DECEMBER 1, 2022:
One year after the reinstatement of the White House Tribal Nations Summit, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is sharing its actions to better serve tribal governments, citizens, and organizations and honor our nation’s trust and treaty responsibility. The Biden-Harris Administration and USDA are taking steps to empower tribal self-determination, promote equity and remove barriers to services and programs, and incorporate Indigenous perspectives.
“USDA is honored to work alongside the sovereign governments of American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Nations,” said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “We continue to make our programs and services more accessible and include Indigenous viewpoints in program design and delivery.”
In observance of Native American Heritage Month, and coinciding with the White House Tribal Nations Summit, USDA shares a comprehensive list of USDA’s Indian Country Accomplishments. Below are a sampling of these efforts.
USDA is removing barriers to service for Indian Country
USDA announces for the first time in history that a permanent Tribal Advisory Committee (TAC) will be formed, opening regular access to USDA decision-makers for Indian Country. Authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill, the committee will advise the Secretary on topics important to tribal producers. The committee complements the ongoing government-to-government consultation between USDA and Indian Tribes. A notice for applications will be forthcoming. Per tribal leaders’ requests, USDA also announces that the Tribal College/1994 Program will be moved to the Office of Tribal Relations.
USDA is taking additional steps to increase tribal access to high speed internet through the ReConnect Program. USDA clarified that the long-standing requirement to obtain necessary permits and rights-of-way, also includes the need for tribal permissions when providing USDA-funded broadband service on tribal lands.
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) is also working hard to ensure equity in their pursuit of tribal food sovereignty for tribal nations through the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement (LFPA) program. LFPA empowers state, tribes, and territories to purchase local foods from local, regional, underserved, and tribal producers to distribute those foods to their communities. New flexibilities and a historic $100 million allocation to tribes will help address the disproportionate food insecurity needs in Indian Country and ensure a more equitable distribution of LFPA resources.
USDA is enhancing tribal self-determination
USDA’s Forest Service will highlight 11 new signed co-stewardship agreements at this year’s Tribal Nations Summit, and has a historic 60 additional co-stewardship agreements in process. Through the Joint Secretarial Order (PDF, 549 KB) promoting increased tribal inclusion in federally managed lands, USDA and the Department of the Interior codified a policy to ensure that tribal governments have a role in decision-making on public lands. This policy enhances the protection of sacred sites and resources, and incorporates traditional Indigenous values and perspectives in land and resource management decisions.
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service is also a leader in empowering tribal self-determination and has awarded $5.7 million to eight tribes for demonstration projects that give them more options to directly select and purchase foods for their Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) or tribal “commodities” programs. This is an important step to increasing tribal food sovereignty in the program and support tribal economies, vendors, and producers.
USDA is incorporating Indigenous perspectives in agricultural research and education
In supporting the incorporation of Indigenous perspectives in agriculture, USDA recognizes the importance of Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK). USDA’s Agricultural Research Service is partnering with Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish (NHS) College in North Dakota on a research program that integrates Western and Indigenous knowledge in propagating Indigenous plants important to tribes in the region. USDA is also partnering with the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) to fund an Indigenous Knowledge research track at their annual youth conference.
Earlier this month, USDA announced new resources and agreements, including Indigenous foods cooking videos, as part of USDA’s comprehensive efforts to incorporate Indigenous perspectives through the USDA Indigenous Food Sovereignty Initiative, which promotes traditional food ways, Indian Country food and agriculture markets, and Indigenous health through foods tailored to American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) dietary needs.
NOVEMBER 30, 2022, UPDATE:
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is pledging to give Native Americans a stronger voice in federal affairs. At the first in-person summit on tribal affairs in six years, he says he’ll foster “respect for Indigenous knowledge and tribal consultations” in government decision-making. Biden has announced new steps to establish uniform standards for federal agencies to consult with tribes, as well as a plan to revitalize Native languages and new efforts to strengthen the tribal rights outlined in existing treaties. Biden also has announced $135 million in federal funds to relocate to safe ground 11 tribal communities that face the impacts of climate-related environmental threats.
