OPA

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today convened the third meeting of the White House Council on Native American Affairs to discuss ongoing progress and current priorities aimed at working more collaboratively and effectively with American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes to advance their economic and social goals.

Seven Cabinet Secretaries and senior officials participated in discussions focused on core objectives, including promoting sustainable Tribal economic development; supporting greater access to and control over healthcare; improving the effectiveness of the Tribal justice systems; expanding and improving educational opportunities for Native youth; and supporting sustainable management of Native lands, environments, and natural resources.

After the meeting, Jewell convened the American Indian Education Study Group to discuss the Group’s preliminary findings and recommendations for the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Education. The draft document serves as a basis for Tribal consultations on a redesigned BIE that reflects its gradual evolution from a direct provider of education to a school improvement organization that provides customized service and resources that are tailored to meet the unique needs of each tribally controlled school.

“Your initiative is incredibly important to Indian education,” Secretary Jewell told the Study Group. “We need to make this commitment not just for the nearly 50,000 students attending these schools today, but for the many future generations of Native students who will walk through those classroom doors.”

Next week, Secretary Jewell will visit Indian Country to participate in a roundtable discussion in Arizona. The meeting with Tribal leaders will focus on spurring renewable energy development on Tribal trust lands. The initiative is part of President Obama’s ‘all of the above’ energy strategy and advances his Climate Action Plan to reduce carbon emissions by building a clean energy economy.

In addition to Secretary Jewell, participants at today’s meeting included: Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services; Ernest Moniz, Secretary of Energy; Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education; Gina McCarthy, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency; Sylvia Mathews Burwell, Director of the Office of Management and Budget; Anthony Foxx, Secretary of Transportation; Katherine Archuleta, Director of the Office of Personnel Management; Kevin Washburn, Interior Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs; Cecelia Munoz, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council; Jeff Zients, Director of the White House National Economic Council; Raina Thiele, Associate Director of Intergovernmental Affairs; and Jodi Gillette, Domestic Policy Council Advisor on Native American Affairs.

The White House Council on Native American Affairs was established by Presidential Executive Order in June, 2013 in response to tribal leader requests that the federal family do a better job of coordinating its departments and agency programs aimed at assisting tribal communities in promoting their social and economic priorities.

WASHINGTON – Today, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Tara Mac Lean Sweeney announced the Blackwater Community School, located within the Gila River Indian Community in Coolidge, Ariz., will receive $30.1 million dollars, and the Quileute Tribe will receive $44.1 million dollars for the Quileute Tribal School located on Quileute reservation in La Push, Wash., to award design-build contracts for new school buildings. In 2016, Indian Affairs selected both schools as two of 10 schools for replacement through the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) replacement school construction process.

The Blackwater Community School has elected to manage the project using a design-build contract for their new school through a Public Law 100-297 Grant and the Quileute Tribe has elected to manage the project using a design-build contract for their new school through a Public Law 93-638 Self-Determination Contract.

“Today is a great day for Native education at Indian Affairs,” said Assistant Secretary Tara Sweeney. “I am excited for the next phase of this process to initiate for these schools. I appreciate everyone involved with these projects from Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education, the schools, and tribal communities for their dedication to take these schools from an idea to the world-class buildings that they will become.”

The Division of Facilities Management and Construction for Indian Affairs (DFMC) will provide oversight verification throughout the project and will be available to provide technical support to the Blackwater Community School and the Quileute Tribe. The replacement project for Quileute Tribal School authorizes a new 60,950 GSF campus supporting a projected K-12 grade enrollment of 79 students. The replacement project for the Blackwater Community School authorizes a new 88,547 GSF campus supporting a projected K-5 grade enrollment of 409 students.

“Our team at Indian Affair is proud to be a part of the process of building the modern infrastructures that reflect cultural values and tribal community input for student learning,” Director of the Office of Facilities, Property and Safety Management for Indian Affairs Darrell LaRoche said. “We’re thrilled that the new schools will be considered state of the art with their internet capabilities and classroom smart boards. With community involvement during the design process, the classrooms are tailored to support cultural specific teaching for the students.”

