OPA

I was saddened to learn of the passing of Billy Frank, Jr. – Chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission and a member of the Nisqually Indian Tribe. Billy fought for treaty rights to fish the waters of the Pacific Northwest, a battle he finally won in 1974 after being arrested many times during tribal “fish-ins”. Today, thanks to his courage and determined effort, our resources are better protected, and more tribes are able to enjoy the rights preserved for them more than a century ago. Billy never stopped fighting to make sure future generations would be able to enjoy the outdoors as he did, and his passion on the issue of climate change should serve as an inspiration to us all. I extend my deepest sympathies to the Nisqually Indian Tribe, and to Billy’s family, and to his many friends who so greatly admired him

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today issued 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 in Washington State:

“Billy Frank Jr. was an undaunted defender of and respected elder statesman for tribal treaty fishing rights. For over 30 years he helped lead the fight to preserve and protect the salmon and its habitat in Western Washington, thereby ensuring it remains a vital part of Northwest tribal culture and the Pacific Northwest’s economy.

“His wisdom on the importance of conservation and the protection of natural resources has been recognized by all who love the great outdoors. Thanks to his leadership and years of hard work, we can continue to appreciate the great gifts of nature that are still with us and the tribes of the Pacific Northwest can still rely on the salmon to sustain them for generations to come.

“Thank you, Billy, for your tireless work for Indian Country and our nation.

“On behalf of my office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education, we extend our condolences to the Nisqually Indian Tribe, the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, and to Mr. Frank’s family, friends and colleagues.”

PHOENIX, Arizona – As part of the Obama Administration’s efforts to build strong and prosperous tribal communities and the Climate Action Plan to cut carbon pollution and create clean energy jobs, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced the approval of the 200-megawatt Moapa Solar Energy Center Project on tribal trust land in Nevada and that nine federally recognized tribes have been awarded Tribal Energy Development Capacity grants totaling over $700,000.

The competitive grants, provided by the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs’ Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, fund projects that help build tribal capacity for energy and mineral resource development, including renewable energy projects.

“Today’s announcement reflects the Obama Administration’s steadfast commitment to work with Indian Country leaders to promote strong, prosperous and resilient tribal economies and communities,” said Jewell. “This solar project and these grants also deliver on the President’s Climate Action Plan goals to spur important investments and jobs in tribal communities that can be leveraged to address some of the impacts from climate change that threaten tribal lands, waters and ways of life. The Moapa solar project will generate enough electricity to power 60,000 homes and will create hundreds of jobs and additional income for the tribe.”

Secretary Jewell, who serves as Chair of the White House Council on Native American Affairs, announced the grants and the solar project approval at the Heard Museum of Indian Art and Culture, following a renewable energy roundtable discussion with local tribal leaders. Jewell was joined at both the roundtable discussion and the announcement by Deputy Secretary Mike Connor, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Roberts, a member of the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, Western Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bryan Bowker, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, and Tracey A. LeBeau, Director of the Department of Energy Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs.

“These grants will enable tribal nations to evaluate and promote their energy assets, negotiate the best agreements with partners or investors and develop and manage these resources for the social and economic benefit of their communities,” said Deputy Secretary Mike Connor. “These grants provide a clear avenue for energy development on Indian lands, which play a critical role in creating jobs and generating income in Indian Country.”

The Tribal Energy Development Capacity grant program helps eligible applicants in assessing, developing or obtaining the managerial and technical capacity needed to develop energy resources on Indian land and properly account for energy resource production and revenues. Eligible applicants are federally recognized tribes, Alaska Native regional and village corporations, and tribal energy resource development organizations.

A full list of the FY 2013 grantees announced today and additional information about Indian Energy Resource Development programs and services can be found HERE.

The Record of Decision (ROD) for the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians’ project approves the construction, operation and maintenance of a photovoltaic solar power generation facility on an 850-acre site on the Moapa River Indian Reservation, which is located about 20 miles northeast of Las Vegas. The facility is expected to generate enough power to run approximately 60,000 homes and will support up to 500 jobs at peak construction and 10 permanent positions. No more than 30 acre-feet of water per year would be used during operation. Associated infrastructure would include electrical lines to interconnect the project to the regional electrical transmission grid and a water pipeline and access road between the generating facility and existing frontage road along the west side of Interstate 15.

