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Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
SACATON, Ariz. – A crowd nearly 1,000 strong came out on Saturday, July 27, 2019, to help the Gila River Indian Community (the Community) and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) commemorate an important milestone for Community members, DOI and Indian Country: The ribbon-cutting and grand opening of the Gila Crossing Community School, a state-of-the-art, newly constructed Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) school meant to serve over 500 K-8 students on the Gila River Indian Reservation.
The Gila Crossing Community School replaces a century-old, crumbling and overcrowded BIE school that the Community had been working for decades to replace. The new school is notable not only for its tribal design and American Indian artwork – which align closely with the Community’s history and Akimel O’odham (Pima) culture – but also for its unique financing model, which represents a first for school construction financing in Indian Country.
The Community designed and constructed the facility, then entered into a lease agreement with DOI to cover repayment of its construction costs.
“This is truly an historic day for our Community,” said Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Roe Lewis. “The Gila Crossing Community School, like many Bureau of Indian Education schools across the country, was overcrowded, and the original building had been built in 1899. We knew that with limited federal resources the Community had to come up with a solution. Our answer was for the Community to build this school and then lease it back to the Department of the Interior. This innovative pilot sounds simple, but it had never been done before. What we accomplished here today is historic – not just for our Community, but as a model for BIE schools across the United States.”
The Community broke ground on its new school in June of 2018 and completed construction earlier this month. Students will start their first day in the new school on August 1.
Gov. Lewis commended DOI Assistant Secretary–Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney and Deputy Assistant Secretary–Indian Affairs for Policy and Economic Development Mark Cruz for their collaboration in working with the Gila River Indian Community on its innovative approach to school construction.
Assistant Secretary Sweeney, who made the trip from Washington, D.C., accompanied by Deputy Assistant Secretary Cruz, spoke at the ribbon-cutting the event. She lauded the Community, Gov. Lewis and the Gila River Tribal Council for their vision and partnership, and observed how the Community’s approach is echoed in the Gila Crossing Community School’s motto: “Believe You Can!”
“With Interior Secretary Bernhardt’s leadership, it has been a great honor to partner with the Gila River Indian Community in thinking outside the box and developing a modern solution to the construction financing problem so many tribes face when it comes to improving their BIE-funded schools and facilities,” said Assistant Secretary Sweeney. “We hope this model is one that other tribes will study and follow.”
“Thank you, everyone, for your patience, and your hard work on this historic partnership,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary Cruz. “The school environment is so important to student learning and growth. I’m very happy that this tribal-federal collaboration has resulted in such a beautiful, modern and meaningful place to educate current and future generations of Gila River children.”
Community Councilman Anthony Villareal Sr., who served as chairman of the Gila Crossing School Construction owner’s team, stated, ““The ribbon-cutting and opening of the Gila Crossing Community School was the realization of a long-term goal for the entire Gila River Indian Community and the students of Districts 6 and 7. This is the first new Bureau of Indian Education school built on the reservation in over a century, so we wanted to make sure we got it right. Seeing the finished school and all of the Community members here today, I think we succeeded.”
The celebration also included a performance by the Pee Posh Bird Singers. Afterwards, federal officials and Community members toured the new building.
Gila River Lt. Gov. Robert Stone ended the program saying, “This is a day for us to be proud. By the end of next week, our students will enter this school and they will be able to see the commitment the Community has made to their education. I wish all of the students, teachers, and administrators and parents an amazing school year, and I look forward to seeing all of the students thrive here at the new Gila Crossing Community School.”
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For Immediate Release: August 1, 2019
https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/gila-river-indian-community-us-department-interior-creativelyIndian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Mac Lean Sweeney today announced that the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) has awarded $5,382,606 in energy and mineral development grants to 24 federally recognized tribes in 11 states across the U.S. The grants will fund tribal efforts to identify, study, design, and/or develop projects using energy, mineral or natural resources on the tribes’ lands to achieve their economic development goals.
“I congratulate the FY 2019 EMDP grant recipients on being selected,” said Assistant Secretary Sweeney. “This year’s awards fund a remarkable variety of tribal ideas and interests which, hopefully, will lead to even more remarkable outcomes that build tribal self-sufficiency. I am proud of IEED’s work to aid tribes in discovering ways to use their assets so that they can achieve their economic and self-determination goals.”
