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Navajo Nation Washington Office
Wááshindoon Weekly
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Executive Director's Corner | |
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Yá’át’ééh
The Senate comes back at the beginning of September and the House follows a week later, In the meantime President Biden has extended the pause on student loan payments and provided debt relief to low and middle income borrowers.
We share his concerns for our low income Native sisters and brothers as what we have always known and is now illustrated in a recent poll by NPR, Harvard, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation--when times are hard, American Indians have even more challenges--much more than the general population, even other historically marginalized groups.
As we are still navigating COVID, now we're faced with monkey pox, so it's good news when we hear the vaccine is making its way to the Navajo Nation.
Last week's Congressional visit to the Nation to survey abandoned uranium mines is followed by a RECA Forum at San Juan College in Farmington, NM as we continue to press for an expansion of the RECA legislation.
We hope you have a great weekend. Please enjoy this week's Wááshindoon Weekly!
Ahéhee'
Lashawna R. Tso
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RECA Forum Held at Farmington, NM | Delegate Amber Crotty addresses attendees at the RECA Forum in Farmington, M. Photo courtesy of NNWO. | |
On Friday of this week, over 150 people attended a public forum hosted by the Navajo Nation Washington Office (NNWO) to discuss the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) and the status of the proposed amendments. The meeting opened with remarks by Phillip Harrison Jr., a former uranium miner and RECA advocate and Delegate Amber Kanazbah Crotty, and closing remarks by President Jonathan Nez. Also in attendance were Delegate Eugenia Charles Newton and Delegate Paul Begay, who expressed their enthusiasm for the proposed RECA Amendments.
The Council delegates were joined in their support for the proposed legislation by the entire New Mexico congressional delegation. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM) greeted the audience via Zoom, providing assurance that she is doing everything she can to help pass the RECA Amendments of 2021. Representatives from Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury’s (D-NM) office and Senator Ben Ray Luján’s (D-NM) office were also onsite to provide comments of support. Congresswoman Yvette Herrell (R-NM) and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) were not represented, but they sent support letters for the legislation that were read to Forum participants. There were also two presentations. One was on the status of the proposed amendments presented by NNWO. The other focused on the nuts and bolts of applying for compensation presented by Nakissah Yazzie of the Navajo Uranium Workers Program. President Nez participated with the other delegates during the question and answer period.
From 1944 to 1986 approximately 30 million tons of uranium was extracted from the Navajo Nation to help support the U.S. nuclear weapons program during the Cold War and to provide nuclear energy to major American cities. Though this extraction proved to be of great benefit to the national security interests of the United States at the time, it came at a great cost to the individual miners who worked with the uranium, many of them Navajo.
The exposure has and continues to affect thousands of Navajos, leading to higher rates of cancer among the Navajo people than among average Americans. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act was originally passed to provide a modest amount of money to miners and downwinders (i.e. those exposed to radiation due to their proximity to nuclear testing sites) who got sick, but the original legislation limited eligible workers to only those who worked in the mines before 1971 with certain diseases. The Amendments would extend that period to include workers who worked in the mines through 1990, as well as increase the geographic areas for eligible downwinders and the number of eligible diseases.
Legislators from the New Mexico congressional delegation have been unanimous in their desire to see RECA expansion legislation passed. Senator Heinrich said “It is shameful the way our government has treated uranium workers and down winders. Many of you are sick or have lost family members. Over 70 years ago, Navajo miners and millers used pickaxes and wheelbarrows to support our nuclear arsenal. It was originally done without safety precautions and for a mere 81 cents an hour.”
Representative Stansbury expressed that she wanted to see things made right. “From members of Tribal nations who worked as uranium miners to Tularosa Basin residents who witnessed flakes of radioactive Trinity debris fall like snow, we must ensure every person affected by radiation—and their descendants—are compensated and can receive treatment.”
Representative Herrell wants to see unity from both sides of the aisle in achieving a RECA expansion and said in her letter, “I firmly believe that if this bill is brought before the House of Representatives today, it would pass on a bipartisan basis. The key to it eventually becoming law is to continue garnering support in the U.S. Senate, which I am committed to working towards.”
For more information about RECA click HERE.
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Monkey Pox Vaccine Coming to Navajo Nation | | |
In 2019 the Jynneos vaccine for Monkeypox was approved for treatment of adults 18 years and older. Photo Courtesy of Getty Images. | |
This week the Navajo Nation Department of Health (NDOH) issued a notice that the Navajo Nation has experienced its first case of monkeypox, more than three months after the first cases of the virus were reported in the U.S.