Additional information regarding the ROD can be found HERE.

“This solar project is a tribute to the vision and determination of the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians as well as a great day for Indian Country as a whole,” said Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn. “As our nation’s diversified energy portfolio continues to grow, it is vital that tribal communities seize the opportunity to harness the ample renewable energy resources on their lands as a reliable and cost-effective way to power their homes, businesses and economies.”

In her capacity as Chair of the White House Council on Native American Affairs, Secretary Jewell leads a comprehensive federal initiative to work more collaboratively and effectively with Tribes to advance their economic and social priorities. The Council’s Energy Subgroup, which is co-chaired by Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, is, in part, focused on supporting tribal communities as they prepare for the impacts of climate change on their native lands, which includes goals outlined in the President’s Climate Action Plan to assess climate change vulnerabilities and develop regional solutions to combat its impacts.

The Moapa solar project will be the second utility-scale solar project approved for development on tribal trust lands, and is one of the many steps the administration has taken to help strengthen tribal communities. The project is also the 52nd utility-scale renewable energy project that Interior has approved since 2009 as part of a Department-wide effort to advance smart development of renewable energy on our nation’s public lands. Together, the wind, solar and geothermal projects could support more than 20,000 construction and operations jobs and generate about 14,000 megawatts of power to communities across the West, or enough to power nearly 4.8 million homes. These achievements build on the historic expansion of renewable energy under President Obama, with energy from sources like wind and solar doubling since the President took office.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, May 15, Deputy Secretary of the Interior Michael Connor will hold a news media teleconference to discuss the schedule for the continued implementation of the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program) through the end of calendar year 2015. Connor will be joined by Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn.

The Buy-Back Program implements the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractional interests in trust or restricted land from willing sellers at fair market value within a 10-year period.

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 now more than 245,000 owners of more than 3 million fractionated interests, spanning 150 Indian reservations, who are eligible to participate in the Buy-Back Program.

WHO: Michael Connor, Deputy Secretary of Interior

Kevin K. Washburn, Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs

WHAT: News media teleconference concerning the Cobell Settlement Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations

WHEN: Thursday, May 15, 2014 at 2:00pm EDT

MEDIA: Credentialed members of the media can participate in the teleconference by calling 1-877-917-1556 and entering the passcode INTERIOR.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Deputy Secretary of the Interior Michael Connor today announced a schedule through 2015 for the continued implementation of the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Program) that identifies locations representing more than half of all the fractional interests and half of all owners across Indian Country.

There are more than 245,000 owners of more than 3 million fractionated interests, spanning 150 Indian reservations, who are eligible to participate in the Program. Approximately 90 percent of all of the fractionated lands available for purchase under the Cobell Settlement are in 40 of the 150 locations.

“Implementing the Buy-Back Program in as fair, transparent and equitable a manner as possible is a top priority for the Obama Administration,” said Deputy Secretary Connor, who chairs the oversight board, created to ensure the highest level of accountability within the Interior Department. “That means collaborating with a diverse group of tribal nations to ensure that landowners are aware of this unique opportunity, receive answers to questions, and are fully informed to make timely decisions about their land. The goal of the Buy-Back Program is to unlock fractionated lands so they can benefit tribal communities. We remain committed to reaching as many interested landowners as possible.”

To date, the Buy-Back Program has made nearly 20,000 purchase offers to owners of fractionated interests. The Program has successfully concluded transactions worth more than $61.2 million and has restored nearly 175,000 acres of land to tribal governments. The Buy-Back Program has identified the following American Indian communities (listed in alphabetical order) where land consolidation activities – such as planning, outreach, mapping, mineral evaluations, appraisals or acquisitions – are expected to take place through the end of 2015:

• Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation
• Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of the Cheyenne River Reservation
• Coeur D’Alene Tribe of the Coeur D’Alene Reservation
• Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation
• Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation
• Crow Tribe
• Fort Belknap Indian Community of the Fort Belknap Reservation of Montana
• Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation
• Lummi Tribe of the Lummi Reservation
• Makah Indian Tribe of the Makah Indian Reservation
• Navajo Nation
• Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation
• Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge Reservation
• Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation
• Quapaw Tribe of Indians
• Quinault Tribe of the Quinault Reservation
• Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the Rosebud Indian Reservation
• Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation
• Squaxin Island Tribe of the Squaxin Island Reservation
• Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North and South Dakota
• Swinomish Indians of the Swinomish Reservation

The Program hopes to schedule additional locations, including in the Midwest and Pacific Regions and those where tribes have expressed interest, as capacity and resources allow.