“A school’s environment is as important as the lessons taught in the classroom,” Bureau of Indian Education Director Tony Dearman said. “We are proud to work with Indian Affairs to build a new school where we can deliver excellent in-classroom instruction on the first day it opens its doors.”

Quileute Tribal School was the second 2016 NCLB School to complete the planning phase and first to complete a preliminary 20% design. To ensure compliance with Washington State requirements and enhanced community involvement this project provides a Language/Cultural Lab, permanent stage space, and a wood carpentry vocational shop. This project will be fully compliant with Washington Sustainable Schools Protocol and the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings. The current school facility is located in a designated tsunami zone near the ocean. The new school site is located at elevation safely outside the tsunami zone.

The Blackwater Community School is the third NCLB School to completed planning. To ensure compliance with Arizona State and Gila River Tribal requirements and enhanced community involvement this project provides a Language/Cultural Lab, Science Lab/Traditional Farming and Gardening classroom, Art Program Classroom and a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Classroom. This project will be fully compliant with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Protocol and the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings.

The Laguna Elementary School received the first award of $26.2 million to award a design-build contract on May 2, 2018. Within the next few weeks, Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle Community School in Bloomfield, N.M. will begin the preliminary design stage and will be the fourth school to be funded. The remaining six schools are expected to complete the planning phase by the end of 2018.

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 Office of Facilities, Property and Safety Management for Indian Affairs is responsible for policy, oversight, and technical assistance for facilities management, facilities construction, asset management, safety management, property management, and real property leasing for all of Indian Affairs, including Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). These responsibilities are carried out through the Division of Facilities Management and Construction, Division of Safety and Risk Management, Division of Property Management, and the Real Property Leasing Program.

The Bureau of Indian Education implements federal Indian education programs and funds 183 elementary and secondary day and boarding schools (of which two-thirds are tribally operated) located on 64 reservations in 23 states and peripheral dormitories serving over 47,000 individual students. The BIE also operates two post-secondary schools and administers grants for 29 tribally controlled colleges and universities and two tribal technical colleges.

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UPDATED: The original version of this press release misstated that Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle Community School is located in Bloomington, NM. We have since corrected the mistake. Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle Community School is located in Bloomfield, NM.

WASHINGTON -- To address concerns regarding mineral leasing and development activity adjacent to Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Deputy Secretary of the Interior Michael L. Connor today announced the U.S. Department of the Interior will expand the resource management planning effort underway in the Farmington, New Mexico area.

For the first time, the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Farmington Field Office and the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ (BIA) Navajo Regional Office will jointly conduct an expanded analysis of management in the area that covers both public and tribal lands.

“Today's announcement is an important step forward toward addressing the longstanding concerns surrounding oil and gas development around Chaco Canyon,” said Deputy Secretary Connor. “I heard these concerns firsthand when I visited Chaco last summer to participate in a public listening session with Senator Udall. BIA's decision to join BLM's planning effort as a co-lead reflects the complex land tenure around the park and demonstrates the Department's commitment to ensuring that the region's rich cultural and archaeological resources are protected.”

The BLM initiated a process to update its Resource Management Plan for the area – which guides development activities on public lands there – in 2014. In support of expanding the planning effort to include tribal lands in the area, the BLM and the BIA are seeking public comments to identify issues and concerns related to including BIA-managed mineral leasing and associated activities in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which is being prepared as part of the Resource Management Plan Amendment (RMP) Amendment. This expanded effort will look at the whole planning area, and will include mineral leasing and development activity around Chaco Culture National Historic Park.

The joint effort also reflects the Department of the Interior’s emphasis on working with Native American leaders to provide expanded opportunities for integrating traditional knowledge and expertise in the management of public lands that have a special historical, cultural or geographic connection with indigenous communities.

In June of 2015, Deputy Secretary Connor and Senator Tom Udall toured the Chaco Canyon area to see the sensitive archeological site and view the area beyond the park where drilling is proposed. After the visit to Chaco, Connor and Udall held meetings with interested stakeholders.

