OPA

Sacaton, AZ – Yesterday, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) held a roundtable discussion to address public safety issues confronting Indian Country. Deputy Chief of Staff exercising the authority of Deputy Secretary Kate MacGregor and Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney were joined by stakeholders from Indian Country. The meeting focused on developing a comprehensive approach to concentrate on cold cases, violent crimes, and missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives.

“Women are the pillars of a family and when they are taken from us, the impact of that loss echoes through generations. The Trump Administration is committed to partnering with American Indian and Alaska Native communities to better ensure safety and economic prosperity in Indian Country so that families and communities may thrive and endure,” said Kate MacGregor, DOI Deputy Chief of Staff exercising the authority of Deputy Secretary.

“Today was about hearing from tribal leadership, Indian Country, advocates, and communities,” said Tara Sweeney, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs.“This is a priority for the Department and the Trump Administration. We need to stop the escalating cycle of violence for our Native communities.”

“At HHS’ Administration for Children and Families, I have been working with our Office of Trafficking in Persons, Children’s Bureau and Family and Youth Services Bureau to address this important issue. Through our programs, we are bringing awareness to human trafficking victims, runaway and homeless youth, domestic violence victims and children living in foster care who may have a higher risk to becoming part of the tragic reality of missing and murdered indigenous people,” said Jeannie Hovland, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Native Americans and Commissioner of the Administration on Native Americans. “We know these are some of our most vulnerable populations, and our administration is committed to ending this tragedy.”

“Native American communities, particularly indigenous women, face much higher rates of violence versus the national average. Alarmingly, law enforcement officials in Indian Country often lack access to the data and resources necessary to prosecute and prevent these crimes. We must do more to ensure public safety in our Native communities. This is why I am proud to work with my colleagues on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee on legislation to give tribal law enforcement the tools they need by expanding access to federal criminal data bases, streamlining recruitment and retention procedures, and supporting best practices for investigating and prosecuting cases in Indian country,” said U.S. Senator Martha McSally.

“The Gila River Indian Community was honored to host this important discussion on ‘Reclaiming our Native Communities.’ The safety of our tribal citizens is the responsibility of all of our governments – tribal, state and federal. We are encouraged that Assistant Secretary Sweeney and [exercising the authority of the] Deputy Secretary MacGregor have decided to make domestic violence prevention, solutions to our missing and murdered Native Americans and reinvigorating examination of unresolved cold cases a priority and shine a light on policies and programs that are working well as well as place a focus on gaps that need to be addressed. We are looking forward to working with the Administration as they take the next steps on this important initiative,” said Stephen Lewis, Gila River Indian Community Governor.

“I am honored to have been included in this important roundtable discussion to begin the conversation about our murdered and missing relatives. I look forward to continued dialogue which leads to meaningful action to ensure safety and accountability on these issues,” said Nicole Matthews, Director for Minnesota Indian Sexual Assault Coalition Executive.

Members of the listening session included Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephan Lewis, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation President Bernadine Burnette, Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community President Martin Harvier, Colorado River Indian Tribes Chairman Dennis Patch, Pascua Yaqui Tribe Chairman Robert Valencia, Tohono O’odham Nation Chairman Edward Manuel, Ak-Chin Indian Community Chairman Robert Miguel, San Carlos Apache Tribe Chairman Terry Rambler, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Violence Against Women Task Force Co-Chair, Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska Supreme Court Chief Justice, and Confederated Tribes of Chehalis Reservation Chief Judge Michelle Demmert, Cook Inlet Tribal Council President Gloria O’Neill, Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition Executive Director Nicole Matthews, Oglala Sioux Tribe President Julian Bear Runner, Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation Chairman Mark Fox, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Chairman Raymond Tsumpti, NCAI Regional Vice President Quitin Lopez, and staff from the Office of Governor Doug Ducey and Office of U.S. Senator Martha McSally.

Prior to the roundtable, Assistant Secretary Sweeney and MacGregor toured On Eagle’s Wings, a domestic violence shelter with Governor Lewis.

Background

President Trump designated May 5 as Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives Awareness Day to draw attention to the horrible acts of violence committed against American Indian and Alaska Native people, particularly women and children.

President Trump’s proclamation read: “Ending the violence that disproportionately affects American Indian and Alaska Native communities is imperative. Under my Administration, Federal agencies are working more comprehensively and more collaboratively to address violent crime in Indian country, to recover the American Indian and Alaska Native women and children who have gone missing, and to find justice for those who have been murdered.”

American Indian and Alaska Native people face alarming levels of violence. Data from the National Institute of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that more than 1.5 million American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced violence, including sexual violence, in their lifetimes. American Indian and Alaska Native children attempt and commit suicide at rates far higher than those in any other demographic in our Nation, and often endure disproportionately high rates of endemic drug abuse, violence, and crime.

