject matter instructors at the local level to promote and enhance the officers’ skills with continuous in-service training. In addition, instructors are encouraged to provide community educational opportunities and participate with local domestic violence and sexual assault victims programs.

Through treaties, intergovernmental agreements, statutory laws and case law, the United States has special duties to aid the federally recognized tribes in the provision of law enforcement services.

The Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs has responsibility for helping the Secretary of the Interior to fulfill his trust responsibilities to tribal and individual trust beneficiaries and promoting self-determination and self-governance for the nation’s 565 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes. The Assistant Secretary oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), which administers one of two federal school systems.

The Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs is responsible for managing the BIA’s day-to-day operations through four offices – Indian Services, Justice Services, Trust Services and Field Operations – which administer or fund tribally based infrastructure, law enforcement, social services, tribal governance, natural and energy resources and trust management programs for the federally recognized tribes through 12 regional offices and 85 agencies.

The BIA Office of Justice Services is responsible for managing the Bureau’s law enforcement, corrections and tribal courts programs, either directly in tribal communities or by funding tribally administered programs through contract and grants.

WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that Charles Addington, associate director of field operations for the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Office of Justice Services, has been named a finalist by the Partnership for Public Service for its 2013 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals. Addington, an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, is among 31 finalists, and the only Interior Department employee, in seven medal categories who were announced on May 7.

“I want to congratulate OJS Associate Director Charles Addington on being named a 2013 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal finalist, a notable recognition of his outstanding work,” Washburn said. “I’m proud of all of our law enforcement officers for their devoted service to protecting families and communities throughout Indian Country. Their daily beat is often a remote area encompassing hundreds of miles, where difficult or dangerous circumstances can occur whether making an arrest, conducting an investigation or defusing an emotional domestic situation. Charles Addington represents the best of BIA Law Enforcement.”

Addington was recognized for developing and implementing an innovative law enforcement program that reduced the high violent crime rate on four Indian reservations by 35 percent, providing a model for other Native American communities. He is among five finalists in the Homeland Security and Law Enforcement Medal category announced by the Partnership for Public Service.

All 31 finalists for the 2013 Service to America Medals, called the “Sammies” (#sammies2013), have shown a strong commitment to public service and made significant contributions that are innovative, high-impact and critical for the nation.

The Partnership for Public Service, which will hold a gala event in October where the medals for each category will be awarded, is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works to revitalize the federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve and by transforming the way government works. For more information, visit http://ourpublicservice.org.

The Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals pay tribute to the best in the nation’s federal workforce and inspire a new generation to join in service to the country. For more information on the Sammies and all of the 2013 finalists, visit www.servicetoamericamedals.org.

WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar kicked off the Second White House Tribal Nations Conference today, calling the gathering a testament to President Obama’s respect for the inherent sovereignty of Indian nations and determination to honor the Nation’s commitments to American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

President Obama hosted the conference – the second he has convened since taking office – and delivered keynote remarks to leaders of the 565 federally recognized tribes in the United States. Members of the President’s cabinet and other high-ranking Administration officials participated in a series of breakout sessions with tribal leaders, discussing a wide range of social, economic and political challenges facing Indian Country.

At the first White House Tribal Nations Conference last year, the President directed Salazar and other cabinet secretaries to work with tribal leaders to develop a comprehensive agenda to reform, restructure and rebuild federal relations with Indian Country.

Salazar, whose department carries out the Nation’s principal duties for Indian Country, highlighted the progress that has been made in fulfilling trust management responsibilities, empowering tribal governments and helping them build safer and stronger communities. The Secretary also discussed the significant work remaining in “building a solid foundation for a bright, prosperous and more fulfilling future for the First Americans.”

The full text of the Secretary’s remarks as prepared for delivery is below.

Good morning everyone and welcome to the second White House Tribal Nations Conference!

It is an honor to welcome so many distinguished guests to the Department of the Interior for this special occasion.

Today we are joined by the leaders and representatives from the Nation’s 565 federally-recognized tribes. I know many of you have traveled a great distance to be here. Thank you for coming.

Today we are also joined by seven Members of the President’s Cabinet. It is rare that so many of us are in one place at the same time and it speaks to President Obama’s high-level engagement with and commitment to Indian Country.

There are many people who have put in a lot of work to make this conference happen, and I’d like to take a minute to recognize them:

• Kimberly Teehee – Senior Policy Advisor to President Obama
• Jodi Gillette – White House Deputy Associate Director of Intergovernmental Affairs
• Larry Echo Hawk – Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs
• Laura Davis –Deputy Chief of Staff, Dept. of the Interior
• Kallie Hanley – Special Assistant to the Secretary, Dept. of the Interior

A little over a year ago – at the first ever White House Tribal Nations Conference – President Obama pledged to you that we would work with American Indian leaders to fulfill our trust responsibilities, to empower tribal governments and to help build safer, stronger and more prosperous tribal communities.

We have made great strides toward reaching these goals.

