OPA

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Advancing President Obama’s ongoing commitment to work with tribal leaders to build strong economies, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today released final regulations that will ensure tribal communities receive all the royalties they are owed from oil production on their lands, reduce administrative costs and provide greater predictability to the oil industry.

“As part of our trust and treaty responsibilities, these commonsense regulations will help protect and fairly value Indian oil assets, support exploration and development, and reduce administrative costs,” said Jewell, who chairs the White House Council on Native American Affairs. “This rule reflects the President’s strong commitment to tribal sovereignty and self-governance, offering greater simplicity, certainty, clarity and consistency for energy companies that operate on tribal lands, while potentially boosting royalties to Indian Country.”

The Negotiated Rulemaking Committee was formed in late 2011 and charged with bringing clarity and consistency to oil valuation regulations governing production on American Indian lands. The committee included representatives from American Indian Tribes, individual Indian mineral owner associations, the oil and gas industry, Interior’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The Negotiated Rulemaking Committee met nine times through 2012 and 2013, reaching agreement on a proposal to base royalties on the higher of gross proceeds or an index-based formula that captures a unique provision of Indian lease terms referred to as ‘major portion price’ that refers to the highest price paid for the oil produced from a field or area. ONRR estimated that Indian lessors could experience significant increases in royalty returns as a result of the new rule.

The draft rule was published in the Federal Register on June 19, 2014, and ONRR carefully considered all of the public comments that it received during the rulemaking process before finalizing the rule, which becomes effective July 1, 2015. The final rule can be accessed today and will be published tomorrow in the Federal Register.

The Office of Natural Resources Revenue, part of the Department’s Office of Policy, Management and Budget, is responsible for collecting and disbursing revenues from energy production that occurs onshore on Federal and American Indian lands and offshore in the Outer Continental Shelf. During Fiscal Year 2014, the agency disbursed more than $13.4 billion to states, American Indian Tribes and individual Indian mineral owners, and to various Federal accounts, including the U.S. Treasury, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and the Reclamation Fund.

Washington, D.C. – The Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona will hold a VAWA Tribal Court Trial Advocacy Training focusing on the challenges that occur when a tribe uses its special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction (SDVCJ) authority as authorized by the Violence Against Women Act of 2013 (VAWA) to prosecute offenders. The training is scheduled for May 5-7 on the Pascua Yaqui Reservation in Tucson.

The OJS Tribal Justice Support Directorate took note from the Intertribal Technical-Assistance Working Group’s collaborative discussions on implementing VAWA SDVCJ and saw the value in supporting the concept that tribal experts should train other tribes interested in prosecuting the VAWA SDVCJ. Thus, with the support of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, the OJS Tribal Justice Support Directorate began to collaborate with the Pascua Yaqui Justice Department to design a curriculum based on the first jury trial executed under VAWA SDVCJ.

The training, titled “Lessons Learned from the 1st Non-Indian Jury Trial in a Tribal Court under Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction,” provides the Pascua Yaqui Tribe’s criminal justice system with an opportunity to share its experiences from its first year of exercising its SDVCJ authority under VAWA.

VAWA authorizes federally recognized tribes to exercise “special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction” over certain defendants, regardless of their Indian or non-Indian status, who commit acts of domestic or dating violence or violate certain protection orders on federal Indian trust lands. The Pascua Yaqui Tribe was one of five tribes approved as pilot projects to exercise VAWA SDVCJ authority on an accelerated basis, which it has been doing since February 2014.

Under VAWA SDVCJ authority a tribe must protect the rights of defendants under the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968, including the right to due process, which requires including a fair cross-section of the community in jury pools which does not systematically exclude non-Indians. Further, the due process rights also require informing defendants detained by a tribal court of their right to file federal habeas corpus petitions.

Substantive trial training will be provided specific to VAWA prosecutions including training on jurisdictional considerations, witness recantation, and evidence considerations, and will focus on three tracks: prosecutor, defense attorney, and judicial. Practical training skills and application of learned skills will take place in Pascua Yaqui tribal courtrooms.

