OPA

WASHINGTON, DC – The Department of the Interior today announced that quarterly transfers of funds to the Cobell Education Scholarship Fund are set to begin this week with a first transfer of nearly $580,000 to the American Indian College Fund. The Scholarship Fund was authorized by the historic Cobell Settlement, approved in November 2012, to provide financial assistance through annual scholarships to American Indian and Alaska Native students wishing to pursue post-secondary education and training.

“The Scholarship Fund is an important tool to help students across Indian Country pursue higher education opportunities imperative to their success in the workplace and to the creation of the next generation of Indian leaders,” said Interior Solicitor Hilary Tompkins, who helped negotiate the Cobell Settlement on behalf of the Department. “While there was much debate in the settlement negotiations, there was no debate among the parties that we must do something to support Indian students in their aspirations and dreams.”

The Scholarship Fund is funded in part by the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program). The Buy-Back Program was created to implement the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractionated interests in trust or restricted land from willing landowners. Consolidated interests are transferred to tribal government ownership for uses benefiting the reservation community and tribal members.

Interior will contribute up to $60 million from Buy-Back Program sales to the Scholarship Fund based on a formula in the Cobell Settlement that sets aside a certain amount of funding depending on the value of the fractionated interest sold. These contributions do not reduce the amount that an owner will receive for voluntarily consolidating their interests.

The American Indian College Fund (College Fund), headquartered in Denver, Colorado, will administer the Scholarship Fund and has extensive experience in providing students the resources to succeed in tribal colleges and technical and vocational certifications as well as traditional undergraduate and graduate programs. A five-member Board of Trustees is responsible for the oversight and supervision of the College Fund’s administration of the Scholarship Fund and for developing and adopting a charter outlining its role and responsibilities. The College Fund is working with the Cobell Board of Trustees to stand up its operation in concert with this first transfer of funds. Twenty percent of the Fund’s portfolio will be directed to support graduate students through the American Indian Graduate Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the College Fund, shared that the Cobell Scholarship Program will help meet the tremendous financial need for educational support for American Indian and Alaska Native students across the country, many of whom live in poverty. “We are honored to remember the vision of Elouise Cobell that the Cobell Scholarship Fund would be used to lift up tribal students and their families,” she said.

More information about the Cobell Scholarship Program and how interested students can apply can be found at the American Indian College Fund website, www.collegefund.org/Cobell.

This first transfer of funds follows recent land purchases from willing sellers at the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations. More than $100 million in purchase offers are currently pending for landowners with fractional interests at Pine Ridge. Owners must accept and return current purchase offers for fractionated lands on Pine Ridge by May 2, 2014. Landowners can contact their local Fiduciary Trust Officer or call the Trust Beneficiary Call Center at 888-678-6836 with questions about their purchase offers. More information is also available at https://www.doi.gov/buybackprogram.

Participation in the Buy-Back Program does not impact a landowner’s ability to receive individual settlement payments from the Cobell Settlement. Cobell Settlement payments are being handled separately by the Garden City Group, (800) 961-6109.

WASHINGTON, DC – As part of President Obama’s commitment to help strengthen Native American communities, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced the latest step in the implementation of the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program), as the Department signed its next cooperative agreement, this time with the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation located in northeastern South Dakota and in southeastern North Dakota.

This agreement provides resources to the tribal government to facilitate outreach and education, solicit interest from owners, and further support land research in the effort to consolidate fractionated lands for the beneficial uses of tribes. The Department expects to send offers to willing sellers with fractionated interests at the Lake Traverse Reservation later this year.

The Buy-Back Program was created to implement the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractionated land interests from willing sellers and consolidate those 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 where they stay in trust for uses benefiting the tribes and their members.

“We know that Nation-to-Nation cooperation and collaboration is the key to successfully implementing this historic opportunity to reduce fractionation and strengthen tribal sovereignty,” said Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. “We look forward to working with the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate to effectively reach landowners to communicate the importance of reducing fractionation, relay the advantages of consolidating their land for the beneficial uses of their tribe, and provide the resources available to them for more information.”

Interior holds about 56 million acres in trust for American Indians in more than 200,000 tracts. Of those, nearly 94,000 – on about 150 reservations – have multiple and in some cases numerous owners who each hold a fractional interest available for purchase by the Buy-Back Program. The fractionation of tribal lands over generations has locked away resources and prevented effective land-use decision making by tribes. Fractionation has made it increasingly difficult for tribes to manage this land for economic development and other uses.