The grants were made through IEED’s Energy and Mineral Development Program (EMDP). The program is administered by the Division of Energy and Mineral Development (DEMD), which assists tribal governments and American Indian allottees with evaluating energy and mineral resource potential on their lands. Recipients use this information to determine whether or not they wish to develop energy projects, or extract and market commercially, or strategically, valuable minerals.
The DEMD solicits proposals on an annual basis from tribes and, through a competitive review process, selects qualified projects for funding. The program’s grant amounts are dependent upon appropriations. The projects announced today were selected from among 75 proposals submitted during the FY 2019 funding cycle.
The 2019 EMDP grant awardees by tribe name, state, award amount and purpose are:
- Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, Montana ($1,158,000) – To identify high-confidence, low-risk oil and gas prospects on the Fort Peck Reservation that can be profitably developed.
- Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, California ($295,868) – To analyze and follow up on findings from the tribe’s mineral assessment project to determine potential mineral deposits on the Chemehuevi Reservation.
- Chippewa Cree Tribe, Montana ($121,635) – To qualify, quantify and determine suitability for customer use aggregate sand and gravel deposits on the Rocky Boy’s Reservation.
- Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation, Oregon ($294,000) – To prepare for geothermal drilling operations on land parcels selected to host temperature gradient holes.
- Coushatta Tribe, Louisiana ($141,226) – To study existing energy resources and associated projects available to them, specifically natural gas technologies and processes such as Combined Heat and Power (CHP) distributed generation.
- Fond du Lac Band, Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota ($98,000) – To design, evaluate and develop specifications for a micro-grid on the Band’s reservation to produce a more reliable power supply, reduce brownouts and blackouts, and lower energy use costs.
- Hoopa Valley Tribe, California ($152,575) – To complete an investment grade feasibility analysis for a CHP biomass/biogas 15 megawatt power plant to be located on its reservation.
- Kashia Band of Pomo Indians, California ($50,500) – To assess 1) the potential of biomass energy resources available in a tribally owned forest, 2) go-to-market opportunities for this resource, and 3) the potential for using these resources in a biomass/biogas power plant to serve tribal members and facilities on the tribe’s Stewarts Point Rancheria.
- Kewa Pueblo [formerly known as Pueblo of Santo Domingo], New Mexico ($219,608) – To study and determine the feasibility and profitability of the sale of tribally owned sand, gravel and concrete resources to markets within the greater Albuquerque-Santa Fe region.
- Mescalero Apache Tribe, New Mexico ($295,557) – To delineate, map, sample and test multiple aggregate resource sites on the Mescalero Apache Reservation.
- Northern Cheyenne Tribe, Montana ($198,135) – For two projects: 1) to evaluate the potential for a network of residential and community rooftop and commercial site photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal installations, and 2) to conduct a feasibility analysis on developing wind power generation on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation.
- Oglala Sioux Tribe, South Dakota ($145,750) – To identify and assess as suitable sand and gravel mining sites on the Pine Ridge Reservation that can serve job sites within the three-county region where the Tribe is located.
- Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico ($100,000) – To complete an assessment/preliminary engineering report determining the current capability for solar PV power at several locations on its reservation that can also be used by the tribe to seek funds to deploy such technology.
- Pueblo of Nambe, New Mexico ($81,625) – To explore a solar energy project to serve local distribution utility solar power needs while, potentially, reducing the tribe’s dependence on grid connectivity with its associated high costs and reliance on fossil fuels.
- Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico ($370,952) – To expand on work done in earlier studies funded by the EMDP that will identify, test and analyze clay deposits on the tribe’s reservation to determine their suitability for the production of Compressed Earth Blocks (CEBs).
- Sac & Fox Nation, Oklahoma ($89,000) – To explore a micro-grid solution that would alleviate power outages, reduce electricity costs, and serve multiple tribal facilities.
- Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation, South Dakota ($65,940) – To determine, through a marketing and feasibility study, the potential for the profitable sale of tribally owned sand, gravel and concrete ready-mix resources.
- Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Colorado ($140,000) – To identify options for using solar resources in renewable energy project initiatives and to determine the financial feasibility and viability of projects utilizing such technology.
- The Osage Nation, Oklahoma ($193,620) – To estimate recoverable oil with enhanced oil recovery.
- Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe, Louisiana ($306,460) – To study the Tribe’s oil and gas resources to determine their use and development on the Tunica-Biloxi Reservation.
- Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, Oklahoma ($69,000) – To develop a comprehensive solar development plan.
- White Mountain Apache Tribe, Arizona ($45,155) – To identify and develop sand and gravel sources on the Fort Apache Reservation to meet the Tribe’s future needs.
- Wind River Reservation (Arapaho Tribe and Eastern Shoshone Tribe), Wyoming ($750,000) – To: 1) conduct a technical evaluation of challenges, opportunities and upside potentials in mature oil fields on tribal lands in the Wind River Basin, 2) to improve and/or enhance oil recovery, and 3) conduct an economic evaluation of oil fields having the highest priority to the tribes.
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 (AI/AN) communities by helping federally recognized tribes develop their renewable and nonrenewable energy and mineral resources; increasing access to capital for tribal and individual American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned businesses; assisting tribes in building the legal infrastructure necessary for their economic progress; and enabling tribally and individual AI/AN-owned businesses to take advantage of government and private sector procurement opportunities. Visit the IEED website for more information about its programs and services.
-DOI-
https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/assistant-secretary-sweeney-announces-over-53-million-energy-andIndian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
WASHINGTON — Yesterday, U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney and Gila River Indian Community (Community) Governor Stephen Lewis signed a lease for the Gila Crossing Community School, the Community’s Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) K-8 school located in District 6 on the Reservation. An innovative partnership between DOI and the Community resulted in the first-of-its-kind lease in Indian Country that will educate and empower future generations of Community children.
“With Secretary Bernhardt’s leadership, it has been a great honor to partner with the Gila River Indian Community to think outside the box and develop a modern solution to the construction problem in the BIE school context. We hope this is a model that other tribes will be able to follow,” said Assistant Secretary Tara Sweeney.
“Our students deserve a quality education – so it was incumbent upon us to think creatively to bring new solutions to long-term problems. Through this partnership we have created a learning environment that will ensure our students can thrive in a state-of-the-art facility and importantly, our Akimel and Pee-Posh traditions and values are apparent throughout the school,” said Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Lewis.
“This is a great partnership between the Gila River Indian Community and the Department of Interior. I spoke to Secretary Bernhardt directly on the importance of this lease and I am glad to see him take action. I hope the federal government can learn from this great Arizona example and utilize this to meet tribal education needs across the United States,” said Arizona U.S. Senator Martha McSally.
“Our goal was to work with the Department of the Interior to construct a new school where our children would be able to walk through the halls of a new, safe and clean school that they can be proud of as we provide them with an appropriate education to equip them for careers and higher education. Anyone that visits the Gila Crossing School will quickly discover that we succeeded in accomplishing our goals,” said Gila River Indian Community Councilman and Chairman of the Gila Crossing Community School Construction Owner’s Team Anthony Villareal Sr.
BIE faces a significant construction replacement backlog that continues to grow with outdated school structures that are often over 100 years old. DOI and the Community worked collaboratively to address this pervasive problem across Indian Country by proposing a school construction leaseback program to break the school construction backlog to replace the Gila Crossing Community School.
Under a new program, the Community financed the construction costs to replace the Gila Crossing Community School and will lease back the facility to the BIE through a commercial lease. Congress appropriated funding in the FY2019 budget to begin this pilot program to enable DOI to make the necessary lease payments.
The Community broke ground in June of 2018 on the Gila Crossing School and completed construction of the school earlier this month. Over 500 students will be in the new school on August 1, 2019. The students and entire Community were involved in the design and construction process – providing input on the design and layout of the school to ensure the school was constructed in a way that aligns with the Community’s culture.
A Grand Opening and Ribbon-Cutting is scheduled for July 27, 2019 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to celebrate this historic moment where the Community will be joined by Federal, Congressional, State and Tribal dignitaries, as well as the Gila Crossing School Administration, teachers, incoming students and their families.
