Native Americans

Bill includes more than $6 million in Johnson-secured funding for South Dakota

June 23, 2009 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Environment, joined with his colleagues this morning to pass the Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2010. The bill includes more than $6.7 million in Johnson-secured funding for South Dakota.    » read more »

June 19, 2009 -- WASHINGTON - Sandra Brooks Henriquez was sworn in today as the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Henriquez will oversee the nation's public housing and rental assistance programs that assist approximately 3.2 million low-income families across the U.S. She will also be responsible for HUD's Native American and Native Hawaiian programs, which serves 562 federally recognized tribes.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, June 19, 2009 – Information from the 2007 Census of Agriculture is now available for 73 American Indian reservations, including reservation-level information on agricultural production, economics and demographics for individual farms.

"USDA is committed to ensuring that every farmer and rancher has an equal voice and representation in the Census of Agriculture," said Carol House, deputy administrator for USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). "As part of this commitment, we've worked closely with our tribal partners to improve our data collection efforts in Indian country."    » read more »

June 17, 2009 -- Education programs in seven states—Arizona, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon and South Dakota—have been selected to receive nearly $3.8 million to provide training programs to recruit and graduate new American Indian teachers and school administrators, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced today.

“These professional development grants will help us find, train and retain the very best teachers and administrators within American Indian communities,” said Duncan. “These grants represent opportunity, both for teachers and their students.”

The grant award is part of the Office of Indian Education’s Professional Development program, which trains qualified individuals to become teachers and administrators in Indian communities.    » read more »

Grants will help programs from preschool to high school

June 17, 2009 -- U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced today the award of 14 grants totaling $3,404,882 to programs in 11 states that will help American Indian children succeed in school.

“This is an opportunity to assist students who are, as I’ve seen for myself, some of the most motivated in any of our nation’s schools,” said Duncan, who visited the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Montana last month.

Grants are awarded under the Demonstration Grants for Indian Children Program to help enhance both preschool preparation for American Indian children and efforts to prepare American Indian high school students transition to and succeed in college or other postsecondary education options.    » read more »

June 17, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-N.M., today honored the legacy of the Navajo Code Talkers and celebrated the service of three who have passed away in the last month. Willie Begay, Thomas Claw and John Brown, Jr. were celebrated on the Senate floor for their dedication and service to America during World War II. Below is the text of Udall’s speech and to watch the video click HERE.

“Mr. President, I rise today to mark a solemn moment for the Navajo Nation and for our country.

“In the past month, three of America’s veterans passed away—Willie Begay, Thomas Claw and John Brown, Jr. These men were members of the small group of Marines known as the Navajo Code Talkers. Their story is one of the most compelling in American military history.    » read more »

June 17, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman reported today that two New Mexico Pueblos will share over $2 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Laguna Housing Development and Management Enterprise will receive $1.5 million and Isleta Pueblo Housing Authority will receive $939,337 to help provide affordable housing in their communities.

“Quality, affordable housing is out of reach for many people in our state and the problem is especially prevalent on tribal lands. I am pleased that the federal government is making an investment in Laguna and Isleta Pueblo,” Bingaman said.    » read more »

June 11, 2009 -- LANSING - Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm and leaders of the 12 federally recognized Indian tribes in Michigan today signed an intergovernmental accord stating their commitment to combat global warming through the reduction of greenhouse gases.

"Native Americans in Michigan are the state's original environmentalists and understand that climate change is not confined to geographic boundaries," Granholm said. "I am pleased that the 12 tribes are working with us to reduce the threat that greenhouse emissions pose to our environment, economy and quality of life."    » read more »

Governor Crist Signs Legislature's Parameters For Historic Gaming Compact With Seminole Tribe Of Florida; Estimated to provide billions of dollars to support education

June 15, 2009 -- MIAMI – Florida Governor Charlie Crist today signed Senate Bill 788, relating to gaming, which outlines the Legislature’s parameters for a 15-year compact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida that will maximize funding for K-12 public schools. To emphasize the benefit to Florida’s students and teachers, the Governor signed the legislation at Design & Architecture Senior High School, a magnet school for the visual arts located on a three-acre campus in Miami’s design neighborhood.    » read more »

Discussions started with Secretary Salazar, tribal leaders and tribal organizations

June 4, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk has begun his administration by moving quickly to begin discussions with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, tribal leaders and tribal organizations on economic, energy, education, public safety and other issues that need to be addressed in Indian Country.    » read more »

June 03, 2009 -- RICHMOND – Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine released the following statement today in response to the U.S. House of Representatives' vote to pass the "Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2009" (H.R. 1385):

"Today's vote by the U.S. House of Representatives to recognize six of the Native American Tribes of Virginia is a major step towards reconciling an historic wrong for Virginia and the Nation. While the Virginia Tribes have received official recognition from the Commonwealth of Virginia, acknowledgement and officially recognized status from the federal government has been considerably more difficult due to their systematic mistreatment over the past century.    » read more »

Pipelines from Canada Threaten America's Water, Farmland and Communities

May 28, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. -- Farmers, Steelworkers, tribes, rural citizens and environmentalists are all warning that construction of three massive pipelines designed to carry dirty oil from the Alberta tar sands into the United States would threaten communities across the West and Midwest.

An additional pipeline would carry chemical thinners from the U.S. to Canada. Today, a coalition of groups sent letters to the Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration urging that the agency not approve safety plans for the pipelines.    » read more »

Announcement Comes During Visit to Montana Native American Tribes and Housing Authorities

May 27, 2009 -- BILLINGS, MT - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today that HUD is offering more than $252 million to Indian tribes and Alaskan native communities to improve housing and stimulate community development. Provided through The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009, these grants are intended to promote greater energy efficiency, mold remediation, and energy conservation retrofit investments.    » read more »

May 27, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today asked Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to fund a $1.2 million study designed to reduce the high rate of suicides among Alaska natives.

In a letter to the Secretary, Murkowski pointed to a study proposed by Commissioner Warren Zapol of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission that would examine the mental and behavioral health issues facing Alaska Native populations living in the Arctic. Zapol’s study would be conducted by the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences.

This new study would seek to determine the specific genes that contribute to major depressive disorders and alcohol abuse leading to targeted treatment options for Alaska Natives.    » read more »

May 22, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Larry Echohawk, 60, was sworn into office today as the Interior Department’s 11th Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. EchoHawk is an enrolled member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma whose nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 19, 2009. Secretary Salazar conducted the official swearing in ceremony.

“I am very pleased to welcome Larry EchoHawk to the Interior Department,” Salazar said. “I will rely on his steady leadership as we move forward to protect tribal communities, advance Indian education, carry out our trust responsibilities, support sustainable tribal economies, and address Indian Country’s infrastructure needs under the Recovery Act.”    » read more »