The Buy-Back Program is now working to consolidate these fractionated lands and restore them to the tribe of jurisdiction, which helps make sure that Indian lands stay in trust. The tribe can then use this land to benefit its community – for example, to build homes, community centers or businesses, or for cultural or environmental preservation.

“The Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation has been actively acquiring fractionated lands for over three decades in an effort to reduce fractionation on the reservation,” said Tribal Chairman Robert Shepherd. “The Cobell Land Buy-Back Program will further our efforts to acquire more fractionated lands, increase the tribal land base and significantly decrease further fractionation for our children and future generations. Our previous and continued efforts are made in the spirit of our inherent tribal sovereignty and as a means of self-determination.”

Approximately 90 percent of all of the fractionated lands available for purchase are in 40 of the 150 locations eligible to participate in the Buy-Back Program under the Cobell Settlement. The Program’s goal is to reach as many of these locations as possible. Since December of last year, the Program has already returned more than 30,000 acres to tribes.

Interior expects to enter into additional agreements in the coming months. Through an open solicitation from November 2013-March 2014, the Department received more than 50 letters of interest or cooperative agreement applications for participation in the Program. Outreach, mapping and mineral evaluations are already occurring at many locations.

Sellers receive fair market value for their land, in addition to a base payment of $75 per offer, regardless of the value of the land. All sales will also trigger contributions to the Cobell Education Scholarship Fund. Up to $60 million will go to this fund to provide scholarships to Native American students. These funds are in addition to purchase amounts paid to individual sellers, so contributions will not reduce the amount paid to landowners for their interests. The Scholarship Fund is administered by the American Indian College Fund in Denver, Colorado, with 20% going to the American Indian Graduate Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

There are a number of steps that tribal governments can take now to prepare for involvement in the Buy-Back Program, including increasing owner awareness and designating a tribal point of contact to engage with the Program. Details are online at: http://www.doi.gov/buybackprogram/tribes/preparation.cfm.

Landowners with interests on the Lake Traverse Reservation can contact the Trust Beneficiary Call Center at (888) 678-6836 to get more information about the potential to sell land so that it can be returned to the tribe or to register their information. Additional information is available at: https://www.doi.gov/buybackprogram

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that his office will hold the next set of Listening Sessions on the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ (BIA) Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Guidelines for State Courts on Tuesday, April 15, 2014, at the National Indian Child Welfare Association annual conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and on Thursday, April 24, via teleconference.

The sessions are a coordinated effort with tribal leaders and their designees to determine if the guidelines are still effective for guiding state courts in Indian child custody proceedings or if they need to be updated.

“The Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 is seminal legislation vital to protecting the best interests of Indian children and promoting the stability and security of the federally recognized tribes and Indian families,” Assistant Secretary Washburn said. “However, the law and BIA’s guidelines for state courts on implementing the statute need re-examination. In addition to conducting these Listening Sessions, I’ve directed my staff to take another look at the Guidelines for State Courts and invited input from tribal leaders, tribal court judges, counsel, ICWA staff, social workers and tribal members on any revisions to it and to BIA ICWA regulations they think are needed.”

The first Listening Session was held at the National Congress of American Indians 2014 Executive Council Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C. The major themes were:

• State ICWA accountability including data collection and reporting to the tribes;
• Tribes and states need to build relationships and work together to increase ICWA compliance;
• Guidelines should recommend best practices including providing birth and adoption records to adoptees born prior to 1978;
• Apply ICWA to all juvenile justice cases;
• Improve clarity on ICWA abuse and neglect, qualified expert witnesses, adoption, termination of parental rights, and guardianships;
• ICWA training for state courts and strengthening families/parenting education for tribal families is needed; and
• Resources are needed to empower tribal child welfare systems to care for their children.

The April 15 session will take place at the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six at 2301 S.E. 17th Street, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (EDT).

The April 24 teleconference will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (EDT). To participate, dial 1-800-619-2487 and use passcode 4969328. Dialing in a few minutes prior to the start of the call is advisable.

For more information, including the Dear Tribal Leader letter announcing the Listening Sessions and how to submit written comments, click on this link to the Indian Affairs ICWA webpage: http://www.indianaffairs.gov/WhoWeAre/BIA/OIS/HumanServices/IndianChildWelfareAct/index.htm.