The general session will include VAWA-specific training on criminal jurisdiction, evidence, and ethics by University of Arizona professors Melissa Tatum, a contributor to the Handbook of Federal Indian Law by Felix S. Cohen; Thomas Mauet, renowned evidence and trial litigation expert; and Jim Diamond, adjunct professor and author.

WHO: Tribal Justice Support Directorate, Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior

WHAT: The Tribal Justice Support Directorate in the BIA’s Office of Justice Services will co-host tribal court trial advocacy training on the challenges and lessons learned when a tribe exercises special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction authority as authorized by the Violence Against Women Act. The Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona will provide valuable lessons learned and the training is designed to improve the trial advocacy skills of tribal court prosecutors, defenders and judges.

WHEN: May 5-7, 2015 (Mountain Standard Time Zone)

• Tuesday, May 5 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. General Session (Open)
• Wednesday, May 6 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Skills Training
• Thursday, May 7 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Skills Training

WHERE: Casino Del Sol Resort, 5655 W. Valencia Road, Tucson, Ariz. 85757. Phone: (855) 765-7829.

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Interior Deputy Secretary Mike Connor will deliver the keynote address at the 24th Annual Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service being held Thursday, May 7, 2015, at the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Indian Police Academy in Artesia, N.M. Also scheduled to speak is BIA Director Michael S. Black.

The Memorial Service honors tribal, state, local, and federal law enforcement officers working on federal Indian lands and in tribal communities who have given their lives in the line of duty. It also is the occasion when the names of officers who will be added to the Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial monument located at the academy are formally announced.

This year, five individuals will be added bringing the total number of officers listed on the memorial to 108:

• Alaska Village Public Safety Officer Ronald Zimin who on October 22, 1986, was ambushed and shot while responding to a domestic violence crime.
• Alaska State Trooper Sergeant Patrick Johnson who on May 1, 2014, was shot and killed while investigating reports of a person brandishing a firearm in the village of Tanana.
• Alaska State Trooper Gabriel Rich who on May 1, 2014, was ambushed while investigating reports of a person brandishing a firearm in the village of Tanana.
• Officer Jair Cabrera of the Salt River Police Department in Arizona who on May 24, 2014, was shot inside his vehicle while conducting a traffic stop.
• Special Agent Colin Clark of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services (OJS) who on March 21, 2004, died during a drug enforcement operation in Michigan.

OJS holds the Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service in conjunction with other law enforcement organizations and agencies including the International Association of Chiefs of Police Indian Country Law Enforcement Section, the National Sheriffs’ Association, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia, home to the memorial, service and academy.

The Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial was first dedicated on May 7, 1992, at the Indian Police Academy then located in Marana, Ariz. The academy and memorial later moved to their present site, where the latter was re-dedicated on May 6, 1993.

The memorial’s design is based on indigenous design concepts. Comprised of three granite markers sited within a circular walkway lined with sage, a plant of spiritual significance to many tribes, the memorial includes four planters filled with foliage in colors representing people of all races. The planters represent the four directions and are located near the walkway’s entrance.

The earliest inscribed name dates back to 1852. In addition to those from the BIA and tribal law enforcement, officers listed represent numerous law enforcement agencies including the U.S. Border Patrol, the New Mexico State Police, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Navajo County (Ariz.) Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Customs Bureau, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The list includes one female officer from the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety who was killed in 1998; a father and son, both BIA police officers, who died in 1998 and 2001, respectively; and two FBI agents killed on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota in 1975.

The 24th Annual Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service will be livestreamed. To view the event, visit http://www.ksvpradio.com/BIA/ and type in the password “biamemorial.” To view the memorial and a list of the officers’ names inscribed upon it, visit http://www.indianaffairs.gov/WhoWeAre/BIA/OJS/fallen/index.htm.

WHO: Mike Connor, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior Michael S. Black, Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, DOI

WHAT: Interior Deputy Secretary Mike Connor will deliver the keynote address at the 24th Annual Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service where the names of five fallen officers being added to the memorial will be formally announced. Also scheduled to speak is Bureau of Indian Affairs Director Michael S. Black.