A Notice of Intent to prepare the RMP Amendment and conduct an EIS will be published in the Federal Register on October 21, 2016, which will formally open a 60-day public scoping period ending on December 20, 2016. The information gathered during this new scoping process will be added to the information already gathered as part of the BLM’s prior scoping process for the EIS.

As part of the scoping process, the BLM and the BIA will be hosting public scoping meetings at the following locations, dates, and times:

The BLM and BIA are asking that input be received within the 60-day scoping period, ending December 20, 2016, or 15 days after the last meeting, whichever is later.

Input may be submitted by mail to BLM Farmington Field Office, Attention: Mark Ames, Project Manager, 6251 North College Blvd., Suite A, Farmington, New Mexico 87402; by email to BLM_NM_FFO_Comments@blm.gov, or by fax to 505-564-7608.

For the BIA, please contact Harrilene Yazzie, BIA Regional National Environmental Policy Act Coordinator at 505-863-8287, P.O. Box 1060, Gallup, New Mexico 87301, or harrilene.yazzie@bia.gov.

Additional information is available online at FARMINGTON RMP: MANCOS-GALLUP AMENDMENT.

WASHINGTON – As part of President Obama’s Generation Indigenous (“Gen-I”) initiative to remove barriers to success for Native American youth, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Lawrence S. Roberts today announced that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) joined with their federal partners last month to launch the Culture and Meth Don’t Mix program, a multi-agency methamphetamine (“meth”) prevention initiative for Native youth.

The program is the result of collaboration under the Gen-I initiative between the White House Council on Native American Affairs, which is chaired by Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, the BIA’s Office of Justice Services, BIE, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Its aim is to be a culturally appropriate approach for meth prevention among Native American youth through community and interagency involvement. The program also reflects the Interior Department’s intent to uphold the United States’ trust responsibility to the federally recognized tribes.

“Through the Generation Indigenous initiative, the Obama Administration has sought to utilize federal resources across the board to address the issues that can prevent Native youth from fulfilling their potential,” Roberts said. “The Culture and Meth Don’t Mix program’s goal is to strengthen meth prevention in tribal communities through the combined efforts of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services, BIE schools, and SAMHSA. I want to thank SAMHSA for working with us to help tribes with protecting their children and youth, and tribal leaders for participating in this important effort.”

The program was initially rolled out in December 2016 with Indian Affairs, BIA and BIE officials and leaders from seven tribes: The Lower Brule Sioux Tribe and Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, the White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe in Montana, and the Penobscot Nation and the Passamaquoddy Tribe’s Pleasant Point and Indian Township communities in Maine.

The program also includes a speaker series to be held in selected BIE schools that will discuss the implications and health issues involved with methamphetamine use. Speakers will include BIA law enforcement officials who will explain the legal implications of meth use, a SAMHSA-recommended health professional to describe how meth affects personal health, and a representative from the tribal community to address meth’s impact on it culture and people.

The Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs supports the Secretary of the Interior in carrying out the Department’s responsibilities to the federally recognized tribes through BIA and BIE programs and services. The BIA’s mission includes maintaining and improving public safety and justice in tribal communities through the Office of Justice Services. Visit Office of Justice Services for more information on OJS’s mission and programs.

The BIE implements federal Indian education programs and funds 183 elementary and secondary day and boarding schools (of which two-thirds are tribally operated) located on 64 reservations in 23 states and peripheral dormitories serving over 40,000 students. The BIE also operates two post-secondary schools, and administers grants for 28 tribally controlled colleges and universities and two tribal technical colleges, and provides higher education scholarships to Native youth. For more information, visit www.bie.edu.

SAMHSA is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA’s mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities. For more information on SAMHSA’s tribal affairs efforts, visit http://www.samhsa.gov/tribal-affairs.

-DOI-

Live Stream
Sally Jewell, Secretary of the Interior
2014 SIPI Commencement Address
at
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI)
Albuquerque, NM
Thursday, April 17, 2014
ustream.tv/channel/sipi-it
Live Stream begins at 10 a.m. (MST)

WASHINGTON – In keeping with President Obama’s commitment to tribal self-governance and strengthening tribal economies, acting Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Lawrence S. Roberts today announced that Ohkay Owingeh now has the sovereign authority to lease tribal lands consistent with the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership (or HEARTH) Act. Roberts was joined by Ohkay Owingeh Governor Earl N. Salazar and United States Senator Martin Heinrich at a signing ceremony approving the tribe’s leasing regulations that took place yesterday at the Pueblo in New Mexico.