The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs oversees the BIA, which is headed by a director who is responsible for managing day-to-day operations through four offices – Indian Services, Justice Services, Trust Services and Field Operations. These offices directly administer or fund tribally based infrastructure, law enforcement, social services, tribal governance, natural and energy resources, and trust management programs for the nation’s federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages through 12 regional offices and 85 agencies.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today approved leasing regulations submitted by four federally recognized tribes, restoring their authority to control the leasing of their trust lands and promoting their self-determination and economic development. This streamlined process for restoring tribal leasing authority is consistent with the objectives of the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership Act, or HEARTH Act.

“Thanks to the HEARTH Act, more tribes have been empowered to take over leasing on their lands,” Assistant Secretary Washburn said. “Tribal governments are the drivers of economic self-sufficiency and prosperity on their reservations and in their communities. The HEARTH Act restores their ability to directly control how their lands can and should be used for the good of their people, now and in the future.”

The four tribes, submitted requests for Secretarial approval of their leasing regulations, are: Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians in California, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe in Washington State, Mohegan Indian Tribe of Connecticut, and Wichita and Affiliated Tribes in Oklahoma. Each tribe plans to authorize leases for general economic development. The HEARTH Act was signed by President Obama in July 2012. It restores the authority of federally recognized tribes to develop and implement their own laws governing long-term leasing of federal Indian trust lands for residential, business, renewable energy and other purposes, which greatly expedites the approval of leases for homes and small businesses in Indian Country. Upon one-time approval of its regulations by the Department of the Interior, a tribe may process land leases without having to first gain approval from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).

The Assistant Secretary’s action brings to 12 the number of tribes who have had their tribal leasing regulations approved under the Act. The others are: Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, California (Feb. 1, 2013); Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico (March 14, 2013); Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Michigan (April 11, 2013); Ak-Chin Indian Community; California (Nov. 10, 2013); Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians, California (Nov. 10, 2013); Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Oklahoma (Nov. 25, 2013); Ewiiaapaayp Band of Kumeyaay Indians, California (Dec. 10, 2013); and Kaw Nation, Oklahoma (Dec. 13, 2013).

In November 2012, the Department announced new regulations resulting from a comprehensive reform of the BIA’s antiquated regulations governing its process for approving surface leases on lands held in trust by the Federal Government for Indian tribes and individuals. As trustee, Interior manages about 56 million surface acres in Indian Country.

The new regulations streamlined the leasing approval process on Indian land, spurring increased homeownership and expediting business and commercial development, including renewable energy projects.

The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs oversees the BIA, which is headed by a director who is responsible for managing day-to-day operations through four offices – Indian Services, Justice Services, Trust Services and Field Operations. These offices directly administer or fund tribally based infrastructure, law enforcement, social services, tribal governance, natural and energy resources, and trust management programs for the nation’s federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages through 12 regional offices and 85 agencies.

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – On Thursday, April 17, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will address the 2014 graduating class of the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI), a National Indian Community College and Land Grant Institution located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“We are honored to have Secretary Jewell join us for commencement, as we celebrate this important milestone in the lives of our students and their families,” said Dr. Sherry Allison, SIPI President.

SIPI, established in 1971, provides career technical training and transfer degree programs to students from the nation’s 566 federally recognized tribes.

WHO: Sally Jewell, Secretary of the Interior

WHAT: 2014 SIPI Commencement Address

WHERE: Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute Gymnasium 9169 Coors Blvd., NW Albuquerque, NM

WHEN: Thursday, April 17, 2014 10:00 a.m. MDT

MEDIA: Media wishing to attend are encouraged to RSVP here by 5:00 p.m. MDT on Wednesday, April 16.

SEATTLE, WA. – On Thursday, April 24, 2014, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will provide keynote remarks at a tribal summit organized by U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-6) and hosted by the Suquamish Tribe at the Port Madison Indian Reservation on Bainbridge Island. The Secretary will also meet with individual tribal leaders and tour the Suquamish hatchery and seafood plant with Tribe Chairman Leonard Forsman.

Secretary Jewell will be joined by Larry Roberts, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs and Stanley Speaks, Northwest Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs.

As Chair of the White House Council on Native American Affairs, Jewell leads a comprehensive effort to enable Federal agencies to work more collaboratively and effectively with Tribes to advance their economic and social priorities and improve conditions for American Indians and Alaska Natives throughout Indian Country. Informed by consultation with the Tribes and reflective of tribal priorities, the President’s fiscal year 2015 budget request for Indian Affairs is $2.6 billion – a $33.6 million increase above the FY 2014 enacted level.