“Today’s announcement is part of our ongoing effort to provide timely and transparent information to tribal governments and individuals planning to participate in the Buy-Back Program,” said Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin Washburn. “The schedule announced today will be flexible, allowing for implementation at additional locations. This flexibility will allow us to learn from each buy-back effort and apply lessons learned for each successive location.”

The Department will hold a public listening session with Deputy Secretary Connor on May 29 in Portland, Oregon, to further discuss the status of the Program’s implementation. A federal register announcement for the listening session can be found here.

To ensure that the Program will be implemented at as many locations as possible, the Department will continue to use ‘purchase ceilings’ that fairly and flexibly target available dollars for paying owners at each reservation based on the proportional degree of fractionation. The ceilings are planning tools, also developed during tribal consultation, to ensure that all available funds are not expended at just a few locations and that funds will be available to purchase interests at locations to be scheduled in the future.

Through an open solicitation from November 2013 to March 2014, the Department received more than 50 letters of interest or cooperative agreement applications from tribes interested in participating in the Program. These agreements, which will be developed depending on the specific circumstances of each location, will outline how implementation will occur in cooperation with tribes. Tribes have the opportunity to actively participate in the process, which will improve the Program’s effectiveness and efficiency while minimizing administrative costs. Agreements allow for resources to be provided to tribal governments to facilitate activities such as outreach and education, notary services, and location of owners.

The expressions of interest and applications received from tribes were considered as part of key criteria used to guide Program scheduling. In addition to tribal readiness, the Program makes scheduling decisions using criteria developed through government-to-government consultations and originally released in 2012. These include: severity of fractionation; diversity of geographic locations; grouping locations to maximize efficiency and resources; appraisal complexity; level of interested sellers, and cost and time efficiency. Using these factors, the Department will continue to implement the Program in a flexible manner to realize efficiencies wherever possible. Periodic updates and potential changes to the schedule will be provided as implementation continues.

The Program implements the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractional interests in trust or restricted land from willing sellers at fair market value within a 10-year period. Individuals who choose to sell their interests will receive payments directly in their IIM accounts. Consolidated interests are immediately restored to tribal trust ownership for uses benefiting the reservation community and tribal members.

In addition, sales will result in up to $60 million in contributions to the Cobell Education Scholarship Fund. This donation is in addition to the amounts paid to individual sellers, so it will not reduce the amount landowners receive for their interests.

For more information, go to: http://www.doi.gov/buybackprogram.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Office of Justice Services (OJS) in collaboration with the United States Department of Justice, United States Attorney’s Office District of Montana, and the Montana Department of Justice will hold the third of its 2014 tribal court trial advocacy training sessions for tribal court personnel on May 19-22 in Helena, Montana. Reflecting unprecedented collaboration among Federal, State and Tribal groups, this session will focus on trial issues surrounding a charge of domestic violence and will also address issues on Human Trafficking, Child Protection and the duties of a Victim Specialist.

Because of a high level of interest, the Office of Justice Services is providing legal training it successfully held in 2012 and 2013 to new groups of tribal court judges, prosecutors, public defenders and other court personnel to improve their trial advocacy skills. This year, training seminars will focus on case studies involving illegal narcotics, domestic violence and sexual assault on adults and children. In addition, each session includes a roundtable discussion on the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) with a panel of tribal attorneys who have first-hand knowledge of the requirements of the VAWA jurisdictional pilot project application.