WHEN: Thursday, May 7, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. MDT

WHERE: BIA Indian Police Academy, DHS Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, 1300 West Richey Avenue, Artesia, N.M. Phone (505) 748-8153 for directions.

CREDENTIALS: This invitation is extended to working media representatives, who are required to display sanctioned media credentials for admittance to this event. Press seating will be provided. Credentialed media covering the event should be in place by 9:45 a.m. for the program beginning at 10:00 a.m.

LAWRENCE, KS – On Friday, May 8, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will deliver the commencement address at the Haskell Indian Nations University 2015 Graduation Ceremony. Haskell is commemorating its 130th year of providing education and opportunity to Native American communities nationwide.

Secretary Jewell will be the first Secretary of the Interior to speak at Haskell Indian Nations University. As Secretary of the Interior, Jewell upholds trust responsibilities to the 566 federally recognized American Indian tribes and Alaska Natives. Jewell also serves as chair of the White House Council on Native American Affairs.

WHO: Sally Jewell, U.S. Secretary of the Interior

WHAT: Haskell Indian Nations University Commencement Address

WHEN: Friday, May 8, 2015 9:00 a.m. – Media check-in at welcome table in Coffin Sports Complex for press passes 10:00 a.m. – Ceremony begins 12:00 p.m. – Media availability

WHERE: Haskell Indian Nations University Coffin Sports Complex 155 E Indian Avenue Lawrence, KS 66046

MEDIA: Credentialed members of the media are encouraged to RSVP here

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that grants ranging from $25,000 to $150,000 per fiscal year are available for federally recognized tribes and their education departments. The grants are designed to help tribes assume control of Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)-funded schools in their communities, promote tribal education capacity, and provide academically rigorous and culturally appropriate education to Indian students on their reservations and trust lands.

Eligible tribal governments may apply for these grants by responding to the Request for Proposals that the BIE published on May 15, 2015, in the Federal Register.

“This grant program reflects President Obama’s commitment to tribal self-governance and self-determination, and will support tribal educators who best understand the unique needs of their communities as they strengthen their capacity to assume full control of BIE-funded schools on their reservations,” said Secretary Jewell, who chairs the White House Council on Native American Affairs. “It is a critical step in redesigning the BIE from a direct provider of education into an innovative organization that will serve as a capacity-builder and service-provider to tribes with BIE-funded schools.”

“With this announcement, we are taking the next major step in our efforts to return the education of Indian children to their tribes,” Assistant Secretary Washburn said. “We understand that tribal leaders, educators and parents have the greatest need to ensure that their children receive a world-class education, and with this effort, we will see to it that tribes can assume total control over the BIE-funded schools in their communities to improve the educational outcomes for their students. We're grateful Congress understands the importance of this process and appropriated funding to support this effort.”

“This grant solicitation carries out recommendations of Secretary Jewell and Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s Blueprint for Reform to transform the Bureau of Indian Education from a school administrator into a capacity builder and service provider to support tribes in educating their children and youth,” said BIE Director Dr. Charles M. “Monty” Roessel. “These grants will help tribes and their tribal departments of education to assume control of the BIE-funded schools serving their communities.”

The Blueprint for Reform, issued in June 2014 following consultation with tribal leaders, is an initiative of the White House Council on Native American Affairs, chaired by Secretary Jewell. President Obama established the Council as part of his commitment to engage in a true and lasting government-to-government relationship with federally recognized tribes in a more coordinated and effective manner, including promoting and sustaining prosperous and resilient tribal communities.

Jewell then issued a Secretarial Order to begin restructuring BIE from solely a provider of education to a capacity-builder and education service-provider to tribes. The goal of this transformation is to give tribes the ability themselves to provide an academically rigorous and culturally appropriate education to their students, according to their needs.