“I congratulate Governor Salazar and the Ohkay Owingeh council for their leadership in using the HEARTH Act to end the paternalistic policy of federal approval of tribal leasing decisions,” acting Assistant Secretary Roberts said. “Ohkay Owingeh joins a growing number of tribes that are exercising sovereignty over the leasing of their lands to promote the health, welfare and prosperity of their people. By this action, decision making over the use of tribal land is now squarely in the hands of the tribal government. I am very pleased that Ohkay Owingeh has exercised this power to use its own judgment for its own lands.”

“We are now able to establish and carry out these laws. As an entrepreneurial tribe, we look forward to working with local businesses,” Governor Salazar said. “It all comes back to sovereignty and, finally, we have control over our land to help support our people.”

"I’m honored to join the people of Ohkay Owingeh to mark this milestone in strengthening self-determination and tribal sovereignty, and open doors to more jobs and economic development in Indian Country,” Senator Heinrich said. “The last thing the federal government should do is stand in the way of a family who wants to buy a home. This agreement through the HEARTH Act will make it easier for Native families to buy houses and open businesses in the communities where their families have lived for generations.”

The acting Assistant Secretary’s action confirms that federal approval is no longer necessary for Ohkay Owingeh, a federally recognized tribe in north central New Mexico, to enter into surface land leases. The Pueblo will exercise authority over leases for agricultural, business, cultural, educational, residential, wind and solar power, and other authorized purposes.

The HEARTH Act creates a voluntary, alternative land leasing process available to federally recognized tribes once their governing leasing regulations have been approved by the Secretary of the Interior. Tribes with approved regulations are authorized to negotiate and enter into surface leases without further approvals by the Secretary. The Act authorizes tribes to execute agricultural and business leases of tribal trust lands for a primary term of 25 years and up to two renewal terms of 25 years each. Leases of tribal trust lands for residential, recreational, religious or educational purposes may be executed for a primary term of up to 75 years.

The HEARTH Act eliminates the paternalistic approval process codified in federal law and recognizes the authority of federally recognized tribes to develop and implement their own laws governing the long-term leasing of their trust lands for residential, business, renewable energy, and other purposes. Tribes that use the HEARTH Act procedure eliminate the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) approval process for surface land leases, thereby greatly expediting tribal leasing for homes, businesses and other purposes in Indian Country.

The principles supporting the federal preemption of state law in the field of Indian leasing and the taxation of lease-related interests and activities apply with equal force to leases issued by tribes that have utilized the HEARTH Act.

In accordance with federal law and the Department’s regulations governing the surface leasing of trust and restricted Indian lands, tribal leases are subject to tribal, not state and local, taxation.

The HEARTH Act was intended to promote tribal sovereignty by empowering tribal governments to adapt lease terms that suit their business and cultural needs and to promote approval of leases quickly and efficiently. Therefore, the assessment of state and local taxes would obstruct the federal policies of supporting tribal economic development and self-determination. Such taxation would also threaten tribal interests in effective tribal government, economic self-sufficiency and territorial autonomy.

With the acting Assistant Secretary’s action today, 23 federally recognized tribes now have utilized the HEARTH Act:

• Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, Calif. (Business)
• Pueblo of Sandia, N.M. (Business)
• Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Mich. (Residential)
• Ak-Chin Indian Community, Ariz. (Business)
• Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians, Calif. (Business)
• Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Okla. (Business)
• Ewiiaapaayp Band of Kumeyaay Indians, Calif. (Business)
• Kaw Nation, Okla. (Business)
• Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Washington State (Business)
• Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians, Calif. (Business)
• Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, Okla. (Business)
• Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut (Business)
• Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Calif. (Business)
• Seminole Tribe of Florida (Individual Business and Residential Ordinances)
• Cowlitz Indian Tribe, Washington State (Business)
• Oneida Indian Nation, N.Y. (Business)
• Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin (Business, Residential and Agricultural Codes)
• Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma (Business)
• Rincon Band of Luiseno Mission Indians, Calif. (Business)
• Makah Indian Tribe, Wash. (Residential, Business, Renewable Energy)
• Squaxin Island Tribe, Wash. (Business)
• Gila River Indian Community, Ariz. (Business and Solar)

Under the leadership of Senator Heinrich, Congress passed the HEARTH Act with overwhelming bipartisan support. It was signed by President Obama on July 30, 2012.

