Navajo Nation Washington Office

On Saturday July 9, U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland will make her first trip to Oklahoma as part of a listening tour to learn more about the consequences Federal boarding schools had on indigenous children, their families, and descendants.

The visit takes place a year after the launch of a detailed investigation into the schools, which fell under the U.S. Department of the Interior’s (DOI) purview for many years as a result of Federal laws. According to a report released as part of the investigation in May, generations of Native children were coerced or forced to attend residential schools so that the U.S. government could dismantle Tribal communities and seize land. The significance of the visit is that for the first time the government acknowledged a link between its boarding school policies and the annexation of indigenous territories.

According to the DOI investigation, schools prioritized hard labor and skills development aimed at eradicating Indigenous cultures rather than education. Children were subjected to cruel punishment for speaking their Native languages and many were abused, malnourished, molested--some never made it home.

The 1819 Civilization Fund Act gave Congress permission to appropriate funds to religious institutions and other organizations to build and sustain institutions that would "civilize" individuals they deemed "savages." Tens of thousands of children were taken from their homes and sent to boarding schools over a 150-year period--some as young as four years old. Forty-seven schools operated in Arizona, 43 in New Mexico, and 60 in Utah.

As part of the boarding school listening tour, Secretary Haaland will visit Arizona, Hawaii, Michigan, and South Dakota. She has additional destinations planned for next year.

Congress is now debating whether to create a formal commission that would broaden the inquiry into boarding schools and delve more deeply into the roles played by churches and other private organizations that were compensated by the U.S. government to run the institutions through H.R. 5444.

In September of 2021 H. CON. RES. 53, “Expressing the sense of Congress that September 30th be observed as the designation of a national day of remem- brance for the Native American children who died while attending a United States Indian boarding school and recognize, honor, and support the survivors of Indian boarding schools, their families, and communities” was introduced by the late Representative Don Young (R-AK). It was supported by Congressman O’Halleran (D-AZ), Congresswoman Leger Fernandez (D-NM), and Congresswoman Davids (D-KS) among others.

The Navajo Nation Washington Office will work with our Congressional delegation to advocate for H.R. 5444. 

Photo caption: Chairwoman Rose DeLauro (D-CT) speaking at a House Appropriations Committee hearing on June 15, 2022. Photo courtesy of U.S. Congress.

Congress is on a short recess this week, allowing members to spend time in their home districts to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday and meet with constituents, but the work of Congressional staffers continues as the House prepares to look at the proposed appropriations for FY2023. As of last week, all 12 standard appropriations bills had cleared the House Appropriations Committee and are now being placed on the calendar for consideration by the entire House. 

Included in the bills are $8 billion in earmarks, called “community project funding,” directing spending to support specific projects in the districts of individual Congressional members. This money will go to support 4,386 individual projects, including $2,000,000 to build a Domestic Violence Emergency Shelter in Tuba City, AZ. This funding was supported by President Nez and secured at the request of Congressman O’Halleran. Democratic representatives secured $5 billion of the $8 billion for their districts. The Republican Party had previously banned earmarks when they were in control of the House as a way to cut back on what they considered wasteful spending.

In a normal year there are 12 standard appropriations bills that fund the day-to-day functions of the Federal government, each covering various administrative agencies. Most of the funding for Indian Country comes from the Interior-Environment bill. These bills will typically be consolidated into a single omnibus spending package that is passed by the end of September to fund the government for the next fiscal year, beginning on October 1st. These bills are sometimes supplemented by one-off spending bills such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that provided additional funds to expand government programs beyond what is considered the normal function of government.

NNWO will continue to monitor these and other bills as they move through Congress to see what changes are made and what is ultimately provided to help Indian Country.

Pioneering Native Comedian Honored on Google

Charlie Hill was the first Native American to do stand up comedy on national TV. To learn more about him, click on the illustration above. 

Notice of Information Collection, Request for Comment: Tribal Self-Governance Program

As part of BIA's continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burdens, we are again soliciting comments from the public and other Federal agencies on the proposed ICR that is described. Written Comments are due on July 14, 2022. 

Recycling Education and Outreach; Grant Program and Model Recycling Program Toolkit 

EPA is developing and implementing several new programs as directed by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The EPA is seeking information about effective strategies to reach consumers and encourage them to engage in activities that reduce the generation of waste, improve effective recycling and reduce contamination in the recycling stream. Written comments are due on July 25, 2022. 

Tribal Intergovernmental Advisory Committee; Reopening Request for Nominations

On March 31, 2022, HUD issued a notice seeking requests for nominations for HUD's Tribal Intergovernmental Advisory Committee (TIAC) which closed on May 31, 2022. HUD did not receive any Tribal nominations from the Southwest Region and is reopening the request for HUD's TIAC for another thirty days. Nominations for potential representatives are due on July 28, 2022. 

Notice of Funds Availability for the Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge for FY2022

The Under Secretary for Rural Development (RD) is seeking applications, for the Rural Development Cooperative Agreement Program (RPIC), from eligible entities to provide technical assistance and training to rural communities for placemaking planning and implementation. This funding opportunity will be administered by the USDA Rural Development Innovation Center and is authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, to provide up to $4 million in competitive cooperative agreement funds. Applications are due by August 15, 2022.  

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Revision of Civil Right Data Collection Methods

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) proposes to revise Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) regulations that cover the collection and reporting of race and ethnicity data by State agencies on persons receiving benefits from SNAP. This rule would remove regulatory language that provides an example that State agencies might collect race and ethnicity data by observation (also referred to as “visual observation”) when participants do not voluntarily provide the information on the application form. USDA's Food and Nutrition Service is committed to promoting equity and inclusion through its Federal nutrition assistance programs. This regulatory change is consistent with this Administration's priorities and furthers FNS' commitment to build equitable and inclusive systems for nutrition access. Written Comments are due on August 26, 2022. 

Upcoming Events

2022 Governor's Native American Summit

July 28, 2022

The Utah Division of Indian Affairs celebrates the 16th annual Governor's Native American Summit. It is a unique event where State and Tribal Leaders, community stakeholders, and Utah's Native American community come together to learn from each other about how to solve the many challenges facing Utah's Native American communities, and more importantly, we gather to celebrate our cultures that are still thriving today. 

Youth in Action:

Indigenizing Hip-Hop

August 12, 2022

How are Indigenous youth asserting their sovereignty and dismantling stereotypes through hip-hop? Join us for an online conversation with Native youth who meld hip-hop and Indigenous beats and rhymes to construct their own narratives and create social change.