The Blueprint made several recommendations regarding the BIE’s budget. Interior should invest in the school system’s infrastructure, including new school construction, and align its budget to support tribal self-determination by requesting and increasing tribal grant and Tribal Grant Support Costs for tribally controlled grant schools.

Under the solicitation announced today, grants will range from $25,000 to $150,000 per fiscal year depending on the project, number of educational programs impacted, project design, and expected outcomes. Subject to the availability of appropriated funds, grants will be provided for three years and, depending on performance, may be renewed for additional two-year terms.

Grant funds will support program goals for the following areas that promote tribal education capacity-building:

• To provide for the development and enforcement of tribal educational codes, including tribal educational policies and tribal standards applicable to curriculum, personnel, students, facilities, and support programs;
• To facilitate tribal control in all matters relating to the education of Indian children on reservations and on former reservations in Oklahoma; and
• To provide for the development of coordinated educational programs on reservations and on former reservations in Oklahoma by encouraging tribal administrative support of all BIE-funded educational programs, as well as encouraging tribal cooperation and coordination with entities carrying out all educational programs receiving financial support from other federal agencies, state agencies or private entities.

Top priority will be given to applicants that meet the following conditions:

• Serves three or more BIE-funded schools (less priority will be given if the applicant has less than three schools, but with at least one BIE-funded school).
• Provides coordinating services and technical assistance to all relevant BIE-funded schools.
• Monitors and audits its grant funds by or through its Tribal Education Department (TED)
• And offers a plan and schedule that provides for:
  • Its TED to assume all assets and functions of the Bureau agency office associated with the tribe to the extent the assets and functions relate to education;
  • The termination by the BIE of all such functions and office at the times of such assumption; and
  • The assumption to occur over the term of the grant, unless mutually agreeable to the tribal governing body and the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs, the period in which such assumption is to occur may be modified, reduced or extended after the initial year of the grant.

The BIE will assist tribes in the development and operation of TEDs for the purpose of planning and coordinating all educational programs of the tribe. Each proposal must include a project narrative, a budget narrative, a work plan outline, and a project coordinator to serve as the point of contact for the program. The project coordinator is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the TED fulfills the obligations of its grant.

The BIE will provide pre-grant application training at several sites to support tribes and TEDs in applying for grants. Details on location and times will be made available.

The BIE oversees 183 elementary and secondary schools, located on 64 reservations in 23 states, serving more than 48,000 students. Of these, 59 are BIE-operated and 124 are tribally operated under Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act contracts or Tribally Controlled Schools Act grants. BIE also funds or operates off-reservation boarding schools and peripheral dormitories near reservations for students attending public schools.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced today that the Miccosukee Indian School (MIS) has received flexibility from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), to use a different definition of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) that meets their students’ unique academic and cultural needs. The Miccosukee Indian School in Florida is funded by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Education (BIE).

As part of the Obama Administration’s Generation Indigenous (Gen-I) initiative to remove barriers to Native youth success, granting flexibility for the Miccosukee Indian School to define AYP specifically for their students is an important step in making the BIE work better to support individual tribal nations and Native youth. This is the first tribal school to be approved to use a definition of AYP that is different from the state in which it is located, and the flexibility is the first of its kind from the Department of Education.

“The plan that Miccosukee put forward will support culturally-relevant strategies designed to improve college and career readiness for Native children and youth,” said Secretary Duncan. “We believe that tribes must play a meaningful role in the education of native students. Tribal communities are in the best position to identify barriers and opportunities, and design effective, culturally-relevant strategies to improve outcomes for Native students.”

This flexibility builds on the work that MIS has already accomplished through its transition to higher standards and more rigorous assessments, and will allow MIS leaders to further their work to ensure students graduate high school college- and career-ready. MIS serves approximately 150 students in grades kindergarten through 12 and is the only school of the Miccosukee Indian Tribe.

“I applaud Chairman Billie and the Miccosukee Indian School for developing this innovative and culturally-relevant plan for guiding and measuring their students’ academic progress,” said Secretary Jewell. “This flexibility will help the Miccosukee Nation achieve their goal of maintaining a unique way of life, cultural customs and language by transmitting the essence of their heritage to their children. This not only advances Tribal self-determination but can also serve as a model for other tribes within the Bureau of Indian Education school system seeking to achieve the same goal for their students.”