Since monkeypox was declared a global emergency in July, there have been 16,926 reported cases in the country as of August 25. The Navajo Nation spans into three states: Arizona, which has 271 cases; New Mexico, with 23 cases; and Utah, with 90 cases, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Despite being named “monkeypox,” the source of the disease remains unknown. However, African rodents and non-human primates (like monkeys) might harbor the virus and spread infection.
In anticipation, President Nez sent a letter to President Biden and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, earlier this month encouraging them to prioritize vaccine distribution to Native American communities by distributing them through the Indian Health Services (IHS), similar to the processes established for the COVID-19 pandemic. President Nez said that the Navajo Nation was efficient in administering COVID-19 vaccinations evidenced by the high vaccination rate reaching over 90%, eclipsing mainstream America, whose rates still lag behind Indian Country. The success of vaccine distribution may have been attributed to bypassing the state public health agencies and instead utilizing the IHS for vaccine distribution.
President Nez hosted a town hall meeting last Thursday outlining his administration’s plan to combat the spread of monkeypox taking lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Nation is expecting to receive its first allocation of the Jynneos monkeypox vaccine this week.
According to the CDC, monkeypox is an uncommon disease brought on by a virus, which is identical to the virus that causes smallpox. People who are infected may develop a rash, which usually appears on their hands, feet, chest, or mouth. In some instances, the rash appears one to four days after the start of flu-like symptoms. It is communicable from the time symptoms appear until the rash has fully resolved—usually two to three weeks.
Due to the similarity of the monkeypox virus and the smallpox virus; and the lack of a specific therapy for these illnesses, the CDC advises using the smallpox vaccine to prevent monkeypox virus infections. For those who have had intimate personal contact with a monkeypox patient, vaccination is advised.
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Biden Orders Relief for Student Debt | According to the Association of Public Land Grant Universities, the average student debt at graduation is $25,921 — or $6,480 for each year of a four-year degree at a public university. Photo courtesy of CNN. | |
During his presidential campaign, President Joe Biden promised to cancel some of the Federal student debt. He delivered on that promise this week. On August 25, 2022, the White House sent out a release announcing a plan for qualified borrowers to be forgiven $10,000 in student loans.
Under the plan, borrowers earning $125,000 per year or $250,000 per year for married couples filing taxes jointly qualify for student loan forgiveness. An additional $10,000 is offered to Pell Grant recipients (eligible for $20,000 in Federal loan forgiveness). Another part of the plan is to extend the current moratorium on payments until December 31, 2022 and implement a new cap on the maximum monthly payments undergraduate borrowers would pay.
Estimates are that 43 million Federal student borrowers are eligible and 20 million could have their debt completely wiped out, according to a senior administration official. The application for student loan forgiveness has not been released yet, but will be available in the coming weeks. The guidelines will list who qualifies and what information is necessary with the application.
Qualifications:
- Students who have Federal student loans are eligible. Private loans are not eligible for cancellation.
- Graduate student loans are eligible for forgiveness, but not for the additional $10,000 offered to Pell Grant recipients.
- Parent Plus loans qualify but would have to meet the income thresholds.
- Current students qualify if their parents’ incomes are below the cap required.
- Loans must have been originated before July 1, 2022.
- Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL) qualify but have stipulations from the Department of Education regarding privately held loans.
- Income eligibility will be determined from 2020 and 2021 tax returns.
Currently there are no statistics on how many Navajo students carry Federal loan debt, but estimates for 2021 cite over 4,000 who received Federal funding according to the Navajo Nation Scholarship Office Annual Report. The student forgiveness plan will help the majority of Navajos who accrued student debt while pursuing post-secondary educations.
Opponents of the plan assert that it will fuel inflation and have questioned the legality of the President taking such action. They also contend that loan forgiveness is unfair to those who worked to pay down their debt and will benefit higher-income earners as much as lower and middle income.
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Poll Reveals Highest Level of Poverty
in Indian Country
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The poll revealed the severity of the impacts of inflation in Indian Country and while Black and Hispanic people also experience hardships along with almost half of the White people polled, lower-income Asians (46% earning less than $50,000 a year) are also feeling the pinch. Graphic courtesy of NPR. | |
Results from a recent national poll from NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health reveals that inflation has caused 69% of Native Americans significant financial problems. Almost 27% of Native Americans live in poverty—a significantly higher number than the rest of the country, which averages close to 15%.