First, we are working to restore tribal homelands. We are breaking the logjam on trust land applications and streamlining the process as part of the most substantial overhaul of the Department’s leasing process in 50 years.

Thanks to the great work of Mike Black, since 2009, the Department has acquired more than 36,000 acres of land in trust on behalf of tribal nations – a 242 percent net increase from the last administration’s entire 8 years.

Moreover, Indian County deserves responsive and responsible business practices as we work to meet our obligations to acquire land into trust for tribes.

One of the most significant developments concerning our trust responsibilities occurred last week when the President signed into law the historic Claims Resolution Act of 2010.

Through the leadership of Attorney General Eric Holder and his team, and Deputy Secretary David Hayes and Solicitor Hilary Tompkins here at Interior, we negotiated and achieved enactment of the Cobell settlement.

After 14 years of contentious litigation that included hundreds of motions, seven full trials, held three Interior Secretaries under contempt, and created a great fissure between the United States and tribal nations, this painful chapter in our nation’s history has finally been brought to an end.

The $3.4 billion settlement honorably and responsibly addresses long-standing injustices and demonstrates President Obama’s commitment to reconciliation and empowerment for Indian nations.

The injection of several billion dollars into Indian Country through the settlement has the potential to profoundly change and improve the administration of American Indian trusts and free up land for the benefit of tribal communities. This settlement will also provide new scholarship opportunities for Indian students.

The Cobell settlement marks the beginning of true trust reform and is nothing short of historic.

I would also like to offer a brief comment about the Carcieri decision, a devastating ruling which reverses 75 years of precedent and says that the Federal government cannot take land into trust for Indian Tribes that were not under Federal jurisdiction in 1934. Taking land into trust is one of the most important functions that the Department of Interior undertakes on behalf of Indian tribes. These lands allow tribal communities to practice their cultural traditions, to provide housing for tribal members and engage in economic development. The Obama administration is working overtime to deliver a fix that will restore the authority and allow tribes to continue their important work of restoring their homelands.

Second, the Obama administration is working across the agencies, including the Department of Justice, to help build safer communities.

We must do better to combat violence in Indian Country where crime rates far exceed national averages.

This year President Obama signed into law the Tribal Law and Order Act, which will allow us to accelerate our focus on safe tribal communities.

And thanks to an increase in the President’s 2009 and 2010 budgets, we are putting more law enforcement officers in Indian communities, and improving training and equipment.

We also are revamping the recruiting process for Bureau of Indian Affairs law officers, increasing the number of applicants for those positions by 500 percent - and we have hired more than 100 new officers this year. That’s the largest hiring increase in BIA’s history.

This year we also launched an intense community policing pilot program on four reservations experiencing high crime rates. We are already seeing promising results – a reduction of violent crime by at least 5% - and hope to expand the program in the near future.

Third, the Obama administration is working to build strong, prosperous Native American economies.

This starts with a reenergized commitment to meeting the critical water needs of Native American communities. Just this month President Obama signed landmark legislation on four historic water rights settlements.

These momentous settlements will deliver clean drinking water to the Taos Pueblo and Aamodt case pueblos, including the Pojoaque, Tesuque, San Ildefonso, and Nambe pueblos in New Mexico; the Crow Tribe of Montana, and the White Mountain Apache Tribe of Arizona.

These settlements will provide more than $1 billion to some of the most poverty-stricken regions in the nation. For these communities, the permanent water supply will vastly improve their quality of life and will offer greater economic security both now and in the future.

The settlements offer a fair resolution to more than 100 years of costly, contentious litigation and end decades of water controversy among neighboring communities.

Administration support for four water rights settlements in a single Congress has never happened before.

Additionally, thanks to the Recovery Act, nearly $3 billion is strengthening tribal communities and putting men and women to work improving tribal roads, schools, and water infrastructure projects.

In addition, we’ve signed nearly 400 contracts to build new roads on tribal lands. That’s an estimated $310 million going into tribal businesses, creating jobs.

These investments will have a lasting legacy. But just as important is the fact that more than 90 percent of the funding is going directly to tribal governments or Buy Indian and commercial contractors who, in turn, hire local workers.

But the Recovery Act is only a piece of the progress we are making on the economy.

We are also working to engage tribal governments in our national energy priorities, including renewable energy development on tribal lands. We know that Tribal lands hold a great capacity for solar, wind and geothermal projects, and we are committed to helping you unlock that potential.

My good friend Energy Secretary Steven Chu is announcing today the establishment of an Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs at DOE.

The new office, which will be led by a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, will leverage the Department’s resources to promote tribal energy development.

Fourth, President Obama is working to foster healthy Indian communities through investments in our youth. Through the Recovery Act, $277 million is being invested in schools to benefit more than 18,000 Indian students.

Nearly a hundred school improvement projects are under way, half of which have already been completed.

And Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, along with Bureau of Indian Education Director Keith Moore and national experts, are heavily engaged in developing a national education reform agenda that will better serve Indian children.