The announcement was made during a ceremony at the Department of the Interior with Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Kevin Washburn, BIE Director Dr. Charles ‘Monty’ Roessel, Director of the White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education William Mendoza, Chairman Colley Billie of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, and MIS Principal Manuel Varela.

According to recent U.S. Department of Education statistics, the graduation rate for American Indian students has increased by more than four percentage points over two years, outpacing the growth for all students. The graduation rate for American Indian students increased from 65 percent in 2010-11 to 69.7 percent in 2012-13. Despite these gains, the graduation rate for American Indian students is lower than the national rate of 81 percent.

A 2014 White House Native Youth Report cites Bureau of Indian Education schools fare even worse, with a graduation rate of 53 percent in 2011-12. To address the critical educational needs of these students, the Obama Administration’s Blueprint for Reform, an initiative of the White House Council on Native American Affairs chaired by Secretary Jewell, is restructuring Interior’s BIE from a provider of education to a capacity-builder and education service-provider to tribes.

In addition to reforming the Bureau of Indian Education into a service-provider to tribal schools, the Obama Administration is supporting other efforts to improve educational opportunities for Native communities, through initiatives such as:

• Generation Indigenous (Gen-I): focuses on improving the lives of Native youth by removing the barriers that stand between Native youth and opportunities to succeed.
• Native Youth Community Projects: provides an estimated $4 million in grants from the Department of Education to help prepare Native American youth for success in college, careers and life as part of Gen-I.
• National Tribal Youth Network: supports leadership development and provides peer support through an interactive online portal.
• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Completion Initiative Guidance: permits states to share FAFSA completion rates with tribes to help Native American students apply for college financial aid as part of President Obama’s FAFSA Completion Initiative.

Later today, Secretary Jewell will convene the sixth meeting of the White House Council on Native American Affairs (Council), formed by Executive Order of the President, to work more collaboratively and effectively with American Indian and Alaska Native leaders to help build and strengthen their communities. Obama Administration Cabinet Secretaries and other senior officials will continue discussions focused on several core objectives for the Council, such as reforming the Bureau of Indian Education, promoting sustainable tribal economic development, and supporting sustainable management of Native lands, environments and natural resources. The discussion will also include follow-up from additional areas of focus based on consultation with tribal leaders.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that Indian Affairs offices and bureaus have hired nearly 600 American Indian and Alaska Native veterans in Fiscal Year 2015, exceeding the goal set last year to increase the number of Native American veterans employed by these agencies from nine percent of the workforce to 12.5 percent.

“Our intent to build a 21st century Indian Affairs workforce depends upon attracting and retaining experienced and motivated personnel, and we know that America’s veterans are among the most capable, dedicated and well-trained individuals we need,” Washburn said. “I am very proud that we have not only met, but exceeded our goal of hiring American Indian and Alaska Native vets. We will continue to provide those veterans with opportunities to use their knowledge and skills in our mission of serving Indian Country.”

On June 14, 2014, Washburn announced the launch of a new initiative to hire more American Indian and Alaska Native veterans throughout Indian Affairs, which includes the Office of the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs (OAS-IA), the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). The initiative targets veterans prior to their discharge from the U.S. Armed Forces and actively seeks members of the National Guard and reserves who are looking for careers that serve Indian Country.

Indian Affairs bureaus, regional offices and agencies provide a wide range of direct services to 566 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and thousands of Indian trust beneficiaries. Almost all Indian Affairs positions are filled with American Indians and Alaska Natives under a congressionally approved Indian Preference policy.

In total, Indian Affairs employees number approximately 7,940. They work throughout the United States not just with tribes, but also with state, local and other federal agencies in matters ranging from public safety, family and child welfare, and education to infrastructure maintenance, environmental protection, land and natural resources management, and other areas.

