Navajo Nation Washington Office

Conference Addresses Climate Change

on Tribal Lands

Droughts and other natural disasters impact livestock and wildlife in almost irreversible ways on the Navajo Nation. Photo courtesy of Navajo Times.  

The University of North Dakota American Indian Center provides academic and cultural support for Native American Students. Photo courtesy of UND. 

Over the last few weeks several stories have come out reporting on the wrongful possession of Native remains by universities across the country. The first big story came from the University of North Dakota (UND), where an English professor was looking for Native American artifacts and came across human remains instead. Upon closer investigation, 250 boxes were identified containing over 70 human remains along with assorted ceremonial items such as headdresses, war bonnets, and a ceremonial pipe. 

"The best way I can describe how we have found things is in the most inhumane way possible," Laine Lyons, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians who works for the UND Alumni Association and Foundation, told NBC News. "Just completely disregarded that these were once people."

The discovery was made last March, but the university waited until now to make the discovery public as they wanted to consult with local tribes to ensure the situation was handled as respectfully as possible, given the circumstances. The university is committed to returning items to the appropriate tribes, but the task is expected to take years, and may ultimately prove impossible as most of the boxes were inadequately labeled.

The UND is not alone in their discovery. Despite a 1990 law, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), that requires institutions receiving Federal funding to return the human remains of Native Americans and other cultural objects to their descendants and culturally affiliated American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, and Native Hawaiian organizations, many universities that receive Federal funding continue to hold Native remains in an apparent violation of NAGPRA. 

In 2020, the University of Tennessee began the process of returning over 2,000 remains. A few months ago, a draft report from a Harvard commission acknowledged that the university had only returned 3,000 out of 10,000 human remains to tribes since NAGPRA was enacted. What will be done with the remaining 7,000 items has yet to be determined. The University of Alabama published a notice in the Federal Register with the National Park Service on August 30th of their intent to return over 10,000 human remains to seven Muskogean language-speaking tribes throughout the South. The university had long resisted the request by tribes to return the items as they were excavated at the Moundville Archaeological Park, and the university argued no connections could be established between that site and modern tribes.

History of NAGPRA

In 1971, an old cemetery was discovered along the path of a new road that was being built near Glenwood, Iowa. Before construction was allowed to continue, the community determined that the deceased needed to be identified and moved. The graves in the cemetery were clearly prepared in a European fashion, but upon closer investigation two of the bodies were identified as those of a Native American mother and daughter. Their remains were put in a box and shipped off to a museum for further research, while all of the others were relocated to a new burial site. The different treatment of remains from the same cemetery representing people who were likely members of the same community can only be described as racist, and that got the attention of Maria Pearson.

Pearson is often thought of as the founder of the modern Indian repatriation movement. After the events at Glenwood, she dressed in traditional attire and sat outside the office of Governor Robert D. Ray until an audience was granted. When asked how he could help, she responded: “You can give me back my people's bones and you can quit digging them up.” This encounter led to the passage of the Iowa Burials Protection Act of 1976, the first legislation of its kind and an important predecessor of NAGPRA.

Of course, what it ultimately comes down to is a matter of respect. NAGPRA is an important piece of legislation that requires institutions to treat the deceased ancestors of Native peoples with the same respect that those institutions generally grant to the deceased ancestors of European peoples. But it is not just about respect for the dead. It is also about respect for the living.

Native American Church Meets in DC 

NACNA delegates met with Congressional members to support preservation of natural peyote habitat. Photo courtesy of NACNA.

Window Rock Fair Celebrates All Things Navajo

With the numbers of Covid infections decreasing, the decision to hold the 74th Annual Navajo Nation Fair was made and this long-overdue celebration was met with elation by Navajos across Dinetah.

The theme this year was "Honoring Our Frontline Workers" and thousands of Navajos and others came out to enjoy all that the Fair had to offer.

NNWO was on hand to volunteer to help the Community Health Representatives pass out PPE and to join in the festivities, which included performances by Ernest & David Tsosie III, Tribal Touch, Queensryche, Los Lonely Boys, and Levi Platero to name a few. There were also vendors, a rodeo, a Pow Wow, the parade—and the crowning of Miss Navajo. Here, we are posting a few of the many photos we took. 

Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program

The U.S. Department of Energy has $2 billion in loans and loan guarantees available exclusively for Tribes for energy projects to support economic development. The program has recently expanded to offer direct loans to Tribes.

Power Unelectrified Tribal Buildings

Indian Energy Policy and Programs (Office of Indian Energy) issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) to release a $15 million Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) this summer to support powering unelectrified Tribal buildings.

Deploy Energy Infrastructure on Tribal lands

Office of Indian Energy intends to solicit applications from Indian tribes including Alaska Native Regional Corporations and Village Corporations, Intertribal Organizations, and Tribal Energy Development Organizations, to install clean energy generating system(s) and/or energy efficiency measure(s) for Tribal building(s); or, deploy community-scale clean energy generating system(s) or energy storage on Tribal Lands; or install integrated energy system(s) for autonomous operation (independent of the traditional centralized electric power grid) to power a single or multiple essential Tribal facilities during emergency situations or for Tribal community resilience.

