Native Americans

May 22, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has a message for Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki when they meet next week in her office here: Get serious about fixing the serious VA healthcare access problems facing veterans in rural Alaska.

Murkowski, a member of the Senate Appropriations Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, laid out her concerns in a letter she sent to Shinseki today (see attachment).

Alaska’s senior senator expressed deep disappointment that a new $215 million VA funding initiative for veterans in rural areas would do little to ease the access problems for rural Alaska veterans, many of whom live in remote villages and have no direct road access to VA healthcare facilities.    » read more »

May 21, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall on Wednesday introduced legislation aimed at settling a decades old water dispute over water rights claims in the Rio Pojoaque.

The legislation authorizes a settlement of the claims being pursued by the Nambe, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, and Tesuque Pueblos in the Rio Pojoaque basin north of Santa Fe. It is based on years of extensive negotiations between many parties, including Indian, local, state and federal parties.    » read more »

May 22, 2009 -- SANTA FE – New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has signed an executive order lowering flags to half staff in honor and mourning of one of the original Navajo Code Talkers, John Brown Jr., 88, who passed away at his home in Crystal, NM on Wednesday. He will be laid to rest on Tuesday, May 26th.

“New Mexico has lost a treasure – as we face our current struggles and uncertain times ahead, we may take comfort in knowing we had such notable and excellent examples to follow from the Navajo Code Talkers,” said Governor Richardson. “New Mexicans and all Americans owe Mr.

Brown and each of the Code Talkers a debt of gratitude for the sacrifices they made to guarantee the freedom that we enjoy today."    » read more »

May 19, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall, and Representative Ben Ray Luján, today announced Ramah Navajo Chapter is the nation’s first Tribe to receive direct road repair funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Ramah is expected to receive more than $644,000 from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to help resurface approximately 10 miles of Ramah Navajo Route 25 – also known as Veterans Highway – on the tribe’s 168,000-acre reservation.

“This significant grant will improve Ramah Navajo Route 25, making it safer for all who travel on it,” Bingaman said. “I am very glad that New Mexico is the first recipient of funding from this very important Indian Rural Roads initiative.”    » read more »

Funding will support key health care infrastructure for Washington state tribes

May 19, 2009 -- Last week, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) announced that 39 projects in Washington state will receive funding from the Indian Health Service. The funding is part of $500 million allocated nationwide for improvements in Indian health in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.

“Investing in health care infrastructure for Washington state’s tribes is good health care policy, and it is good economic policy”, said Senator Patty Murray. “In this recession it is absolutely imperative that families have access to the programs that they need to stay healthy and stay working.”    » read more »

May 18, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Mark Begich, D-Alaska, have written to the chairman of a Senate subcommittee expressing concern over the panel’s investigation of Alaska Native Corporation participation in a federal contracting program.

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight, has scheduled a hearing July 16, 2009, on government contracts awarded to Alaska Native Corporations under the Native American 8(a) program administered by the Small Business Administration.    » read more »

Funding also announced for tribes and facilities across the state

May 15, 2009 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD), a member of the Indian Affairs and Appropriations Committees, today announced that the Indian Health Service (IHS) will provide funding, as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to complete construction of the IHS hospital in Eagle Butte. The project is one of only two of its kind in the country to receive this funding.    » read more »

May 8, 2009 -- SANTA FE -- New Mexico Governor Richardson met earlier this week with leaders of 21 of the Tribes, Nations, and Pueblos of New Mexico at the first State-Tribal Leaders Summit. Hosted by the Pueblo of Acoma, tribal and state leaders met to promote dialogue and collaborative problem-solving for a number of issues raised by both the tribes and the state.

“I am very pleased at the success of State-Tribal Leaders Summit and the dialogue we had on important issues and needs in tribal communities,” said Governor Richardson. “I am furthering my commitment to strengthen the government-to-government relationships with all the tribes and to addressing the issues that were presented at the tribal Summit."    » read more »

Funds for Job Creation, Construction and Infrastructure Improvements, and WorkforceDevelopment Projects to Empower Tribal Communities Nationwide

May 04, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Interior Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Economic Development – Indian Affairs George T. Skibine today announced funding totals for the 12 Indian Affairs regions for projects targeting federally recognized tribes under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Overall, the Interior Department will invest $500 million of the $3 billion it has received through President Obama’s economic recovery plan in tribal communities across the nation.    » read more »

Action signals move toward stronger environmental safeguards for Proposed Coal‐Fired Power Plant on Navajo Nation

April 27, 2009 -- (Santa Fe, NM) -- New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson today applauded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s motion for voluntary remand of the air quality permit for the Desert Rock Energy Facility.

“I am encouraged by this decision -- it’s a significant victory in our ongoing fight to protect the quality of our air,” said Governor Richardson. “We still have work to do to make sure that this project only moves forward with the proper environmental safeguards. I am pleased the Obama Administration is taking action to reverse the disastrous environmental policies of the Bush Administration."    » read more »

Job Creation, Construction and Infrastructure Improvements, Workforce Development Focus of Tribal Community Investments

April 25, 2009 -- BISMARK, N.D. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that the Department will fund $500 million in new school and housing construction, road and bridge improvements, and workforce development projects for federally recognized tribes across the nation. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Department’s Indian Affairs office will also offer federally guaranteed loans for American Indian-owned businesses. These investments will significantly improve the quality of life in tribal communities nationwide.    » read more »

April 22, 2009 -- MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Twelve Minnesota counties and a tribal reservation were designated eligible for federal Public Assistance (PA) on Wednesday. That brings the total number of counties to 27 according to officials from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Newly designated include Becker, Beltrami, Chippewa, Clearwater, Douglas, Hubbard, Lac Qui Parle, Lake of the Woods, Pope, Swift, Stevens, and Yellow Medicine counties and the White Earth Tribal Reservation.    » read more »

April 22, 2009 -- Included in this memo are the following:

· Statement from Governor Charlie Crist

· Statements from the Seminole Tribe of Florida Representatives

· What Floridians can expect as a result of the Compact Accords

· The Seminole Compact Accords Timeline

Attached to this memo are the following:

· Draft Bill language submitted to the Legislature for consideration

· Compact Between the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the State of Florida as originally signed on November 14, 2007    » read more »

April 17, 2009 -- ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today met with Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley to discuss water, education, road and job training initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life for residents of the Navajo Nation, other American Indian communities and residents of New Mexico.

“I am committed to upholding the President’s pledge to work directly with American Indian leaders to fulfill our treaty and trust obligations,” Salazar said. “The federal government has an obligation to work directly with federally-recognized tribal nations on a government-to-government basis. Today’s meeting with Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley is just the first of many meetings to come.”    » read more »

Bill includes major projects that secure safe, clean drinking water for Eastern New Mexico and the Navajo Nation

March 25, 2009 -- SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO – New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson today applauded the final passage of the federal Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. The bill contains important waterrelated legislation for New Mexico, including the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act, which is a major component of the State of New Mexico’s settlement with the Navajo Nation, and legislation authorizing the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System, which will provide drinking water for eastern New Mexico communities. The bill will now head to President Obama for signature.    » read more »