The April 24 summit, which will include panel discussions on economic development, tribal sovereignty and the impact of climate change on American Indian communities, will be held in the Suquamish Community House (House of Awakened Culture), located in the town of Suquamish on Bainbridge Island.

The hosts have invited representatives from the nine tribes within the 6th Congressional District, including the Hoh, Lower Elwha, Makah, Quinault, Quileute, Jamestown S’Klallam, Port Gamble S’Klallam, and Skokomish.

WHO:

• Sally Jewell, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
• Larry Roberts, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs
• Stanley Speaks, Northwest Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs
• U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-6)
• Tribal Leaders
• Other Federal Officials

WHAT: Keynote remarks at WA 6th Congressional District Tribal Summit

WHERE: Suquamish Community House (House of Awakened Culture) 18490 Suquamish Way Suquamish, WA 98392

WHEN: Thursday, April 24, 2014, at 12:00 PM PDT

MEDIA: Media wishing to attend the tribal summit are encouraged to RSVP here or to contact April Leigh, Suquamish Communications Office at (360) 394-7102, for more information.

Additional logistical details will be provided to confirmed reporters

KITSAP PENINSULA, Wash. – Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today met with representatives of Pacific Northwest tribes to discuss federal efforts to address the economic, social and climate change challenges facing American Indian and Alaska Native governments and helping them to build strong, prosperous and resilient communities.

In keynote remarks at a conference organized by U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer (WA-6) and hosted by the Suquamish Tribe at the Port Madison Indian Reservation on Bainbridge Island, the Secretary outlined President Obama’s budget priorities to spur investment and enterprise in tribal communities, responsibly develop their mineral, energy and other natural resources, consolidate and restore tribal homelands and address the impacts of climate change and ocean acidification that threaten their lands, waters, wildlife and ways of life.

“The President and his Administration are firmly committed to our trust and treaty responsibilities and to upholding a strong government-to-government relationship with tribal nations. I want to thank Congressman Kilmer for his leadership in organizing today’s summit, which is part of an important ongoing dialogue with tribes in the Pacific Northwest and around the country as we work together toward tribal self-determination and self-governance and promoting prosperous and resilient tribal nations,” said Jewell. “As chair of the White House Council on Native American Affairs, what we heard today will help us in our comprehensive efforts to enable agencies across the federal family to work more collaboratively and productively with tribal leaders to advance tribal economic, social and environmental priorities.”

Jewell was joined at the conference by Larry Roberts, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs. Following her remarks, she accompanied Suquamish Tribe Chair Leonard Forsman on a visit to the Tribe’s geoduck operations, museum and resort.

“The ideas and actions shared today will be central to the steady growth of our region’s tribes,” said Kilmer. “Together with local tribal leaders, we were able to shine a national spotlight on the issues tribes in our area are facing. Secretary Jewell was able to hear first-hand how our region’s strength is its diversity – economically and culturally – and how the region’s tribes are critical to that. While challenges such as costal resiliency and job creation lay ahead, today we showed we are ready to meet them head on.”

“It is a great honor to welcome the Secretary of the Interior and neighboring tribal nations to the Port Madison Indian Reservation ,” said Suquamish Tribe Chairman Leonard Forsman. “This is the first time a Cabinet Secretary has visited our reservation, a place with a long and sometimes challenging relationship with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, an Interior agency. We and the other 6th District Tribes look forward to showing Secretary Jewell our progress, identifying what we need to keep moving forward and thank her for the Obama Administration's Indian Country initiatives that have helped us."

The conference, held in the House of Awakened Culture, brought together representatives from the nine tribes in the 6th U.S. Congressional District, including the Hoh, Lower Elwha, Makah, Quinault, Quileute, Jamestown S’Klallam, Port Gamble S’Klallam, and Skokomish. Other national tribal leaders also participated, including Billy Frank, President of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, and Brian Cladoosby, President of the National Congress of American Indians.

Jewell noted that the President’s fiscal year 2015 budget request for Indian Affairs was informed by consultation with the Tribes and reflective of their priorities. The request calls for $2.6 billion – a $33.6 million increase above the FY 2014 enacted level. Interior’s overall FY 2015 budget includes $612 million for programs in other bureaus in support of Native Americans and Tribes. Together with the Indian Affairs budget, the total request for Indian programs is $3.2 billion, an increase of $76 million or 2.5 percent from FY 2014 enacted levels.