Indian Community Development Block Grant Program

The primary objective of the Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) program is the development of viable Indian and Alaska Native communities, including the creation of decent housing, suitable living environments, and economic opportunities primarily for persons of low-and moderate-incomes. Application Portal Opens October 24, 2022. 

From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of

Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals

The primary goal of the Program is to enable higher education institutions to build and sustain the next generation of the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences workforce including the future USDA workforce primarily through providing student scholarship support, meaningful paid internships, fellowships and job opportunity matching, and also facilitating opportunities to learn the processes and pathways leading to training and employment in the federal sector. Deadline: October 25, 2022. 

Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) appropriated $2 billion to Treasury to provide payments to eligible revenue sharing counties and eligible Tribal governments for use on any governmental purpose except for a lobbying activity. Deadline: October 31, 2022. 

The Affordable Connectivity Program

The Affordable Connectivity Program is an FCC benefit program that helps ensure that households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare and more. The benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.

Indian Houding Block Grant Competitive Grant Program

Under the program, eligible Indian Tribes and tribally designated housing entities receive grants to carry out a range of affordable housing activities. Grant funds may be used to develop, maintain, and operate affordable housing in safe and healthy environments on Indian reservations and in other Indian areas and carry out other affordable housing activities. Grant funds must be used to primarily benefit low-income Indian families. Deadline: November 17, 2022

FY 2023 AmeriCorps State and National Native Nations Grants

AmeriCorps seeks to prioritize the investment of national service resources into disaster services like COVID-19 response, economic opportunities, education, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Indigenous language, civic and social engagement, healthy futures and veterans and military families. Opportunities include three-year operating grants which engage AmeriCorps members in time-limited-service commitments and one-year planning grants to develop programs that implement evidence-based solutions to community needs. Deadline: April 5, 2023

Notice of Availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Navajo Nation Integrated Weed Management Plan

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) as the lead Federal agency, with the Navajo Nation as a cooperating agency, has prepared a Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (FPEIS) for the proposed Navajo Nation Integrated Weed Management Plan (NNIWMP) and by this notice is announcing its availability

Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS or the Department) is issuing this proposed rule on Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) (Section 1557). Section 1557 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in certain health programs and activities. Section 1557(c) of the ACA authorizes the Secretary of the Department to promulgate regulations to implement the nondiscrimination requirements of Section 1557. Comments due by October 3, 2022. 

Notice of Establishment of the Tribal Homeland Security Advisory Council; Solicitation of Inaugural Members

The Department of Homeland Security, through the Office of Partnership and Engagement, is establishing the Tribal Homeland Security Advisory Council (THSAC). The goal of the THSAC is to provide recommendations on policies, programs, and initiatives that the Department is undertaking that have implications for tribes and Tribal Nations. The Office of Partnership and Engagement seeks inaugural members of the THSAC. Applications will be accepted until October 10, 2022.

Request for Public Comment: Urban Indian Organization

On-Site Review

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Indian Health Service (IHS) invites the general public to comment on a new information collection titled, “Urban Indian Organization On-Site Review.” IHS is requesting the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve this new collection. Consideration will be given to all comments received by October 11, 2022.

Agency Information Collection Activities:

Tribal Enrollment Count

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), are proposing to reinstate a previously approved information collection. Interested persons are invited to submit comments before October 17, 2022.

Upcoming Events

Native American

Economic Development & Diversification Conference

September 19 - 20, 2022

Through a variety of panels and interactive discussions, attendees will engage with experts focusing on economic diversification. Tribal leaders will come together to discover new ways to diversify their Tribe’s economic ventures and focus on building resilient and sustainable communities that thrive. By networking with other Tribal leaders, decision makers and industry professionals you can exchange tangible ideas on how to maximize your respective economies.

National American Indian Housing Council

Legislative Conference

September 19 - 21, 2022

NAIHC’s annual Legislative Conference held in Washington, DC offers tribal leaders, housing professionals, advocates, and attorneys a platform to hear directly from Members of Congress and federal agency representatives through plenary session updates. At the Legislative Conference, attendees have opportunities to meet with Congressional staff to discuss important legislative and policy issues affecting Indian Country as well as network with fellow housing professionals.

National Tribal Broadband Summit

September 20, and 27

The Summit will convene Tribal broadband experts to discuss how to make the best us of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Federal Broadband Connectivity Grants funds for Tribes and how to plan for. the future of wireless networks and digital economies on Tribal Lands.

National Tribal Health Conference

September 25 - 29, 2022

Join NIHB and explore the topics of health equity, health policy, Tribal advances in health and many more. The National Tribal Health Conference serves as a forum to discuss policy and political work in the arenas of Tribal health care, public and behavioral, and environmental health. Tribal leaders, Tribal health directors, administrators, policy analysts advocates, Native youth and early career professionals are invited. 

2022 AISES National Conference

October 6-8, 2022

The annual AISES National Conference is a unique, three-day event focusing on educational, professional, and workforce development for Indigenous peoples of North America and the Pacific Islands in STEM studies and careers.