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LAGUNA PUEBLO, NM— The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS) Officer Nicholas “Nick” Jackson and his K-9 Kofi seized 4.3 Kilos (9.4 pounds) of heroin, which has an estimated street value of approximately $559,000.00, on the Pueblo of Laguna in New Mexico last week.

“I commend BIA-OJS Officer Jackson and his K-9 partner Kofi for their vigilance to get this poison out of Indian Country and off the streets,” said Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. “President Trump and I are committed to working alongside our Native communities to end the scourge of these drugs, which stems from supporting the work of our law enforcement officers who are the first line of defense in keeping citizens safe.”

“We are so proud of BIA-OJS Officer Jackson and K-9 Kofi for another big seizure,” said Assistant Secretary of the Interior Tara Sweeney. “The BIA is committed to its ongoing efforts to protect tribal communities from the opioid crisis.”

On June 5th, Officer Jackson and K-9 Kofi were assigned to traffic enforcement on Interstate 40, within the exterior boundaries of the on the Pueblo of Laguna in New Mexico. BIA-OJS Officer Jackson observed two rental vehicles traveling in tandem and attempted to catch up to one of the vehicles for the traffic violation. The other vehicle began to drive erratically in an attempt to draw Officer Jackson's attention away from the first vehicle as the first vehicle accelerated in an attempt to flee.

The driver threw two white-colored bags out of the rear passenger window. Once the vehicle came to a stop, the driver exited the vehicle and began to flee on foot. After several commands to stop and surrender, K-9 Kofi apprehended the driver and was taken into custody by Officer Jackson.

A New Mexico State Police Officer arrived at the scene where Officer Jackson provided a briefing of events, including the driver discarding the white bags on the interstate. The state officer searched the area around mile maker 126 and located the white-colored grocery bags containing what later field-tested positive for the presence of heroin.

The investigation is ongoing by BIA-OJS DDE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

In FY 2018, the BIA-OJS led 15 operations in seven states, resulting in a total of 372 arrests and the total seizure of over 3,200 pounds of illegal narcotics with an estimated street value of approximately $9.8 million dollars.

WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Tara Mac Lean Sweeney announced today the decision for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to take approximately 9,300 acres of land near Mandaree, North Dakota into trust status for the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, a tribe also widely known as the Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara (MHA) Nation. In 2011, the Tribe submitted its Fee-To-Trust Application for the Figure 4 Ranch Property, which is currently used by the Tribe for a buffalo ranch operation as well as oil and gas production. The approval of the Tribe’s application will return a portion of lands originally included within the reservation boundaries under the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 to the Tribe.

“It is a great honor to approve the transfer of these lands into trust status and to support the Tribe’s efforts to diversify its economy,” said Assistant Secretary Sweeney. “The Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Nation has waited over seven years for a decision and I am proud that, with Secretary Bernhardt’s leadership, our office was able to overcome the barriers and red tape stalling this important application.”

“The MHA Nation is very grateful to Secretary Bernhardt, Assistant Secretary Sweeney, and the Department of Interior staff, especially Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary John Tahsuda, for their successful completion of our land into trust application," said Mark Fox, Chairman of the MHA Nation. "This significant step will positively enhance resource management and economic development for our tribal Nation. We appreciate the federal government’s efforts and commitment in this important matter!”

The Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation passed Tribal Resolution Number 112-VJB, dated October 20, 2011, an application to acquire in trust approximately 9,303.79 acres known as the “Figure Four Ranch” for tribal self-determination and economic development. The acquisition will be subject to all valid existing leases, rights-of-way, easements, permits and reservations in patents or deeds through which grantor acquired title.

According to the BIA Trust Asset Accounting Management System (TAAMS), the Three Affiliated Tribes has a land base comprised of 118,696 tribal acres and 330,315 allotted acres, totaling 449,011 acres, held in trust by the BIA for the Tribe and/or its members. According to the Tribe’s Enrollment Office, as of February 16, 2018, the tribal population consists of approximately 15,898 members.

The Secretary of the Interior is authorized by Section 5 of the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA), 25 U.S.C. § 5108 to acquire land into trust for federally-recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes. Lands held in trust cannot be sold, alienated or transferred to non-Indians or non-Natives. The Department of the Interior’s regulations at 25 C.F.R. Part 151 set forth the procedures for implementing Section 5 of the IRA.

The Assistant Secretary–Indian Affairs advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues, communicates policy to and oversee the programs of the BIA and the BIE, provides leadership in consultations with tribes, and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter- departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on Indian matters.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs’ mission includes developing and protecting Indian trust lands and natural and energy resources; supporting social welfare, public safety and justice in tribal communities; and promoting tribal self-determination and self-governance.