This includes taking steps to bring Native languages and cultures back into the Indian education framework.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is partnering with Native American youth to create good employment opportunities and build a conservation corps for the 21st century. In 2009, BIA hired 144 youth and – just one year later, through strong outreach and engagement – BIA hired over 1,000 Native American youth that will no doubt be our leaders of tomorrow.

Finally, I will say that critical to all of the initiatives that I have just outlined, is meaningful, structured tribal consultation. Responding to the charge the President gave to us last year, every Cabinet Secretary in this room is working to develop a transparent, comprehensive consultation policy to guide his or her Department’s nation to nation interaction with tribes.

These accomplishments are significant. As one tribal chair and president told me yesterday, President Obama’s administration has done more on tribal issues in less than 2 years than has been accomplished in the last 20 years.

But there is much more work to be done before Native Americans are full and equal partners in our federal family.

And that is why the President has brought us together today for what is the second ever White House Tribal Nations Conference.

We are here today to build on President Barack Obama’s commitment to strengthen the nation to nation relationship with Indian Country.

We are here today to pledge anew our respect for the inherent sovereignty of Indian nations.

And we are here today to honor our commitments to American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

The President has directed me, along with the other cabinet secretaries, to work with tribal leaders to develop a comprehensive agenda to reform, restructure and rebuild federal relations with Indian Country.

We are here to do that with you today.

In a few minutes, we will hear remarks from the President.

We will then convene into breakout sessions at which you will be able to have an extensive government to government conversation with me and my Cabinet colleagues.

As I said at the beginning, there is no doubt that much work remains to be done – by all of us.

All phases of our relationship and all major aspects of Indian Country’s social, economic and political development are on today’s agenda and open for discussion.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Cowlitz Tribe of Indians in Washington State may conduct gaming under a decision approved by the Department of the Interior today.

Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk announced the approval of the acquisition of 152 acres of land in trust for the Cowlitz Tribe of Indians in Clark County, Wash. The newly acquired lands will serve as the initial reservation of the Cowlitz Tribe, which was federally acknowledged by the United States in 2000. The Cowlitz Tribe intends to conduct Class III gaming on the newly acquired lands pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).

“This project will allow the Cowlitz Tribe to create hundreds of jobs and invest in other forms of economic development. It will also allow the Tribe to begin the restoration of its homelands,” Echo Hawk said.

The Department also disapproved a gaming application for the Redding Rancheria, a federally recognized tribe in California, after it was determined that its application to place lands in Shasta County, Calif., in trust did not satisfy IGRA and the Department’s regulations on Indian gaming.

IGRA requires federally recognized tribes to enter into tribal-state gaming compacts authorizing Class III gaming prior to conducting Class III gaming activities. Class III gaming consists of card games played against the house, slot machines, dog and horse racing, jai alai and all other types of casino gaming.

IGRA prohibits Indian gaming on lands acquired in trust after its enactment in 1988 unless one of three explicitly crafted exceptions applies. One exception, known as the “equal footing exception,” was intended to ensure that a number of tribes had an equal opportunity to pursue Indian gaming on their own lands as those tribes that had lands eligible for gaming in 1988. The application approved today satisfies this exception.

The Cowlitz Tribe’s application to place land into trust was filed under the Indian Reorganization Act, which required the Department to examine whether it could be approved under the Carcieri Supreme Court decision. The Interior Solicitor’s office conducted a thorough review of the application and determined that it satisfied the requirements of the Indian Reorganization Act and the Carcieri decision.

“We worked very closely with our attorneys in the Office of the Solicitor on the Cowlitz Tribe’s land-into-trust application and determined that it clearly satisfied the law,” Echo Hawk said. “We will continue our work to process other pending applications.”

Officials from the Department’s Office of Indian Gaming recently concluded a consultation process with tribal leaders on developing the Department’s policy for implementing the third category of exceptions under IGRA: the so-called “off-reservation” exception. A June 18, 2010, memorandum from Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to Assistant Secretary Echo Hawk directed the Department to engage Indian tribes in developing principled and transparent criteria to implement this policy. The tribal consultation process for this effort ended December 18, 2010.

Washington, D.C. – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk today announced that on December 20 the Bureau of Indian Affairs began its 2010 impaired driving prevention campaign, “Don’t Shatter the Dream,” which is being conducted by BIA and tribal law enforcement agencies in Indian Country through January 2, 2011.

“I want to emphasize how important it is that the Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal law enforcement agencies work to keep Indian Country’s roads safe during the holidays,” said Echo Hawk. “The Don’t Shatter the Dream” mobilization effort is a tremendous initiative that our officers and tribal police departments work together on to keep our communities safe. I thank all of them for their courageous service and efforts.”

The “Don’t Shatter the Dream” Indian State Impaired Driving Mobilization is a joint effort by the BIA’s Office of Justice Services (OJS), the Indian Affairs Indian Highway Safety Program (IHSP) and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to reduce injuries and save lives.