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 land and resources management programs for the nation’s federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes through 12 regional offices and 81 agencies. The BIA’s Office of Trust Services administers the HEARTH Act leasing approval process.

WASHINGTON, D.C. | U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke is confirmed to attend the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) 2017 Mid Year Conference & Marketplace (Mid Year) at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut held from Monday, June 12 to Thursday, June 15, 2017.

“We are looking forward to hosting Secretary Zinke during NCAI Mid Year,” said NCAI President Brian Cladoosby. “This year’s theme ‘Sovereign Infrastructure: Building our Communities through our Values’ is an important conversation we will continue to build upon with the Department of the Interior and the Administration in the years to come.”

“It is a great honor to accept the invitation to speak at NCAI’s Mid Year Conference,” said Secretary Ryan Zinke. “This will give tribal leaders and I an opportunity to discuss ways to empower the front lines of tribal communities. I am a supporter of building a stronger government-to-government relationship that will reaffirm tribal sovereignty, self-determination and self-governance in Indian Country.”

As the fifty-second U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Zinke leads more than 70,000 employees who supervise 20 percent of the nation’s lands, including national parks, monuments, wildlife refuges and other public lands. The Department of the Interior (DOI) oversees the responsible development of conventional and renewable energy supplies on public lands and waters; is the largest supplier and manager of water in the 17 Western states; and upholds trust responsibilities to the 567 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes.

Prior to his position as DOI Secretary, Zinke represented the state of Montana in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2014 to 2016, and in the Montana State Senate from 2009 to 2011.Secretary Zinke is a fifth-generation Montanan and former U.S. Navy SEAL Commander, in which he spent 23 years as a U.S. Navy SEAL officer.

Pre-register today for press credentialing using our form here: bit.ly/2raRr8a.

On-site press credentialing takes place on Tuesday, June 13, 2017 and Wednesday, June 14, 2017 from 7:30 AM EST – 5:00 PM EST. Credentialed press will have access to all plenary sessions, as well as those sessions noted for press access on the agenda.

Please note all press are required to wear press badges at all times and are asked to please announce yourself to the moderator of each session you plan on attending.

For additional information, please view NCAI’s 2017 Mid Year Draft Agenda here or contact NCAI Communications Associate Erin Weldon with any questions at ncaipress@ncai.org.

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About The National Congress of American Indians:
Founded in 1944, the National Congress of American Indians is the oldest, largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization in the country. NCAI advocates on behalf of tribal governments and communities, promoting strong tribal-federal government-to-government policies, and promoting a better understanding among the general public regarding American Indian and Alaska Native governments, people and rights. For more information, visit www.ncai.org.

Alaska Daily News: "The White House announced the pick Monday. The reaction on Tuesday bordered on ecstatic"

Alaska Dispatch News: Alaska Native leaders say Tara Sweeney is well suited for Trump’s top Indian affairs job. “Sweeney is tough and smart with the political savvy and instincts to negotiate bureaucracy, said Gloria O'Neill, who has long worked with Sweeney on boards and projects.”

KTUU-Alaska: Steady praise for the Alaskan chosen by President Trump for top Indian Affairs job. “Alaskan politicians commented on the nomination following the news, which was announced late Monday afternoon. The nomination was met with near-universal approval from the Alaskan lawmakers.”

Alaska Public Media: Applause sounds for Alaskan selected for Indian Affairs post at Interior. “Her nomination has Alaska’s U.S. senators literally cheering. Sen. Lisa Murkowski: ‘What a fabulous, fabulous nomination.’ Sen. Dan Sullivan: ‘Historic. Super-well qualified.’”