This training is a component of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010. It is being conducted under the Tribal Court Trial Advocacy Training Program – a joint effort by the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Justice that furthers the mandate of the Act to strengthen tribal sovereignty over criminal justice matters on federal Indian lands by sharpening the skills of those who practice within the tribal court system.

The program began as a result of a collaborative effort by OJS and the DOJ’s Access to Justice Initiative to offer trial advocacy training with courses designed specifically for tribal courts and free training to the judges, public defenders and prosecutors who work in them. This program has expanded to include United States Attorney’s Offices and, in this case, a collaboration with the Montana Department of Justice. Training is conducted by working law professionals using instructional materials prepared by experts knowledgeable about tribal court issues, with specific knowledge on issues affecting the Montana Tribes. The program is unique for its public defenders training and now has specific training for tribal judges.

President Obama signed the Violence Against Women Act on March 7, 2013. It includes important provisions for federally recognized tribes to combat violence against Native women, such as homicide, rape, assault and battery in the home, workplace and on school campuses throughout Indian Country.

WHO: Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior.

WHAT: The third OJS Tribal Court Trial Advocacy Training Program session of 2014 to improve the trial advocacy skills of tribal court judges, prosecutors, public defenders and other court personnel as mandated under the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010. This session will focus on trial issues surrounding a charge of domestic violence and includes a roundtable discussion on the Violence Against Women Act.

WHEN: May 19-22, 2014 (MDT) Monday, May 19: 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 20: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 21: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Thursday, May 22: 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

WHERE: Red Lion Colonial Hotel, 2301 Colonial Drive, Helena, Mont. 59601. Phone: (406) 443-2100.

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

Washington, D.C. — Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced publication of proposed regulations that would reform the 35-year old process by which the Department of the Interior officially recognizes Indian tribes. 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.

“President Obama believes that reforming the federal acknowledgment process will strengthen our important trust relationship with Indian tribes. Acknowledgment by the Department of the Interior confirms the existence of a nation-to-nation relationship between an Indian Tribe and the United States,” said Secretary Jewell. “Through this Administration’s outreach initiatives, tribal leaders have told us that the current process can be inconsistent, cost millions of dollars and take decades to complete. Our proposed rule maintains the rigorous integrity needed, but allows that process to be conducted in a timely, efficient and transparent manner.”

The existing regulations, known as “the Part 83 process”, were originally adopted in 1978 and were updated only once 20 years ago. Prior to that, Interior had addressed requests for Tribal acknowledgment on a case-by-case basis. While the 1978 regulations established a structured process for federal acknowledgment, these regulations have been widely criticized as being too time-consuming, sometimes arbitrary and generally “broken.”

“Reform of the process is long-overdue,” said Assistant Secretary Washburn. “One of my first assignments at the Department was to search for ways to improve the federal recognition process and address long-standing criticisms of those regulations. This initiative is the product of substantial Tribal consultation and public comment and we are grateful for the broad public interest in this reform effort and the helpful guidance we have received from Tribes and the public.”

Key features of the proposed rule would promote transparency by updating the Part 83 criteria to include objective standards; promote efficiency by requiring a petitioner to show community and political influence/authority from 1934 to the present rather than from as early as 1789; and eliminate the need for a petitioner to demonstrate that third parties identified the petitioner as a tribe from 1900 to the present. The proposed rule would make changes to the petitioning process that facilitate the timely issuance of proposed findings and final determinations. It would also allow an administrative judge to conduct a comprehensive hearing and review of a negative proposed finding.

In recognition of the high level of interest in the acknowledgement process, the Department used a transparent approach and significant outreach effort. Before beginning the formal rulemaking initiative, Interior issued a discussion draft last summer 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 providing input on the discussion draft.

The proposed rule reflects current federal policy embodied in the Indian Reorganization Act and seeks to codify the Department’s past practice under the Part 83 process to promote consistency and transparency. With the issuance of this proposed rule, the Department is again seeking input from tribes, petitioners seeking acknowledgment, and interested members of the public so that any reforms to the process are fair, timely and transparent.

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. Though far more tribes have been recognized through 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 an objective decision-maker. When petitioning groups that meet the several criteria are officially "acknowledged" as Indian tribes, the U.S. Government accepts trusteeship of Tribal lands and natural resources and Tribal governments and members become eligible to receive federal health, education, housing and other program and technical assistance services.