This campaign unites the BIA and tribal law enforcement agencies across the country to reinforce the message that driving while impaired will not be tolerated. Throughout this holiday season tribal officers are on alert, conducting checkpoints and patrols to protect reservation roadways.

This is the sixth year that the BIA has worked with tribal law enforcement personnel to set up enhanced enforcement on federal Indian lands in an effort to reduce motor vehicle crash injuries and fatalities, especially those attributed to impaired drivers.

Getting alcohol and drug impaired drivers off the road takes a great effort. The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates that there were approximately 1.43 million DWI (driving while impaired) arrests in 2007.

According to the NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis in Reporting System (FARS), Native Americans are killed and injured at crash rates two to three times higher than the national average. The high rate of traffic fatalities is a concern across Indian Country. In 2007, there were 510 Native Americans killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes. Of those, 64 percent (326 fatalities) involved alcohol. Drinking and driving is even more of a problem for our youth; in 2006, over half of the 15 to 20 year-old Native American drivers killed had some level of alcohol in their system.

The BIA Office of Justice Services is responsible for managing the Bureau’s law enforcement, detention facilities and tribal courts programs, either directly in tribal communities or by funding tribally administered programs through contract and grants.

The IHSP, a part of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services, is charged with meeting the traffic safety needs of the 565 federally recognized tribes. One of its goals is to decrease alcohol related motor vehicle crash injuries and fatalities in Indian Country.

NHTSA’s mission is to save lives, prevent injuries and reduce economic costs due to road traffic crashes, through education, research, safety standards and enforcement activity. For more information, visit www.nhtsa.gov.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will visit South Florida this week for a series of events focused on restoring the health of the Everglades. While there, Jewell will also meet with the Seminole Tribe of Florida to announce a milestone in increasing self-determination and economic development for Native American tribes.

On Thursday morning, Jewell and Bureau of Indian Affairs Director Mike Black will join Chairman James E. Billie of the Seminole Tribe of Florida to formally approve tribal leasing regulations under the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership Act (HEARTH Act). The law restores the authority of federally recognized American Indian tribes to control the leasing of their trust lands, thereby promoting self-determination and economic development.

On Friday morning, Jewell will take a boat tour of the Everglades National Park to review progress that has been made in restoring historic water flows as well as new challenges such as invasive species that threaten the ecosystem.

On Friday afternoon, Jewell and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy will hold a brief media availability to discuss Everglades restoration efforts. In the evening, Jewell will deliver remarks at the 30th Annual Conference of the Everglades Coalition in Key Largo. All events are open to credentialed news media. Space is extremely limited on the boat tour and an RSVP is required.

EVENT #1 – Hollywood, FL: HEARTH Act Signing Ceremony with the Seminole Tribe

WHO: Sally Jewell, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Mike Black, Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs James E. Billie, Chairman, Seminole Tribe of Florida Tribal Council Members and Representatives

WHAT: HEARTH Act Signing Ceremony

WHEN: Thursday, January 8, 2015 9:45 a.m. EST – Media check-in 10:00 a.m. EST – Ceremony, followed by brief media availability

WHERE: Seminole Tribe of Florida Headquarters Chairman’s Conference Room 6300 Stirling Road Hollywood, FL 33024

RSVP: Credentialed members of the media who wish to attend are encouraged to RSVP HERE no later than 6:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, January 7.

EVENT #2 – Key Largo, FL: Boat Tour of Everglades National Park

WHO: Sally Jewell, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Stan Austin, Southeast Regional Director, National Park Service Justin Unger, Acting Superintendent, Everglades National Park Bob Johnson, Director, South Florida Natural Resources Center, National Park Service Nick Aumen, Regional Science Advisor for South Florida, USGS

WHAT: Boat tour of Everglades National Park

WHEN: Friday, January 9, 2015 9:45 a.m. EST – Media check-in 10:00 a.m. EST – Boat tour begins 1:30 p.m. EST – Boat tour concludes

WHERE: Key Largo Everglades Ranger Station 98630 Overseas Highway Key Largo, FL 33037 RSVP:

RSVP: Space for the boat tour is extremely limited. Credentialed members of the media who wish to attend are required to HERE no later than 6:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, January 8.

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – As part of President Obama’s commitment to empowering American Indian and Alaska Native tribal nations and strengthening their economies, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Bureau of Indian Affairs Director Michael Black today joined Seminole Tribal Chairman James E. Billie to formally approve tribal leasing regulations that will help spur investment and commercial development on the Seminole Tribe’s reservations.

Upon approval of the tribal regulations by the Department of the Interior, tribes may approve land leases without Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) approval, fostering tribal self-governance in the approval of leases for homes and small businesses in Indian Country.

“The Seminole Tribe of Florida will now decide for itself how it wants to do business on its lands – from making it easier for families to buy and build houses to opening businesses in the communities where they have lived for generations,” said Secretary Jewell, who also serves as chair of the White House Council on Native American Affairs. “Today’s agreement will encourage economic development and help create jobs while strengthening tribal sovereignty and self-determination by putting these decisions back in the hands of the tribe.”