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For Immediate Release: July 19, 2019
https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/us-department-interior-and-gila-river-indian-community-enter-firstIndian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
WASHINGTON, DC – Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney announced the appointment of Timothy LaPointe as the Great Plains Regional Director. The appointment is effective June 23, 2019.
“I am confident in Timothy LaPointe’s commitment to Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Great Plains Region. He has expertise in managing staff, programs, and services, which has the potential to return the highest yield to the tribal communities that we serve,” said Assistant Secretary Sweeney. “I am proud to name LaPointe as the director of the Great Plains Regional Office.”
“Cultivating a qualified pool of executives with managerial expertise to serve in a variety of leadership roles when needed is crucial to the future of the Bureau of Indian Affairs,” said BIA Director Darryl LaCounte. “Among our top priorities is to fill BIA’s leadership positions with highly qualified managers who will provide continuity and expertise in trust management in accordance with the BIA mission.”
“I am committed to carrying out the mission and trust responsibility of the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the 16 tribes in the BIA Great Plains Region,” said Regional Director LaPointe. “I am proud to return as the leader for a great office and a great team.”
LaPointe returns to the Great Plains Regional Office after serving as the Midwest Regional Director since February 2018. From February 2011 to November 2014, LaPointe had served as the Deputy Regional Director – Trust Services for the Great Plains Region and as Regional Director. He was as one of the first Fiduciary Trust Officers (FTO) for the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians, where he oversaw trust financial programs for the Eastern Region, Eastern Oklahoma Region, and the Southern Plains Region. He also served as the FTO for the BIA Great Lakes Agency.
LaPointe, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, holds a juris doctorate from the University of Arkansas and a bachelor’s degree from the University of the Ozarks, where he majored in public administration with a minor in accounting.
The BIA Great Plains Region provides funding and support to 16 federally recognized Indian tribes located in the states of North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska. Tribes in this region encompass over 6 million acres.
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For Immediate Release: June 27, 2019
https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/assistant-secretary-sweeney-names-timothy-lapointe-great-plainsIndian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
WASHINGTON, DC – Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney announced the appointment of Tammie Poitra to the position of the Midwest BIA Regional Director. The appointment is effective June 23, 2019.
“It is with great pride that I name Tammie Poitra as the Midwest BIA Regional Director,” said Assistant Secretary Sweeney. “I have the upmost confidence in her leadership capabilities to work with the 36 Tribes and the staff that comprises the regional office and the four BIA agencies. Congratulations, Ms. Poitra.”
“Cultivating a qualified pool of executives with managerial expertise to serve in a variety of leadership roles when needed is crucial to the future of the Bureau of Indian Affairs,” said BIA Director Darryl LaCounte. “Among our top priorities is to fill BIA’s leadership positions with highly qualified managers who will provide continuity and expertise in trust management in accordance with the BIA mission.”
“It is a great honor to become the Midwest BIA Regional Director,” said Regional Director Poitra. “I have a great commitment to the Bureau’s mission and I look forward to carrying out our trust responsibilities for the tribes in our region.”
Until today’s announcement, Poitra served as the Deputy Regional Director for Trust Services in the Midwest Region since July 2010. She has over 33 years of combined federal service. In 2018, she served as the acting Northwest Regional Director. She previously served as the Superintendent of the BIA Winnebago Agency. From 1995 to 2000, she was the Fiduciary Trust Officer and Trust Accountant for the Northwest Region with the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians. Poitra worked as the Midwest Regional Budget Officer from 2000 to 2004.
Poitra is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and holds an associate’s degree in computer programming from the North Dakota State School and Science, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration and accounting. She attended a University of Phoenix master’s degree program.
The BIA Midwest Region provides funding and support to 36 federally recognized Tribes located in the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa. Tribes in the Midwest Region encompass approximately 62 million acres, including treaty-ceded territories, representing millions of acres of forests, lakes, streams and wetlands.
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For Immediate Release: June 27, 2019
https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/assistant-secretary-sweeney-names-tammie-poitra-midwest-regional