Two of those hired within the past year are decorated veterans William Wolf Tail, a member of the Blackfeet Tribe, who is a correctional officer with a BIA Office of Justice Services (OJS) facility in Browning, Mont., and Damar Dore, a member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe-Pleasant Point in Maine, who joined the BIA as a supervisory information technology specialist in Aberdeen, S.D.

Despite his many accomplishments and experiences during his military career, Wolf Tail deems one event as holding particular significance for him: “My most fond moment would be graduating from the basic corrections officer training program at the BIA’s Indian Police Academy.” He is looking forward to continuing his professional growth with OJS.

“I took the position with the BIA to continue service by serving Native American communities,” said Dore, who, like Wolf Tail, has many years of military experience. “I spent the first portion of my life protecting the freedoms that all Americans enjoy, and now it is time to use this knowledge to help protect indigenous freedoms. The oath we take as military members is to protect all from foreign and domestic threats, and I intend on continuing to uphold my oath by providing solutions that have value to the agency and have a positive return on investment.”

For more information about Indian Affairs’ Hire American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans Initiative, visit www.bia.gov/Jobs/Veterans/ or call Nancy Nelson, Human Resources Specialist, Indian Affairs Office of Human Capital Management, at 202-208-6175.

The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs assists and supports the Secretary of the Interior in fulfilling the United States’ trust responsibility to the federally recognized tribes and individual Indian trust beneficiaries. The Office of Human Capital Management (OHCM) over sees human resources management, policy and operations for the OAS-IA, BIA and BIE. OHCM reports to the Deputy Assistant Secretary Indian Affairs – Management within the OAS-IA.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – William Mendoza, Director of the White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education at the U.S. Department of Education, and Dr. Charles M. “Monty” Roessel, Director of the Bureau of Indian Education, today announced that the Pine Ridge School in South Dakota has received $218,000 at their request under the U.S. Department of Education’s Project School Emergency Response to Violence (SERV) grant program to aid in recovery from student suicides and suicide attempts.

The Pine Ridge School, which serves the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Reservation, requested assistance after experiencing a significant increase in the number of counseling referrals, suicide ideations, and suicide attempts between August 2014 and April 2015. Two of the students who committed suicide were high school students and two were middle-school age.

“We are heartbroken about the tragic loss of life and are committed to working with the Pine Ridge community as it heals. These funds will help Pine Ridge School’s continued efforts to restore the learning environment in the face of these great tragedies.” said Mendoza. “This Administration is committed to supporting tribes in their work to meet the needs of their students. We all must do more to address the challenges across Indian Country.”

“Children and youth need help in seeing that their lives have meaning and that they, too, have the power to create promising futures for themselves. No tribe can long endure the loss of its lifeblood, its children and youth, to suicide,” said Roessel. “Thanks to the Department of Education and the SERV Program, the Pine Ridge School will be able to begin to help its students and their families onto healthier life paths that lead to more positive outcomes.”

In line with the Obama Administration’s Generation Indigenous (“Gen-I”) initiative to improve the lives of Native youth by removing the barriers for their progress and academic success, the SERV grant will support a culturally appropriate approach to the recovery of Native youth at Pine Ridge School. The grant will enable the Pine Ridge School to hire additional counselors and social workers to help students during the summer school session and the next school year. It also will support implementation of a multi-faceted and holistic approach to healing that is based on Lakota traditional culture and relevant to Pine Ridge School students, who have dealt with the sudden loss of classmates to suicide or know those who have attempted suicide.

Pine Ridge School is a BIE-operated, on-reservation boarding school comprised of a high school and an elementary school, which together serve a total of nearly 800 students from the Oglala Sioux Tribe in grades K-12, and a dormitory which houses approximately 150 students during the school year. The Pine Ridge Reservation is home to the Oglala Sioux Tribe whose 30,000 members living on or near the reservation suffer from continually high rates of poor health, poor infrastructure, lack of opportunity, and higher than average suicide rates in all age groups. Project SERV funds short-term and long-term education-related services for school districts, colleges and universities to help them recover from a violent or traumatic event in which the learning environment has been disrupted.