Today’s signing ceremony comes on the heels of the White House Tribal Nations Conference held in December 2014, when leaders from all 566 federally recognized tribes were invited to Washington, D.C. to interact directly with the President and senior cabinet and administration officials. The conference – the sixth for the Obama Administration – continues to build on the President’s commitment to strengthen the government-to-government relationship with Indian Country.

“This is an important day for the Seminole Tribe, which will be able to process residential and business leases without the need for BIA approval,” said Chairman Billie. “This authority will allow the Tribe to better serve its members and create new opportunities for economic development on the Tribe’s reservations. We appreciate the Department’s assistance in working with the Tribe through the approval process.”

“Tribal self-determination means the tribe will now decide how its lands may be used for the good of its members and how it wants to do business on its lands,” said BIA Director Black. “The Seminole Tribe’s endeavors contribute to the local, state and regional economies and the tribe’s leasing initiative will further that economic vitality and contribution.”

Tribal council members and several tribal government officials joined Secretary Jewell, Director Black and Chairman Billie during a signing ceremony this morning at Seminole Tribal Headquarters in Hollywood, Florida.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida resides in communities located on six component reservations: Big Cypress, Brighton, Fort Pierce, Hollywood, Immokalee and Tampa. The Tribe expects to use its new authority for business, residential and biomass energy development, as well as for cultural, educational, recreational, spiritual, and other purposes.

Under the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership Act (HEARTH Act), signed by President Obama in July 2012, federally recognized tribes may develop and implement their own laws governing leasing of federal tribal trust lands for residential, business, renewable energy and other purposes. The law provides that such tribes may lease their lands without federal approval, promoting greater investment in tribal communities and job creation, both of which support tribal self-determination.

The Secretary’s action today brings to 15 the number of federally recognized tribes with leasing regulations approved under the HEARTH Act. An additional 14 tribes have HEARTH Act applications under current review or modification. A full list of approved regulations and additional information about the HEART Act is available HERE.

The HEARTH Act complements a parallel effort Interior undertook to overhaul the BIA regulations that govern its process for approving surface leases on lands the federal government holds in trust for Indian tribes and individuals. As trustee, Interior manages about 56 million surface acres in Indian Country.

The new regulations were finalized in December 2012 and represent the most comprehensive reform of the BIA’s antiquated leasing process. The new regulations fundamentally change the way the BIA does business, providing clarity by identifying specific processes – with enforceable timelines – through which the BIA must review leases. The regulation also establishes separate, simplified processes for residential, business, and renewable energy development, rather than using a “one-size fits all” approach that treats a lease for a single family home the same as a lease for a large wind energy project.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Deputy Secretary of the Interior Michael Connor today announced that the Department has signed two additional agreements with tribal nations in Washington State through the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program).

The agreements with the Squaxin Island Tribe of the Squaxin Island Reservation and the Swinomish Indians of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community detail what each tribal government will do to help implement the Buy-Back Program, which facilitates the purchase of individual interests in fractionated trust lands and consolidates ownership for the tribes with jurisdiction. The agreements also detail what resources the tribal governments will provide to facilitate outreach and education.

“The success of the Buy-Back Program hinges on tribal leadership, tribal participation, and tribal facilitation,” said Deputy Secretary Connor. “We must work together to ensure that landowners are given the information they need to make informed decisions about their land through this voluntary program. We look forward to working with the Squaxin Island Tribe and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community to take advantage of this historic opportunity to strengthen tribal sovereignty by supporting the consolidation of tribal lands for the benefit of each tribal nation.”

The Department has thus far entered into cooperative or other agreements with more than a dozen sovereign tribal nations. Tribes have the opportunity to actively participate in the Buy Back Program, including identifying acquisition priorities, conducting appraisals, and leading owner outreach. Each cooperative agreement between the Buy Back Program and individual tribes is unique in time, scope and responsibilities based on the expressed interests of the tribe.

The agreements showcase the active role that tribes can have, which is intended to improve the Buy Back Program’s effectiveness and efficiency while minimizing administrative costs.

Land fractionation is a serious problem across Indian Country. As lands are passed down through generations, they gain more owners. Many tracts now have hundreds and even thousands of individual owners. Because it is difficult to gain landowner consensus, the lands often lie idle and cannot be used for any beneficial purpose. There are more than 245,000 owners of 3 million fractionated interests, spanning approximately 150 Indian reservations, who are eligible to participate in the Buy-Back Program.

“Buying back our homelands has been a tribal goal and an emphasis during my 28 plus years as a council member,” said David Lopeman, Chairman Squaxin Island Tribe. “Our Island is one of the last pristine beaches without commercial development in the Puget Sound. Fractionation threatens our ability to keep these lands in trust, and to govern our reservation, and protect the vast natural resources of healthy shellfish for our tribal harvesters and Seafood Enterprise. We are grateful for the resources provided by the Buy-Back Program to purchase fractionated interests.” To date, the Buy Back Program has made more than 46,000 purchase offers to owners of fractionated interests, successfully concluding transactions worth nearly $330 million and restoring the equivalent of nearly 540,000 acres of land to tribal ownership.