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WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Mac Lean Sweeney today announced that she has appointed Darryl LaCounte to the position of director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in the U.S. Department of the Interior. LaCounte, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in North Dakota, has served as acting director since 2018. His appointment is effective April 28, 2019.

Assistant Secretary Sweeney is committed to providing consistent and focused leadership for the BIA, as well as to actively collaborate with the Department’s senior managers. Among her top priorities is to fill all of the bureau’s leadership positions with highly qualified managers who will provide continuity and expertise in trust management in accordance with its mission.

“Ensuring that key leadership positions are filled is important for Indian Affairs’ success and the Department’s relationship with Indian Country,” Sweeney said. “Mr. LaCounte has done a superior job over this past year as the acting director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He is clearly committed to the trust responsibility and the further development of our vital workforce, which is the foundation for our ability to deliver services to the tribes.”

“When I was asked to step in to be the BIA’s acting director, I felt a strong responsibility to the people behind the work – the Indian Affairs employees, the tribes, and the Indian and Alaska Native people we serve,” LaCounte said. “In accepting this appointment as BIA director, I want to thank Assistant Secretary Sweeney for her confidence and support. Because I believe in our mission, I am committed to improving the way we accomplish it and to upholding the federal trust responsibility now and for future generations.”

LaCounte began his federal career in 1988 at the Bureau’s Wind River Agency in Fort Washakie, Wyo., as an oil and gas specialist in the real estate services branch of the Office of Trust Services. Since 2015, he had been regional director of the Bureau’s Rocky Mountain Regional Office in Billings, Mont., which serves eight federally recognized tribes in Montana and Wyoming. He went on to serve as the acting deputy bureau director for Trust Services at the BIA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., beginning in February 2018. He was named the acting BIA director in April 2018.

LaCounte received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Eastern Montana College (now Montana State University) in 1986.

The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs oversees the BIA, the oldest bureau in the Department of the Interior. The BIA director is responsible for managing the bureau’s day-to-day operations through four offices – Indian Services, Justice Services, Trust Services, and Field Operations. These offices directly administer or fund tribally operated BIA infrastructure, economic development, law enforcement and justice, social services (including child welfare), tribal governance, and trust land and natural and energy resources management programs for the nation’s 573 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes through 12 regional offices and 81 agencies.

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WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney praised the seizure of over $400,000 in high-grade marijuana made by a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) – Office of Justice Services (OJS) K9 unit during a traffic stop. On April 6, 2019, a BIA-OJS K9 officer, serving as part of the OJS Division of Drug Enforcement (DDE), seized over 81 pounds of the high-grade marijuana within the exterior boundaries of the Laguna Pueblo on Interstate 40 in New Mexico. The seizure comes on the heels of another successful criminal interdiction operation that resulted in the seizure of an estimated $2.3 million worth of illegal drugs.

“I want to thank the Office of Justice Services and its officers for their continual dedication and vigilance that are so vital to keeping Indian Country communities safe,” said Assistant Secretary Sweeney. “The police work of this officer and his K9 partner that resulted in the discovery of such a large cache of high-grade marijuana exemplifies the expertise and training of all our BIA law enforcement officers. Congratulations on a job well done.”

“As a nation, we cannot thank our BIA law enforcement officers enough for their continued commitment to keeping our communities drug free and for working hard to fulfill President Trump’s call to action to combat the opioid crisis,” said John Tahsuda, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs. “This drug seizure, as well as the many other interdiction operations so far this year, demonstrates their commitment is both tireless and selfless.”

The BIA-OJS K9 officer stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. Upon contact with the driver, the officer detected an odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle. The officer conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle based on the odor of marijuana and located several plastic parcels containing processed high-grade marijuana equaling to 37,036 grams (81.65 pounds). The marijuana seized was later determined to be high-grade Sensimilla marijuana, which is of greater potency, and has a higher street value, than marijuana from domestic sources or that smuggled into the United States from sources in Mexico.

The Assistant Secretary–Indian Affairs advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues, communicates policy to and oversee the programs of the BIA and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), provides leadership in consultations with tribes, and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter- departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on Indian matters.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS) funds law enforcement, corrections, and court services to support safe tribal communities. These programs safeguard life and property, enforce laws, maintain justice and order, and ensure detained American Indian offenders are held in safe, secure, and humane environments. The OJS also provides technical assistance to tribes to amend tribal legal codes consistent with the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 and the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), as reauthorized in 2019. In addition, the BIA is implementing training for direct service law enforcement program staff in the areas of law enforcement, social services, victim services, and courts, and is making this training available to tribes operating these programs under self-determination contracts and compacts.

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