Indianz: National Congress of American Indians looks forward to Tara Sweeney confirmation. “The Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs is charged with the federal responsibility to protect tribal sovereignty, treaty rights, and the trust relationship,” NCAI President Brian Cladoosby said on Tuesday. “This nomination is an important step by the administration, and we look forward a swift confirmation by the United States Senate...We appreciate the administration’s commitment to efficiently staffing important positions within governmental departments directly affecting Indian Country, and we look forward to hearing from Ms. Sweeney about her goals and plans for working with tribal leaders to ensure the government-to-government relationship is upheld.”

ELECTED OFFICIALS

Senator Lisa Murkowski said Sweeney has her full support: “Tara has a very strong record of professionalism and accomplishment in Alaska, across the country, and internationally, especially with the indigenous people of the circumpolar north. She has significant experience on Arctic issues and chaired the Arctic Economic Council. She is an expert on energy, infrastructure, broadband, economic development, Native self-determination, and a wide range of policy issues that will come before her. Secretary Zinke could not have chosen a better leader to help him fulfill the federal government’s trust responsibility, and I know Tara has the heart and drive to excel in this position.”

Congressman Don Young said Sweeney was an outstanding choice: “Tara’s knowledge, experience and leadership will go a long way in straightening out the BIA, allowing it to run more efficiently for the good of all First Americans. She has extensive experience not only in business, but also within Alaska Native groups and organizations. Tara knows first-hand the fight for Native empowerment and self-determination because she’s been on the front lines for years. There’s long been a problem with Native issues not receiving the priority they deserve but with Tara Sweeney at the helm, I have no doubt the Department of Interior will be paying close attention and the voices of our Native communities will be heard. Tara follows in great Alaskan footsteps, those of my dear friend Morris Thompson, and will do a fantastic job working on behalf of American Indians and Alaska Natives across the country.”

Sen. Dan Sullivan said it was a historic appointment for Alaskans: “I’ve worked with Tara Sweeney for years and I have witnessed first-hand her integrity, her strong leadership skills and her devotion to public service. Tara has a deep love for our state and people, and is relentless in her commitment to securing a better future for Alaska and the nation. With her long history of advocating for Alaska Native cultural values, rights, and economic opportunity, I can’t think of anyone better to have as our nation’s next Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs.”

Governor Bill Walker praises the nomination of Tara Sweeney: "Tara's selection for this position is cause for celebration in Alaska. In each of my conversations with Secretary Zinke, I have encouraged him to include Alaskans for significant roles in his department. Tara's leadership in seeking self-determination and economic development for the people of the Arctic has been exemplary. As an Inupiaq tribal and corporate leader, she has sought the necessary balance between economic development and sustaining the ways of life and cultures of Alaska's First People. While many will be sad to see her leave ASRC, Tara's expertise will serve our state and nation well in this new role."

NATIVE LEADERS

Jackie Johnson Pata with the National Congress of American Indians: "I commend the Secretary for his choice of Tara Sweeney for the Position of Assistant Secretary. Tara's diverse experience in the areas of energy, natural resources, and tribal governance will be a welcome addition to the Department of Interior and NCAI looks forward to working with Tara in her new capacity."

John Berrey, Chairman of the Quapaw Tribe in Oklahoma.“Since March when he was sworn in, Secretary Zinke has been assembling a top-notch team of professionals to help him lead the Interior Department. With Tara Sweeney’s nomination, the Secretary is showing he means business when it comes to reforming the BIA and improving the delivery of services to Indian people. Tara’s long and dedicated service to the Alaska Federation of Natives, the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation and, most recently, the Arctic Economic Council, will be what is needed in the BIA’s top official. I thank the secretary for this nomination and pledge to help Tara achieve success for Native people any way I can.”

Leonard Smith, Executive Director of the Native American Development Corporation: “Ms. Sweeney’s background consists of the right elements to assist our economic development efforts with the tribes we serve in Montana, Wyoming, North and South Dakota towards economic sustainability. Her experience in energy, capital, government contracting and economic development give her the depth of knowledge to develop legislative solutions to federal policies that hinder economic development with tribal nations. We feel confident she will be able to promote stronger federal support through collaboration with other federal, state and private resources for implementation of the infrastructure necessary for economic growth and sustainability.”