Interior will be conducting tribal consultations and public meetings on the proposed rule in July 2014. Tribal consultations are generally open only to representatives of federally recognized Indian tribes. Public meetings are open to everyone. The tribal consultations will be held on the following dates and locations:

Public meetings will be held on the following dates and locations:

*Please RSVP for the Portland consultation to consultation@bia.gov, bring photo identification, and arrive early to allow for time to get through security, as this is a Federal building. No RSVP is necessary for the other consultation locations.

The proposed rule, frequently asked questions, and other information are online at: http://www.bia.gov/WhoWeAre/AS-IA/ORM/83revise/index.htm. Comments on the proposed rule are due August 1, 2014, to consultation@bia.gov.

WASHINGTON – Deputy Secretary of the Interior Michael Connor today announced that the Department has signed three additional agreements to facilitate the purchase of individual interests in fractionated trust lands and consolidate ownership for the tribes with jurisdiction. Agreements with the Coeur D’Alene Tribe of the Coeur D’Alene Reservation (Idaho), Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (Ore.), and the Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation (Ariz.) detail what each tribal government will do to help implement the Program, such as appraisals, owner outreach, and education.

To date, the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program) has made nearly 20,000 purchase offers to owners of fractionated interests. The Program has successfully concluded transactions worth more than $62 million and has restored the equivalent of more than 177,000 acres of land to tribal governments.

“We are encouraged by the growing enthusiasm for the Buy-Back Program across Indian Country, and the increased engagement by tribal nations to participate in its implementation,” said Deputy Secretary Connor, who joined tribal leaders in a signing ceremony today. “As part of President Obama’s commitment to help strengthen Native American communities, we will continue to implement the Program as transparently and aggressively as possible, but we know that it will succeed only though nation-to-nation cooperation. Our partnerships with these tribal nations will be critical to ensuring that individuals are aware of this historic opportunity to strengthen tribal sovereignty by supporting the consolidation of tribal lands.”

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 now more than 245,000 owners of three million fractionated interests, spanning approximately 150 Indian reservations, who are eligible to participate in the Buy-Back Program.

“Since the very beginning of the Buy-Back Program, we have said that its success on each reservation will depend on the willingness of tribal leaders to engage with us in moving this important initiative forward. In the agreements signed today, these tribal leaders are offering valuable support that will help to insure the success of the program on their reservations,” said Kevin K. Washburn, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, who also participated in today’s signing ceremony. “We thank them for their commitment to the success of the program.”

The Buy-Back Program was created to implement the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement. The Settlement 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.

“We are pleased that the Department of the Interior recognizes that fractionation is a problem throughout Indian Country,” said Coeur D’Alene Chairman Chief Allan. “The Coeur D’Alene Tribe has worked collaboratively with Interior from the inception of the Buy-Back Program to develop a plan to address this issue. We are proud of the plan we put together and appreciative that Interior saw that the Coeur D’Alene Tribe is well prepared and stands ready to participate. We’re anxious to get started addressing fractionated ownership of trust allotments on our reservation.”

Interior is entering into cooperative agreements that are flexible and responsive to the specific needs and unique circumstances of each tribal government and location involved. The agreements showcase the active role that tribes can have, which is intended to improve the Program’s effectiveness and efficiency while minimizing administrative costs.

“The Umatilla Tribes are looking forward to implementing the Cobell Settlement through the Department of the Interior’s Land Buy-Back Program,” said Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Board of Trustees Chairman Gary Burke. “We are well positioned to work with owners of fractionated allotments in purchasing back our lands for the common interest of our tribal members. We have and will continue to develop land management plans that will ensure our survival now and for future generations.”

In addition, sales will result in up to $60 million in contributions to the Cobell Education Scholarship Fund. This donation is in addition to the amounts paid to individual sellers, so it will not reduce the amount landowners receive for their interests.

The Gila River Indian Community has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Department, rather than a cooperative agreement, because the Community is helping implement the Program using its own resources. More information on how tribal governments can participate in the Buy-Back Program is available here.