“Our Swinomish reservation is not a large reservation, but our people face the same challenges brought about by fractionation as other tribes, no matter their size,” said Brian Cladoosby, Chairman of the Swinomish Indian Senate. “As a community, we know that the decisions we make today will affect the next seven generations, and consolidating land ownership on the Swinomish Indian Reservation helps fulfill our duty to those generations.”

The Department has announced 42 locations where land consolidation activities such as planning, outreach, mapping, mineral evaluations, appraisals or acquisitions are expected to take place through the middle of 2017. These communities represent 83 percent of all outstanding fractional interests across Indian Country.

There are several things that tribal leaders can do to prepare for the Buy-Back Program. More information and resources are available through the Buy-Back Program website.

The Buy-Back Program was created to implement the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to consolidate fractional land interests across Indian Country. The Buy-Back Program allows interested individual owners to receive payments for voluntarily selling their land. Consolidated interests are immediately transferred to tribal governments and stay in trust for uses benefiting the tribes and their members.

Landowners with interests on the Squaxin Island or Swinomish Reservations can contact the Trust Beneficiary Call Center at (888) 678-6836 with questions or to register their information. Individuals can also visit their local Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) or Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) office, or find more information at: Buy-Back Program/Landowners.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2016 budget request for Indian Affairs, which includes the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), is $2.9 billion – a $323.5 million, or 12 percent increase from the FY2015 enacted level. The request maintains the Administration’s strong support for tribal self-determination, strengthening tribal nations across Indian Country, and meeting the federal government’s responsibilities to the 566 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes, promoting opportunities for Native youth, and strengthening tribal education, economies, and resilience.

“This Fiscal Year 2016 budget reflects President Obama’s deep personal commitment to improving the lives of Indian people over the long term, focusing especially on Native youth, who represent the future of Indian Country," said Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn. “Indian Country has been united in requesting greater resources and the President has heard the tribes’ requests. This budget will improve the federal government's capacity to meet the trust responsibility and support tribal self-governance.”

The 2016 budget for Indian Affairs supports an "all of government" approach to addressing federal responsibilities and tribal needs. Coordination of this work across the federal government is being carried out through the White House Council on Native American Affairs, established by Executive Order on June 26, 2013, by President Obama and chaired by the Department of the Interior.

Creating Opportunities For Native Youth

The budget includes key investments to support the launch of Generation Indigenous, a Native American youth initiative focused on supporting opportunities and addressing barriers to success for Native American youth. This initiative will take a comprehensive, culturally appropriate approach to help improve the lives and opportunities of Native American youth.

In today’s global economy a high quality education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity – it is a prerequisite to success. President Obama set out a vision for a 21st century education system grounded in both high academic standards and tribal values and traditions. Making advanced education opportunities available for tribal members is a high priority for tribes, who see education as the path to economic development and a better quality of life for their communities through an educated and skilled tribal member workforce.

The President’s budget proposes a $1.0 billion investment in Indian education to support a comprehensive transformation of the Bureau of Indian Education. This multi-year process will transform the BIE into an organization that will serve as a capacity builder and service provider to support tribes in educating their youth and which delivers a world-class and culturally appropriate education across Indian Country.

The President’s FY2016 budget request for Indian education operations and construction includes increases of $93.9 million for programs that improve opportunities and outcomes in the classroom, enrich instructional services and teacher quality, promote language and cultural programs, and enhance broadband and digital access. The budget also includes an increase of $58.7 million to repair and rebuild BIE-funded schools. The BIE budget also includes a $4.6 million increase for scholarships for post-secondary education, with a focus on recipients seeking degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The Department is working collaboratively with tribes and other federal agencies including the Departments of Education, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, and Justice to implement education reforms and address issues facing Native American youth. Budget increases across other federal agencies through the Generation Indigenous Initiative will support educational outcomes and provide wraparound services to help address barriers and provide opportunities for youth, including behavioral and mental health, and substance abuse services.

The request also includes an additional $3.0 million for the Bureau of Indian Affairs to support youth participation in natural resources programs. The request would support approximately 60 new tribal youth projects and training programs throughout Indian Country and supplement existing training programs within the forestry, water, and agriculture programs.

Supporting Indian Families and Protecting Indian Country

Supporting Indian families and ensuring public safety in Indian Country are top priorities for the President and tribal leaders. As part of the President’s commitment to protect and promote the development of prosperous tribal communities and provide opportunities for youth, the BIA will continue to implement the Tiwahe Initiative. The initiative promotes a comprehensive and integrated approach to supporting family stability and strengthening tribal communities by addressing the interrelated issues associated with child welfare, poverty, domestic violence, substance abuse, and incarceration. Tiwahe means family in the Lakota language. This initiative aligns directly with the White House Generation Indigenous initiative which is focused on addressing barriers to success for Native youth, by leveraging BIA programs in concert with other federal programs to support family and community stability and cultural awareness.