Extended version:
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday (Nov. 30, 2022) pledged to give Native Americans a stronger voice in federal affairs, promising at the first in-person summit on tribal affairs in six years that he would foster “respect for Indigenous knowledge and tribal consultations” in government decision-making.
Biden announced new steps to establish uniform standards for federal agencies to consult with tribes, a plan to revitalize Native languages and new efforts to strengthen the tribal rights that are outlined in existing treaties with Washington.
Biden, who spoke on the opening day of the two-day summit, also announced $135 million in federal money to relocate to safe ground 11 tribal communities that face the impacts of climate-related environmental threats, from Maine to Alaska.
“There are tribal communities at risk of being washed away,” he told summit participants. “It’s devastating.”
Villages are at risk of severe infrastructure damage due to coastal erosion and extreme weather events. A 2020 study from the Interior Department said $5 billion would be needed over the next 50 years for tribal relocation due to environmental damage.
The summit coincides with National Native American Heritage Month, which is celebrated in November. Leaders and representatives from hundreds of Native American tribes were in attendance at the summit.
The Biden administration said its goal is to build on previous progress and create opportunities for lasting change in Indian Country. But the lasting nature of Biden’s commitments is not guaranteed without codified laws and regulations.
The president said he is requesting $9.1 billion for the Indian Health Service, which provides medical care to members of federally recognized tribes, and that Congress for the first time should make the funding mandatory.
Whether Congress will act on that and other tribal issues is another matter.
“It changes with each president,” said Jonathan Nez, the leader of the Navajo Nation in the Southwest. “And even if it’s legislated, it takes a significant effort especially when, at times, tribal issues take the back seat to larger, national issues.”
Federal agencies recently have been creating tribal advisory councils and reimagining consultation policies that go beyond a “check the box” exercise. Some of the more significant changes involve incorporating Indigenous knowledge and practices into decision-making and federal research.
Nez has been advocating for a speedier process to get infrastructure projects, including internet access, on the Navajo Nation, which stretches 27,000 square miles (70,000 square kilometers) into New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. He said it requires constant advocacy.
“You’ve got some new congressional officials who just got elected also, so there’s going to be more educating that has to be done,” he said.
The administration also announced that the Commerce Department will work with tribes to co-manage public resources such as water and fisheries. The Agriculture Department and the Interior Department have signed 20 co-stewardship agreements with tribes, and an additional 60 are under review, the administration said.
The tribal nations summit wasn’t held during then-President Donald Trump’s administration. The Biden administration held one virtually last year as the coronavirus pandemic ravaged the U.S. and highlighted deepening and long-standing inequities in tribal communities.
Both administrations signed off on legislation that infused much-needed funding into Indian Country to help address health care, lost revenue, housing, internet access and other needs. The 574 federally recognized tribes in the U.S. received a combined $20 billion in American Rescue Plan Act money under the Biden administration.
Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, which provided $8 billion to tribes and Alaska Native corporations but had more rigid guidelines on how it could be spent. The Treasury Department was sued over how that funding was allocated and faced harsh criticism for the time it took to get the money to tribes.
Biden’s Treasury Department said it prioritized tribal engagement and feedback in distributing funding from the latest aid package. A report released Wednesday by the administration outlines how tribes spent the money on more than 3,000 projects and services.
The Karuk Tribe in northwestern California, for example, used some of the aid for permanent and temporary housing after a wildfire that burned 200 homes in the Klamath Mountains displaced tribal members.
The Native Village of Deering and other tribal governments in Alaska pooled funds to ensure access to preschool and free meals, along with extra servings in an area where food has been scarce.
Other tribal communities across the U.S. have spent the money on housing for tribal members, transportation to veterans hospitals, after-school facilities, language and culture programs, emergency services and health care facilities.
Biden promised to make official presidential visits to Indian Country, saying “the United States owes a solemn trust and treaty obligation that we haven’t always lived up to. I will do so in the enduring spirit of our nation-to-nation relationship, the spirit of friendship, stewardship, and respect.”