Julie Kitka, President of the Alaska Federation of Natives: “In these critical times, Ms. Tara Sweeney will serve as a strong Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. Her experience with empowering Native Americans is unparalleled and she will help all tribes achieve great self-determination. There is not a Tribe or Alaska Native corporation that she would not help. I have had the opportunity to work alongside Ms. Sweeney for over a decade, I’ve seen her in action and she is driven by results.”

David Solomon, a Gwich’in activist from Fort Yukon: “'Oh it’s awesome! It’s good to see our Native leader be in the front line now. We’ve been recognized.' Solomon was in Washington, D.C. to rally opposition in the Senate to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. ASRC owns subsurface rights in the refuge and Sweeney has been a lead advocate in favor of drilling there. But Solomon takes a broader view and says Sweeney’s selection is “good for Alaska Natives.”

TWITTER RESPONSE

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WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney announced today that the Department of the Interior has signed agreements with the Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Montana, and the Santee Sioux Nation of the Santee Sioux Reservation in Nebraska to guide implementation of the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations at each of these reservations.

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 10 years. Consolidated interests are immediately restored to tribal trust ownership for uses benefiting the reservation community and tribal members.

“Our partnerships with tribal nations recognize the importance of tribal sovereignty and support tailored implementation of the Buy-Back Program at each unique reservation,” said Assistant Secretary Sweeney. “Each tribe’s input and involvement is critical for outreach to landowners and overall effective implementation of the Program. Landowners and the Buy-Back Program benefit tremendously from the significant contributions of our tribal nation partners.”

To date, the Department has entered into agreements with 49 tribal nations to cooperatively implement the Buy-Back Program. The agreements outline coordinated strategies to facilitate education about the Program to landowners, but are unique in time, scope and responsibilities based on particular circumstances at each location.

These are the second agreements of their kind signed between the Department and the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe.

“The Oglala Sioux Tribe is pleased to enter into an agreement with the Department,” said Oglala Sioux Tribe President Troy “Scott” Weston. “Through this agreement, we look forward to providing outreach to Tribal landowners regarding the Land Buy-Back Program. Our collaboration with the Department will enable landowners to voluntarily sell their fractionated trust land interests in order to benefit our Tribe.”

“This is the second time our Tribe will be involved in the purchase of fractionated trust land from individual Indian landowners. Consolidating our Tribal land base has been a priority for decades as it allows us to make better culturally-based resource management decisions, more opportunities to increase economic development and housing opportunities, strengthen Tribal sovereignty and most of all to preserve the sacredness of the land for the coming generations,” said Northern Cheyenne President L. Jace Killsback. “We value Secretary Zinke’s consideration and approval of our Tribe’s request for the Land Buy-Back to return to the Northern Cheyenne Reservation.”

This is the first agreement of its kind signed between the Department and the Santee Sioux Nation. “We are thankful for the opportunity to purchase from those members or stakeholders who wish to sell their interests in allotted lands to the Santee Sioux Nation,” said Chairman Roger Trudell. “It provides the Nation the opportunity to strengthen its Land holdings and we are grateful for this opportunity provided to us by the Land Buy-Back Program.”

Since the Program began making offers in December 2013, more than 765,000 interests and the equivalent of nearly 2.2 million acres of land have been transferred to tribal governments. As a result of the Buy-Back Program, tribal ownership now exceeds 50 percent in 14,700 more tracts of land (representing an increase of approximately 120 percent for the locations where implementation has occurred), strengthening tribal sovereignty and self-determination. Returning fractionated lands to tribes in trust has enormous potential to improve tribal community resources by increasing home site locations, improving transportation routes, spurring economic development, easing approval for infrastructure and community projects, and preserving traditional cultural or ceremonial sites.

Landowners can contact the Trust Beneficiary Call Center at 888-678-6836 or visit their local Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians to ask questions about their land or purchase offers. More information and detailed frequently asked questions are available at Buy Back Program FAQ to help individuals make informed decisions about their lands.