Solutions require the coordination of social service programs, taking steps to maintain family cohesiveness, preparing family wage earners for work opportunities, and providing rehabilitative alternatives to incarceration for family members with substance abuse issues. The budget request proposes an increase of $6.0 million for BIA social services programs through the Tiwahe Initiative, to provide culturally appropriate services with the goal of empowering individuals and families through health promotion, family stability, and strengthening tribal communities as a whole. The budget also includes $4.0 million for BIA Law Enforcement Special Initiatives and $5.0 million for tribal courts to implement a comprehensive strategy for providing alternatives to incarceration and increases in treatment opportunities across Indian Country.

To further promote public safety and community resilience in Indian communities, the budget proposal for BIA law enforcement builds on recent successes in reducing violent crime and expands efforts to lower repeat incarceration in Indian Country, a priority goal of the agency. In 2016, the pilot program to lower rates of repeat incarceration will be expanded from three sites to five with the goal to reduce recidivism at all sites by at least three percent.

Tribal Nation-Building

Programs run by tribes through contracts with the federal government support tribal nation-building and self-determination. The availability of funding for contract support costs is a key factor in tribal decisions to assume responsibility for operating federal programs, an undertaking that furthers tribal self-governance and self-determination. The President’s budget request for contract support costs is $277.0 million, an increase of $26.0 million above the FY2015 enacted level. Based on the most recent analysis, the requested amount will fully fund 2016 tribal contract support costs. The budget also includes – for the first time ever – a new proposal to fully fund BIA and Indian Health Service contract support costs as mandatory funding, beginning in FY2017. The BIA and IHS will continue to work together with tribes and to consult on policies to address long-term programmatic and funding goals to advance tribal self-determination.

Tribal leaders and communities, in partnership with the federal government, need access to quality data and information to make decisions concerning communities, economic development, resource management, and to evaluate and improve programs that deliver services. The budget request includes an additional $12 million to help address long-standing concerns tribes have expressed with the quality of data in Indian Country and the ability to collect, analyze, and utilize evidence to support effective tribal policy making and program implementation. This funding will also support creation of an Office of Indian Affairs Policy, Program Evaluation, and Data to directly support Indian Affairs’ and tribal data and analysis needs.

To support an "all of government" approach to delivering programs and funding to Indian Country, the budget request proposes an increase of $4.0 million to establish the One-Stop Tribal Support Center to make it easier for tribes to find and use the hundreds of services available to them across the federal government. Initially, the Center will focus on programs that serve Native American youth, in support of the Generation Indigenous Initiative and to pilot this new approach to serving needs in Indian Country.

The President’s proposal includes $4.5 million to establish an Indian Energy Service Center staffed by BIA, the Office of Natural Resources Revenue, the Bureau of Land Management and the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians to facilitate energy development in Indian Country. Oil and gas resources are significant revenue generators in Indian Country, with royalty income climbing to $1.1 billion in 2014, nearly three times the revenues in 2010. The Center will expedite leasing, permitting, and reporting for conventional and renewable energy on Indian lands – and importantly – provide resources to ensure development occurs safely, protects the environment, and manages risks appropriately by providing funding and technical assistance to support assessment of the social and environmental impacts of energy development.

Sustainable Stewardship of Trust Resources

BIA trust programs assist federally recognized tribes in the management, development and protection of Indian trust land and natural resources on 55 million surface acres and 57 million acres of subsurface mineral estates. These programs assist tribal landowners in optimizing the sustainable stewardship and use of resources, providing benefits such as revenue, jobs, and the protection of cultural, spiritual, and traditional resources. The President’s budget includes a total increase of $6.9 million for BIA Trust Real Estate Services activities to bolster the stewardship of trust resources. The increase in funding will address the BIA’s probate backlog and support land title and records processing, cleanup and geospatial support needs, and database management.

Supporting Climate Resilience in Indian Country

Tribes throughout the U.S. are already experiencing the impacts of a changing climate including drought, intensifying wildfires, changes in plants and animals important to subsistence and cultural practices, impacts to treaty and trust resources, and coastal erosion and sea level rise. The budget provides a total of $50.4 million, a $40.4 million increase over 2015, across nine BIA trust resource programs to support tribal communities in preparing for and responding to the impacts of climate change. Funds will support tribes to develop and access science, tools, training, and planning, and to implement actions that build resilience into resource management, infrastructure, and community development activities. Funding will target critically vulnerable communities, such as Alaska Native villages in the Arctic and provide support for evaluating options for the long-term resilience of their communities.