Project SERV is administered by the Department’s Office of Safe and Healthy Students. The Department makes two types of Project SERV awards – Immediate Services and Extended Services. Immediate Services grants provide emergency, short-term assistance to affected school districts, colleges and universities. Extended Services assist school districts, colleges and universities in carrying out the long-term recovery efforts that may be needed following a significant, traumatic event. For more information about the Project SERV program, visit http://www2.ed.gov/programs/dvppserv/index.html.

The Obama Administration is committed to finding solutions to the pressing problems that confront Native youth, with an emphasis on education, economic development, and health. The President’s FY 2016 budget proposal calls for increased investments across Indian Country, including a total request of $20.8 billion for a range of federal programs that serve tribes – a $1.5 billion increase over the 2015-enacted level. The budget proposal includes $53 million for fiscal year 2016 – a $50 million increase from this year – to significantly expand the Native Youth Community Projects program.

The BIE oversees 183 elementary and secondary schools, located on 64 reservations in 23 states, serving more than 48,000 students. Of these, 59 are BIE-operated and 124 are tribally operated under Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act contracts or Tribally Controlled Schools Act grants. BIE also funds or operates off-reservation boarding schools and peripheral dormitories near reservations for students attending public schools. For more information about the Bureau, visit www.bie.edu.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today released a final rule to reform the regulatory process by which the Department of the Interior officially recognizes Indian tribes. The updated rule promotes a more transparent, timely and consistent process that is flexible enough to account for the unique histories of tribal communities, while maintaining the rigor and integrity of the criteria that have been in place for nearly 40 years.

"Since the beginning of President Obama’s Administration, the Department has worked with tribal and government leaders on improving the federal acknowledgment process, which has been criticized as inconsistent, slow and expensive," Secretary Jewell said. “This Administration takes very seriously its important trust and treaty responsibilities to Native Americans and Alaska Natives. This updated process for important tribal recognition makes good on a promise to clarify, expedite and honor a meaningful process for federal acknowledgement to our First Americans."

"This updated rule is the product of extraordinary input from tribal leaders, states, local governments and the public," said Assistant Secretary Washburn. “We have a responsibility to recognize those tribes that have maintained their identity and self-governance despite previous federal policies expressly aimed at destroying tribes. This new process remains rigorous but it promotes timely decision-making through expedited processes and increases transparency by posting all publically available petition materials online so that stakeholders are well-informed at each stage of the process. Many of these improvements came from public comments by stakeholders and we are grateful for their guidance."

To maintain the substantive rigor and integrity of the current regulatory process (described in Part 83, Title 25 - Code of Federal Regulations), the final rule carries forward the current standard of proof and seven mandatory criteria that petitioners must meet to substantiate their claim to tribal identification, community and political authority. To promote fairness and consistent implementation, the new process provides that prior decisions, which found evidence or methodology sufficient to satisfy a particular criterion for a previous petitioner, are sufficient to satisfy that criterion for a present petitioner. The final rule further promotes consistent application by establishing a uniform evaluation period of more than a century, from 1900 to the present, to satisfy the seven mandatory criteria.

Key features of the final rule promote transparency by:

• Increasing public access to petition documents for Federal Acknowledgment;
• Expanding distribution of notices of petitions to include local governments; and
• Increasing due process by providing for an administrative judge to conduct a comprehensive hearing and issue a recommended decision for proposed negative findings

In a separate action, Assistant Secretary Washburn issued a policy statement explaining that the Department intends to rely on the newly reformed Part 83 process as to the sole administrative avenue for acknowledgment as a tribe as long as the new rule is in effect and being implemented.

To build public trust in the Federal Acknowledgement process, the Department has been working to reform the Part 83 process since the beginning of the Obama Administration. At that time in 2009, Interior initiated its own review and set a goal of issuing a proposed rule within a year. In 2012, the Department identified guiding principles of the reform effort. In recognition of the high level of interest, the Department used a transparent rule making approach and significant outreach effort. Before beginning the formal rulemaking initiative, Interior issued a discussion draft in 2013 to facilitate public input on how to improve the process.