“The Gila River Indian Community is looking forward to participating in the Land Buy-Back Program,” said Governor Gregory Mendoza of the Gila River Indian Community. “Our reservation is one of the most fractionated in the country, but is uniquely positioned to use the Program to advance tribal energy and economic development opportunities that will benefit our entire Community.”

Landowners with interests at Coeur D’Alene, Umatilla or Gila River 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.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) is soliciting grant proposals from federally recognized tribes for projects that promote the assessment and development of energy and mineral resources on Indian trust lands. IEED has $11 million available in FY 2014 for grants, which is a historic level of investment that will support tribes seeking to put their energy and mineral assets to work for their communities.

“The IEED Energy and Mineral Development Program is another example of how Indian Affairs is working to assist tribes in realizing and maximizing the potential of their energy and mineral resources,” Assistant Secretary Washburn said. “This solicitation will provide tribal communities owning energy and mineral resources the opportunity and financial support to conduct projects that will evaluate, find and document their energy and mineral assets, and bring those assets to market.”

Energy and mineral development on Indian trust lands plays a critical role in creating jobs and generating income throughout Indian Country while also contributing to the national economy. All natural resources produced on Indian trust lands had an estimated economic impact of $12.08 billion, with over 85 percent of this impact derived from energy and mineral development on tribal lands, according to the Department of the Interior’s Economic Contributions report issued in July 2012. The report also noted that out of an estimated 126,000 natural resources-related jobs on tribal lands in Fiscal Year 2011, 88.7 percent were directly associated with energy and mineral development. Energy and mineral resources generated more than $970 million in royalty revenue paid to Indian mineral owners in 2013. Income from energy and minerals is by far the largest source of revenue generated from Indian trust lands.

IEED’s Division of Energy and Mineral Development, through its Energy and Mineral Development Program (EMDP), annually solicits proposals from federally recognized tribes for energy and mineral development projects that assess, locate and inventory energy and mineral resources, or perform feasibility or market studies which are used to promote the use and development of energy and mineral resources on Indian lands.

Energy and mineral resources may include either conventional such as oil, natural gas or coal, or renewable energy resources such as biomass, geothermal or hydroelectric. Mineral resources include industrial minerals such as sand and gravel; precious minerals such as gold, silver and platinum; base minerals including lead, copper and zinc; and ferrous metal minerals such as iron, tungsten and chromium.

The EMDP is mandated under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (25 USC 3501 et seq.) which requires the Secretary of the Interior to “establish and implement an Indian energy resource development program to assist consenting Indian tribes and tribal energy resource development organizations…[and]…provide grants…for use in carrying out projects to promote the integration of energy resources, and to process, use, or develop those energy resources, on Indian land….”

EMDP is funded under the non-recurring appropriation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs budget and is based on available funds. It is an annual program, and uses a competitive evaluation process to select several proposed projects to receive an award. Since 1982, the EMDP has invested about $90 million in developing energy and mineral resource information on Indian lands. These funds have defined more than $800 billion of potential energy and mineral resources.

The Department published a solicitation on the Grants.gov website on June 9, 2014. Proposals must be submitted no later than 75 calendar days from the announcement date. The Grants.gov website posting contains all of the guidelines for writing a proposal and instructions for submitting a completed proposal to the DEMD office.

The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs oversees the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, which implements the Indian Energy Resource Development Program under Title V of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. IEED’s mission is to foster stronger American Indian and Alaska Native communities by helping federally recognized tribes with employment and workforce training programs; developing their renewable and non-renewable energy and mineral resources; and increasing access to capital for tribal and individual American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned businesses. For more information about IEED programs and services, visit the Indian Affairs website at http://www.indianaffairs.gov/WhoWeAre/AS-IA/IEED/index.htm.

Secretarial Order to transform Bureau of Indian Education implements recommendations of American Indian Education Study Group’s “Blueprint for Reform;” BIE redesign will promote tribal self-determination and improve delivery of services to BIE-funded schools

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of the Obama Administration’s historic commitment to working with tribal leaders to address the challenges facing Indian Country, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced a plan to transform the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) and to ensure that all students attending BIE-funded schools receive a world-class education that is delivered to them by tribes.

