President Biden Issues Indigenous Peoples’ Day Proclamation
On October 8, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden became the first president to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day. He issued a proclamation calling upon the American people to recognize October 11, overlapping Columbus Day, as a day of recognition and celebration of...
The American Rescue Plan Act In Depth: Opportunities for Individuals
Several programs authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”) continue to provide financial assistance to tribal members and other individuals to address the devastating economic impacts of COVID-19. These include advance and regular Child Tax Credit...
Historic Hearing on Fort Belknap Indian Community Water Settlement Act
On October 6, 2021, Fort Belknap Indian Community (FBIC) President Andrew Werk Jr. testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on the “Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Tribes of the Fort Belknap Indian Community Water Rights Settlement Act of 2021. This is...
Interior Reschedules Indian Boarding School Initiative Consultations
In a letter to tribal leaders on October 19, 2021, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland rescheduled dates for tribal consultation on Interior’s Indian Boarding School Initiative. The Assistant Secretary also extended time period for written comments to...
The White House Reschedules Tribal Nations Summit
The 2021 White House Tribal Nations Summit will take place on November 15 and 16, 2021. The registration deadline has been extended to Friday, November 5, 2021. Link here. Additionally, the White House has requested responses to the Tribal Nations Summit questionnaire...
White House Announces Tribal Nations Summit in early November
The 2021 White House Tribal Nations Summit will be held the week of November 8, 2021. The summit will take place virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the deadline for registration is Friday, October 22. The Tribal Nations Summit provides an important opportunity...
Secretary Haaland Investigating Federal Indian Boarding Schools
Earlier this summer, U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative to examine the troubled legacy of the federal boarding school policies in the United States. Haaland issued a memorandum on June 22,...
Treasury Releases Guidance for the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund
Last week, the U.S. Department of Treasury released its Guidance for the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund. The CCPF provides $100 million to be distributed to Indian tribes in equal shares to carry out critical capital projects that directly enable work, education,...
Senate Passes $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill and $3.5 Trillion Budget Reconciliation
On August 1, 2021, ahead of recess, the U.S. Senate passed a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This “traditional” infrastructure bill incorporates more than $11 billion dedicated to infrastructure needs...
Upcoming Reporting Deadline for Covid-19 Fiscal Recovery Funds and Treasury User Guides
By August 31, 2021, tribal governments are required to provide an Interim Report to the U.S. Department of Treasury on the use of the Fiscal Recovery Funds provided under the American Rescue Plan Act. The Interim Report is a one-time initial overview of how tribal...