Interior bureaus’ support for tribal communities include: $200 million for wild land fire programs; $186.5 million in Bureau of Reclamation Native American programs, including $112 million for enacted Indian Water Rights Settlements; $35 million in the Office of Natural Resources Revenue for managing royalty assets from Indian trust properties; an increase of $21.6 million for Bureau of Land Management energy programs directly supporting Tribes in the permitting and inspection of tribal oil and gas leases; $10.7 million for Fish and Wildlife Service hatchery maintenance and Tribal Wildlife Grants; and $7.6 million for USGS Tribal Science Partnerships.

Tribal communities are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including severe droughts, floods, wildfires and snowstorms, Jewell said. She noted how federal agencies recently assisted the Quinault Indian Nation, whose Lower Village seawall was breached by a storm surge, and the Quileute Nation, which has been forced to move to higher ground to avoid tsunami areas.

“We are working with the tribes to address these impacts and to strengthen tribal capacity by increasing funding for tribal climate change adaptation planning, training and vulnerability assessments,” said Jewell. “The Bureau of Indian Affairs team is helping draft climate action plans to include climate considerations into all federal Indian programs.”

The BIA funded 19 climate change tribal grants in fiscal year 2013, including several for tribes at the conference, for cooperative vulnerability assessments of culturally and economically important Northwest fish and wildlife. Direct tribal funding for climate impact planning in fiscal year 2014 has increased to $8 million and includes new programs in cooperative tribal ocean and coastal planning efforts for Pacific Northwest tribes.

Taking land into trust to restore Tribal homelands has been a top priority for this Administration, Jewell told tribal leaders. Since 2009, there have been 1, 592 ‘fee-into-trust’ applications processed nationwide and 242,703 acres brought into trust.

“My goal is to take 500,000 acres of fee lands into trust and I encourage the Tribes to continue to submit their applications and emphasize this administration's commitment to processing these applications,” said Jewell.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Bureau of Indian Affairs Director Michael S. Black will deliver the keynote address at the 23rd Annual Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service on Thursday, May 1, 2014, at the BIA Indian Police Academy in Artesia, N.M. He will be accompanied by BIA Office of Justice Services (OJS) Deputy Bureau Director Darren Cruzan.

The 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, and is the occasion for formally announcing the names of officers who will be added to the Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial monument at the academy.

This year, two individuals will be added, bringing the total number of officers listed on the memorial to 103:

• Alaska State Trooper and Village Public Safety Officer Thomas O. Madole who on March 19, 2013, succumbed to bullet wounds while handling an altercation incident in the community of Manokotak, Alaska.
• Sergeant Robert W. Baron of the Sandoval County, N.M., Sheriff’s Office who on Dec. 6, 2013, succumbed to injuries he sustained the previous day after being struck by a vehicle on Interstate 25 near the Pueblo of San Felipe.

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 (DHS) Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Artesia. The FLETC campus is home to the memorial, service and academy.

The Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial was first dedicated on May 7, 1992, at the BIA 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 upon 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 nations. 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 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 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 officers, who died in 1998 and 2001, respectively; and two FBI agents killed on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1975.

The 23rd 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 an image of the Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and a list of the officers’ names inscribed on it, visit https://www.fletc.gov/indian-country-law-enforcement-officers-memorial.

WHO: Michael S. Black, Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, DOI Darren Cruzan, Deputy Bureau Director, Office of Justice Services, BIA, DOI

WHAT: BIA Director Black will deliver the keynote address at the 23rd Annual Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service, where the names of two fallen officers will be added to the memorial.

WHEN: Thursday, May 1, 2014, 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 credentialed media representatives, who must display sanctioned media credentials for admittance to the event. Press seating will be provided. Credentialed media covering the event should be in place by 9:45 a.m. MDT for the program beginning at 10:00 a.m.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of President Obama’s commitment to upholding the nation’s trust responsibilities to American Indian and Alaska Natives, Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Kevin Washburn today announced that the Interior Department is seeking public comment on a proposed rule that would allow the Secretary of the Interior to consider petitions from Alaska Native tribes to take land into trust.