The announcement came today as President Obama visited the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North and South Dakota and implements recommendations from the American Indian Education Study Group’s “Blueprint for Reform.” Secretary Jewell and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan convened the Study Group in 2013 to diagnose the systemic issues within BIE-funded schools, one of the lowest performing set of schools in the country.

Based on extensive listening sessions and consultations with tribal leaders, educators and community members across Indian country, and analysis of a wide range of primary and secondary data, Secretary Jewell issued a Secretarial Order that will redesign 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.

“The future of Indian Country rests on ensuring American Indian children receive a world-class education that honors their cultures, languages and identities as Indian people,” said Secretary Jewell, who chairs the White House Council on Native American Affairs. “The redesign of the BIE reflects President Obama’s commitment to promoting tribal self-governance and self-determination, enabling the BIE to more effectively support tribal educators who best understand the unique needs of their communities.”

“This underlines the importance of ensuring that American Indian and Alaska Native children are prepared for college and careers, while also giving them an education that will honor their heritage,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. “The path to fulfillment and success is paved with a quality education, and these changes are designed to give tribal communities a stronger voice in policy decisions that will affect their students' educational future.”

The BIE faces significant challenges in providing quality education, including attracting effective teachers to BIE schools located in remote locations, complying with academic standards in 23 different states, resource restraints and institutional fragmentation. The Study Group found that only one out of four BIE-funded schools met the state-defined proficiency standards. Students in BIE schools consistently perform below American Indian students in public schools on national and state assessments. In one study of 4th graders, BIE students on average scored 22 points lower for reading and 14 points lower for math than Indian students attending public schools.

Federal American Indian education has been handed over to tribes in approximately two-thirds of BIE schools; however, the BIE has not been adequately restructured to recognize its new primary role in supporting tribal programs, rather than being the primary provider. The Study Group concluded that significant organizational changes are necessary to provide tribal communities the resources and support needed to directly operate high-performing schools and to remove institutional obstacles that hamper student achievement.

“Every child can learn, and every school can succeed,” said Bureau of Indian Education Director Monty Roessel. “We have a moral obligation to ensure that we are providing Indian children with the quality education that they deserve. This redesign is a critical step in supporting each Tribe’s capacity to educate future generations of students who are prepared for college and a career and know and value their heritage.”

The Secretarial Order outlines a two-phase process to restructure and redesign the BIE over the 2014-15 and 2015-2016 school years. The first phase will improve responsiveness of BIE operational support to schools, including establishing a School Operations Division that will focus on teacher and principal recruitment, acquisition and grants, school facilities and educational technology. An Office of Sovereignty and Indian Education will be established to support tribal sovereignty by building the capacity of tribes to operate high performing schools and allowing tribes to shape what their children learn about their tribes, language and culture.

The second phase will focus on improving performance of individual schools through School Support Solutions Teams. The teams will work with individual schools and tribes to help maximize school performance, including “cradle to the classroom” assistance with services such as prenatal care, early literacy, children’s health care and counseling.

The Study Group drafted a framework for reform based on several listening sessions last fall with tribal leaders, Indian educators and others throughout Indian Country on how to facilitate tribal sovereignty in American Indian education and how to improve educational outcomes for students at BIE-funded schools. Overall, the Study Group met with nearly 400 individuals and received nearly 200 comments that helped it prepare the draft framework for educational reform that became the subject of four tribal consultation sessions held in April and May. The Study Group incorporated feedback it received from tribal leaders and other BIE stakeholders into the final Blueprint for Reform released today.

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 the Tribally Controlled Schools Act grants. BIE also funds or operates off-reservation boarding schools and peripheral dormitories near reservations for students attending public schools.

In addition to its elementary and secondary schools, the BIE provides post-secondary education opportunities to American Indians and Alaska Natives by offering higher education scholarships, providing operational support funding to 26 tribal colleges and universities and two tribal technical colleges, and by directly operating two institutions of higher learning: Haskell Indian Nations University and the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute. More information about the American Indian Education Study Group’s work is available here.