Tribal lands, located primarily in the West and Alaska, are by their geography and location on the “front line” of climate change, yet many of these communities face challenges in accessing information and resources needed to help respond to the far-reaching impacts of climate change on infrastructure, economic development, food security, natural and cultural resources, and local cultures. Strengthening access to information, through technical and financial assistance, to address the combined and cumulative effects, are among the highest priorities for supporting climate change adaptation and resilience. Examples of projects that may be funded include training, studies, scenario planning, natural resource and infrastructure projects, public awareness and outreach efforts, capacity building, and other projects. Criteria for tribal funding will be developed and prioritized in consultation with tribes and the interagency White House Council on Native American Affairs subgroup on natural resources and climate.

Indian Water Rights

The budget request for Indian water rights settlements continues to demonstrate the Administration’s strong commitment to resolve tribal water rights claims and ensure that tribes have access to use and manage water to meet their domestic, economic, cultural, and ecological needs. Many of the projects supported in these agreements bring clean and potable water to tribal communities, while others repair crumbling irrigation and water delivery systems upon which tribal communities depend.

The request proposes a total of $244.5 million, an increase of $73.0 million over the FY2015 enacted level, for technical and legal support and for authorized settlements involving tribal water rights. This includes $40.8 million for Interior-wide technical and legal support and $203.7 million for settlement implementation. Of the request for settlement implementation, $136.0 million is funded by the Bureau of Reclamation and $67.7 million by BIA.

With the proposed level of funding in FY2016, Interior will complete the funding requirements for the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act. The BIA portion of tribal water rights settlement payments in the FY2016 request includes:

• $29.2 million for the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act
• $15.6 million for the Aamodt Settlement enacted in the Claims Resolution Act of 2010
• $17.8 million for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project
• $4.0 million for the Navajo Water Resources Development Trust Fund

To strengthen the Department’s capacity to meet its trust responsibilities and more effectively partner with tribes on water issues, the budget request includes an increase of $16.9 million in the budgets of BIA, Reclamation, BLM, Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Geological Survey. This funding will support a more robust, coordinated, Department-wide approach to working with and supporting tribes in resolving water rights claims and supporting sustainable stewardship of tribal water resources. Funds will strengthen the engagement, management, and analytical capabilities of the Indian Water Rights Office, increase coordination and expertise among bureaus and offices that work on these issues, and increase support to tribes.

The Office of Indian Affairs’ responsibility to federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes is rooted in Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution and subsequently defined in treaties, acts of Congress, executive orders and actions, federal court decisions, and federal policies and regulations. Through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, it is responsible for the management, development and protection of Indian trust lands and natural and energy resources, providing for public safety, social welfare, and justice in tribal communities, and promoting tribal self-determination and self-governance. Through the Bureau of Indian Education, it funds 183 elementary and secondary day and boarding schools, of which two-thirds are tribally operated, located on 64 reservations in 23 states and serving over 40,000 students. It also funds 28 tribal colleges and universities and two tribal technical colleges, operates two post-secondary institutions of higher learning, and provides higher education scholarships.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of President Obama’s Generation Indigenous (“Gen-I”) initiative to remove barriers standing between Native youth and their opportunity to succeed, U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell will kick off the Obama Administration Native Youth Listening Tour tomorrow, Tuesday, February 10, in the Phoenix, Arizona area with tribal visits and student discussions at Salt River Elementary and Gila River Crossing Community Schools.

During the sixth White House Tribal Nations Conference, President Obama announced that members of his Cabinet would visit Indian Country to hear directly from Native youth on how to bolster federal policies to help improve the lives and opportunities for the next generation of Indian Country. Over the coming year, Obama Administration Cabinet Secretaries will hold listening sessions with native youth across the country.

As part of her visit with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Secretary Jewell will learn about the tribe’s Family Advocacy Center which follows a ‘co-location’ model for social services, such as counseling, law enforcement and other professional social services. The Center serves as a national model for taking a ‘whole-of-child’ approach to youth and social services.

At the Gila River Crossing Community School, Secretary Jewell will meet with students who are part of Akimel O’odham/Pee-Posh Youth Council, an active and well-established youth council that has served to provide an avenue for empowerment and mutual support for native youth within the community.

According to a recent White House report, nearly half of Native American people (42 percent) are under the age of 24; more than one-third of Native children live in poverty; and Native youth have the lowest high school graduation rate of students across all schools.

WHO:

• U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell
• Bureau of Indian Education Director Dr. Charles ‘Monty’ Roessel
• Casey Family Programs & Indian Child Welfare Programs Director Gina Jackson
• Salt River Elementary School Students & Administrators
• Gila Crossing Community School Students & Administrators

WHAT: Kick-Off to the Obama Administration Native Youth Listening Tour

WHEN: Tuesday, February 10, 2015

WHERE: First Stop @ 8:00am MST: Salt River Elementary School 4815 North Center Street Scottsdale, AZ 85256 Second Stop @ 11:00am MST: Gila River Crossing Community School Cocatka Street Laveen Village, AZ 85339

NOTE: Both stops are open to pre-credentialed members of the media who RSVP here prior to Monday, February 9, 2015 at 6pm MST