Through the discussion draft and ensuing tribal consultations and public meetings, the Department obtained substantial feedback. In total, more than 2,800 commenters provided input on the discussion draft. The Department issued a proposed rule in May of 2014 and extended the public comment period on that proposal in response to requests from tribes, state and local governments, members of Congress and the public. In total, more than 330 unique comments were submitted on the proposed rule. The final rule reflects substantial changes to the discussion draft and the proposed rule in response to public comments.

Federal acknowledgment establishes the U.S. Government as the trustee for Tribal lands and resources and makes Tribal members and governments eligible for federal budget assistance and program services. Of the 566 federally recognized tribes, 17 have been recognized through the Part 83 process under Title 25 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Procedures for Establishing that an American Indian Group Exists as an Indian Tribe. Since 1978, the Department has recognized 17 tribes through the Federal Acknowledgment (Part 83) process, and has denied acknowledgment to 34 other petitioning groups.

Though far more tribes have been recognized through Executive or Congressional action, the Part 83 process is an important mechanism because it allows deliberative consideration of petitions by a staff of federal experts in anthropology, genealogy and history and ultimately allows for a decision by the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs. When petitioning groups that meet the criteria are officially "acknowledged" as Indian tribes, the U.S. Government accepts trusteeship of Tribal lands and natural resources. Tribal governments and members then become eligible to receive federal health, education, housing and other program and technical assistance.

The final rule and other information is online here.

Washington, D.C. * 11:00AM – The First Lady will deliver remarks at the first-ever Tribal Youth Gathering. The event will take place at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC. This event – cohosted by UNITY Inc., the largest Native youth organization in the country – focuses on creating a national dialogue around wellness, education, and opportunity for tribal youth. In her remarks, Mrs. Obama will speak to American Indian and Alaska Native youth from across the country about her Reach Higher initiative, the value of education, and the importance of pursuing their dreams.

As part of the President’s Generation Indigenous Initiative, the First Lady participated in a convening on Creating Opportunity for Native Youth. Additionally, as part of her effort to help build a healthier future for our next generation, Let’s Move! in Indian Country has partnered with 421 partners that represent community and tribal programs.

The First Lady’s remarks will be open press. Members of the media who wish to cover this event must RSVP HERE by 5:00pm ET on Wednesday, July 8th, 2015. For additional information about this event and media logistics, click HERE.

Updated: The White House * 11:00AM – As part of her Let’s Move! initiative, the First Lady will host the 2015 winners of the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge, a nationwide recipe challenge for kids that promotes cooking and healthy eating, for the annual Kids’ “State Dinner.” The 55 aspiring young chefs and a parent or guardian will join the First Lady for a healthy lunch, featuring a selection of the winning recipes, and a special performance by the cast of Disney’s Tony Award-winning hit musical, Aladdin, followed by a visit to the White House Kitchen Garden.

“Reading over these winning recipes, two things become very clear,” says First Lady Michelle Obama. “America’s kids are passionate about not just eating healthy food, but about cooking healthy food, too. And we’re raising some truly inventive and talented chefs. I can’t wait to meet our 2015 winners and try some of their recipes at the Kids’ “State Dinner.’”

This is the fourth year of the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids' "State Dinner" in which 8-12-year-old kids across the nation are invited to create a lunchtime recipe that is healthy, affordable, original, and delicious. In support of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative, entrants were encouraged to reference information at ChooseMyPlate.gov to ensure recipes met the USDA’s recommended nutrition guidance. View a complete list of the 2015 Healthy Lunchtime Challenge winners HERE.

The winners’ announced arrivals on July 10 through the East Wing/Booksellers will be pooled press and the First Lady’s remarks at the lunch will be open press. Members of the media interested in covering this event must RSVP to FirstLadyPress@who.eop.gov with their full name, date of birth, social security number, gender, city and state of residence, and citizenship by 12:00pm ET on July 8th, 2015.