He stressed the need for “respect for tribes as nations and treaties as law, … respect for Indigenous knowledge and tribal consultations as a key part of federal agency decision making. ”
NOVEMBER 30, 2022:
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is making new commitments to Native American nations at the first in-person summit on tribal affairs in six years. The changes include uniform standards for federal agencies to consult with tribes, a plan to revitalize Native languages and efforts to strengthen tribal rights in existing treaties with the U.S. government. The two-day White House Tribal Nations Summit begins Wednesday (Nov. 30, 2022) in Washington, D.C. President Joe Biden is scheduled to address the summit on Wednesday. The summit coincides with National Native American Heritage Month, which is celebrated in November. Leaders and representatives from hundreds of Native American tribes are expected to attend.
Extended version:
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden plans to make new commitments to Native American nations during the government’s first in-person summit on tribal affairs in six years.
The changes include uniform standards for federal agencies to consult with tribes, a plan to revitalize Native languages and new efforts to strengthen the tribal rights that are outlined in existing treaties with the U.S. government. Biden, a Democrat, is scheduled to address the White House Tribal Nations Summit on Wednesday, the opening day of the two-day summit.
The gathering coincides with National Native American Heritage Month, which is celebrated in November. Leaders and representatives from hundreds of Native American tribes are expected to attend.
The Biden administration said its goal is to build on previous progress and create opportunities for lasting change in Indian Country. However, the lasting nature of Biden’s commitments isn’t guaranteed without codified laws and regulations.
“It changes with each president,” said Jonathan Nez, the leader of the Navajo Nation in the U.S. Southwest. “And even if it’s legislated, it takes a significant effort especially when, at times, tribal issues take the back seat to larger, national issues.”
Federal agencies recently have been creating tribal advisory councils and reimagining consultation policies that go beyond a “check the box” exercise. Some of the more significant changes involve incorporating Indigenous knowledge and practices into decision-making and federal research.
Nez has been advocating for a speedier process to get infrastructure projects, including internet access, on the Navajo Nation, which stretches 27,000 square miles (70,000 square kilometers) into New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. He said it requires constant advocacy.
“You’ve got some new congressional officials who just got elected also, so there’s going to be more educating that has to be done,” he said.
The Biden administration also planned to announce Wednesday that the Commerce Department will work with tribes to co-manage public resources like water and fisheries. The Agriculture Department and the Interior Department have signed 20 co-stewardship agreements with tribes, and another 60 are under review, the administration said.
A new report being released in conjunction with the summit will outline best practices on integrating tribal treaty rights, like hunting and fishing on ancestral lands, into the decision-making process for federal agencies.
The tribal nations summit wasn’t held during then-President Donald Trump’s administration. The Biden administration held one virtually last year as the coronavirus pandemic ravaged the U.S. and highlighted deepening and long-standing inequities in tribal communities.
Both administrations signed off on legislation that infused much-needed funding into Indian Country to help address health care, lost revenue, housing, internet access and other needs. The 574 federally recognized tribes in the U.S. received a combined $20 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funding under the Biden administration.
Trump, a Republican, signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, which provided $8 billion to tribes and Alaska Native corporations but had more rigid guidelines on how it could be spent. The Treasury Department was sued over how that funding was allocated and faced harsh criticism for the time it took to get the money to tribes.
Biden’s Treasury Department said it prioritized tribal engagement and feedback in distributing funding from the latest aid package. A report being released Wednesday by the administration outlines how tribes spent the money on more than 3,000 projects and services.
The Karuk Tribe in northwestern California, for example, used some of the aid for permanent and temporary housing after a wildfire that burned 200 homes in the Klamath Mountains displaced tribal members.
The Native Village of Deering and other tribal governments in Alaska pooled funds to ensure access to preschool and free meals, along with extra servings in an area where food has been scarce.
Other tribal communities across the U.S. have spent the money on housing for tribal members, transportation to veterans hospitals, after-school facilities, language and culture programs, emergency services and health care facilities.
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