Fewer economic opportunities, long distances from shopping, medical care, and other amenities, housing shortages, and other issues contribute to persistent difficulties when it comes to weathering inflation. Families consolidate resources to be able to keep food on the table and the basics up and running.
President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act has specific benefits for Tribal communities, but they won’t be seen soon enough as many reservation-based Native Americans will continue to use more gas as they travel inordinate distances to do the things most Americans have at their fingertips.
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The Environmental Protection Agency is hosting a webinar and Tribal consultation regarding the Revision and Reissuance of the EPA Environmental Information Quality Management Plan Standard
August 26, 2022
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The Department of in the Interior will hold formal Tribal Consultations regarding Reforming Hardrock Mining Laws
August 26, 2022 at 12:00pm EST
*August 29, 2022 at 11:30am MDT
August 30, 2022 at 11:00am PDT
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Indian Health Service is holding its 2022 IHS Virtual Partnership Conference
August 29, 2022
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Health and Human Services is holding a Tribal Consultation regarding. Section 1557 Proposed Rule
August 31, 2022
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Environmental Protection Agency is holding a Listening Session regarding the Pollution Prevention Grant
September 7, 2022
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Department of Commerce is hosting. a series of consultations regarding the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program
September 12, 2022
September 14, 2022
September 16, 2022
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Office of Head Start is holding a Tribal consultation regarding Meeting the needs of American Indian and Alaska Native Children and Families
September 14, 2022
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White House Council on Native American Affairs is hosting a Tribal Consultation on the Memorandum. ofUnderstanding regarding the Protection of Tribal Treaty and Reserved Rights
September 16, 2022
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OVW Fiscal Year 2022 Grants to Tribal Domestic Violence and
Sexual Assault Coalitions
Supports the development and operation of nonprofit, nongovernmental Tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions, with each recognized coalition receiving an equal amount of base funding, sexual assault and dual coalitions receiving additional amount for sexual assault-focused activities. Deadline: August 29, 2022
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Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has added $1 billion from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to the current Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP). There is no action required for Tribal entities who applied to the June 2021 funding opportunity. NTIA will continue to announce additional awards on a rolling basis as they move through NTIA’s review process. The current Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) funding period closes September 1, 2022.
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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.
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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.
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Community Wildfire Defense Grant 2022 Tribes
Assist at-risk local communities and Indian Tribes with planning and mitigating against the risk created by Wildfire. It prioritizes at-risk communities in an area identified as having high or very high wildfire hazard potential, are low-income, and/or have been impacted by severe disaster. Deadline: October 7, 2022
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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Additional News and Updates | |
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Semiannual Regulatory Agenda
This notice provides the semiannual agenda of Department of the Interior rules scheduled for review or development between Spring 2022 and Spring 2023.
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Tribal Consultation for Ownership and Control and Contractual Assistance
The US Small Business Administration announces that it is holding tribal consultation meetings in Anchorage, AL, Albuquerque, NM, Oklahoma City, OK and Washington, DC concerning forthcoming proposed revisions to the 8(a) Business Development (BD) program regulations.
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Solicitations for Nominations to the Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs, Indian Health Service, Billing Area Representative
The Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, Office of Tribal Government Relations is seeking nominations of qualified candidates to be considered for appointment as a member of the Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs to represent the Indian Health Service, Billing Area. Nominations must be received no later than September 2, 2022.
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Advisory Board of
Exceptional Children Meeting
The Bureau of Indian Education is announcing the Advisory Board for Exceptional Children will hold a two-day in-person and virtual meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to meet the mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) for Indian Children with disabilities. The BIE Advisory Board meeting will be held on September 15 and 16, 2022 from 8:00am to 4:30pm EST.
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Public Law 477 Work Group Annual Meeting
The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs announces the annual meeting of Federal agencies and Tribes that participate. in the Indian Employment, Training, and Related Services Act of 2017 also known as the "Public Law 477 Work Group." The meeting will be conducted virtually via MS Teams and by telephone on September 12, 2022 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm EST.
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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.
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National Tribal Broadband Summit
September 13, 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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We're Hiring!
Are you a great communicator? Are you looking to make a difference in the lives of the Navajo people? Join our team at NNWO.
Government & Legislative Communications Officer
NNWO serves as the Navajo Nation’s advocate with Congress, the White House, and federal agencies. We monitor and analyze congressional legislation, disseminate information on emerging topics of concern, and we develop strategies and decisions concerning national policies and budgets affecting the Navajo Nation.
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For more information on the information provided in this newsletter, please contact NNWO at info@nnwo.org. | | | | | |