Currently, Alaska Native tribes do not have the ability to restore their tribal lands in the way that American Indian tribes located in contiguous United States do. Lands acquired are held in trust for the benefit of the tribe, allowing for agriculture, energy, infrastructure, health and housing projects to move forward and strengthening tribal economies.

“Acquiring land in trust is one of the most important functions that the Department of the Interior undertakes on behalf of tribes,” Assistant Secretary Washburn said. “Restoring tribal lands to trust status is essential to ensure cultural preservation, self-determination and self-governance and to advance the social and economic development of tribal communities. Yet for 228 federally recognized tribes in Alaska, the opportunity to request that land be taken into trust under the Department’s regulations is not available. We look forward to tribal consultations and public comments on this proposed rule.”

The pertinent regulations are at 25 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 15, entitled Land Acquisitions, which provides the regulatory framework within which the Secretary of the Interior must consider tribal requests and exercise her discretion to take land into trust. The exclusion of Alaska in Part 151 results from an interpretation of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) adopted by the Department in 1980. The proposed rule now available for tribal and public comment would amend Part 151 to explicitly include Alaska.

This proposal is driven by several recent developments. Two recent independent blue ribbon panels of experts, including the Congressionally-created Indian Law and Order Commission and the Secretarial Commission on Indian Trust Administration and Reform, recommended that the prohibition on land into trust in Alaska be removed.

In addition, in a recent legal action brought by an Alaska Native and four Alaska tribes, the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. ruled that the Secretary of the Interior has statutory authority to take land into trust for Alaska tribes. See Akiachak Native Cmty. v. Salazar, 935 F. Supp. 2d 195 (D.D.C. 2013). This ruling was consistent with the views expressed by the United States in this litigation. The rule proposed today would open the land-into-trust process, set out in 25 CFR 151, not just to the tribal parties to the Akiachak litigation but to all Alaska tribes.

Tribal trust lands are a result of The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 (IRA), which was enacted to remedy the devastating loss to Indians of over 90 million acres (two-thirds of the total) of their lands between the General Allotment Act of 1887 and the IRA of 1934. It authorizes the Interior Secretary to hold land for Indian Tribes and individual Indians in trust, thereby securing these lands for housing, schools, economic development, and other beneficial tribal purposes. It also allows the tribe to benefit from the housing and other federal programs which can only be used on land which has been placed in trust.

The U.S. Government, which has taken land into trust for federally-recognized tribes since the 1934 IRA, currently holds 55 million surface acres and 57 million acres of subsurface minerals estates for American Indians, Indian tribes and Alaska Natives. The Obama Administration has taken more than 200,000 acres of American Indian land into trust since 2009 and the Cobell Trust Litigation Settlement has funded a $1.9 billion Land Buy Back Program that is purchasing from willing sellers tracts of land with highly fractionated ownership interests and holding these consolidated parcels in trust for the beneficial use of Tribal communities.

The Department will host a series of consultation sessions with tribal representatives on the proposal to amend Part 151, beginning at the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Mid-Year Conference, June 8-11, 2014, in Anchorage, Alaska. The time and location for this consultation session as well as information on other sessions Interior plans to host during the NCAI Mid-Year Conference will be announced in the near future.

Prior to consultation sessions, tribal representatives can review this proposed rule, as can the general public, online at: http://www.bia.gov/WhoWeAre/AS-IA/Consultation/index.htm. The Department also welcomes written comments from the public and tribal members, via email at consultation@bia.gov, or via mail to Mr. Kevin Washburn, Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs, 1849 C Street NW, MS 7328-MIB, Washington, D.C. 20240.

WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today released the following statement on the passing of Billy Frank, Jr., a member of the Nisqually Indian Tribe and Chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission:

“Indian Country and the nation lost a true giant as Chairman Billy Frank has walked on. His lasting legacy will be felt for generations in the hearts and minds of those he touched over an entire life dedicated to serving others. Two weeks ago, the entire room fell silent at a tribal summit held at the Suquamish reservation in Washington to listen as Billy spoke forcefully and passionately about the need to tackle the growing threat of climate change. Billy shared a great sense of urgency that we come together as one people to work toward practical solutions to address its impacts.

“To honor his life of service, let us redouble our efforts to do everything we can to uphold our trust and treaty responsibilities and to partner with tribes across the country on caring for our lands, waters and wildlife. On behalf of all Department of the Interior employees, we extend our deepest condolences to the Nisqually Indian Tribe, the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, and to Mr. Frank’s family and friends during this difficult time.”