Government: HHS Region 10 Annual Tribal Consultation February 24 and 25, 2014 - Tribal leaders from Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington are invited to participate in a two-day U.S. Health and Human Services Region 10 Tribal Consultation on Monday, February 24th and Tuesday, February 25th at the Tulalip Resort in Tulalip, Washington. Note: Thanks to Deborah Sosa for this.

Government: Tribes want Congress to ban Redskins’ trademark - The country’s tribal leaders, in Washington this week to meet with President Barack Obama, say the word has always been offensive, given the brutal history that surrounds it. And they’re upping the pressure to get the National Football League’s Washington Redskins to change the team mascot, saying the name is clearly racist and doesn’t belong on football gear. Comment: Personally, I don't follow sports. The elite use sports to keep us distracted and subservient while they impoverish the nation. At work you cannot talk about politics or what the anglosphere elite are doing to the country, but you can talk about sports. So I don't talk about sports. The use of the term, "Redskins," however, hearkens back to the American holocaust, which killed between 90 percent and 99 percent of our native ancestors. We who remain are descended from holocaust survivors and wear the term "redskin" as a mark of distinction: we survive, we remain. To deny the term is tantamount to denying the holocaust.

Government: Remarks by the President at Tribal Nations Conference - THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you, everybody. Everybody, please, have a seat. Thank you, Karen, for the kind introduction. A couple of people I want to introduce, or at least acknowledge. First of all, give it up for our outstanding new Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell. (Applause.) We’re joined by several other members of my Cabinet, which reflects how much my administration values your partnership, the partnership with your communities. I want to thank the members of Congress who are here.

Government: Top 10 Tribal Desires at 2013 White House Tribal Nations Conference - Tribal leaders made abundantly clear at this year’s White House Tribal Nations Conference that they appreciate the good things the Obama administration has done for their tribal nations to date, but that doesn’t mean they are content—far from it.

Government: Washington has anthropologist for tribal remains - It is a Spartan setting, the lab where 120 cardboard filing boxes--each with human bones in them, many of them old Native American bones--fill the eight large metal lockers along the walls. They are awaiting reburial, back to the land where they had spent all those years undisturbed. In this rather worn building, one of those concrete government places waiting to be torn down, Guy Tasa is at work. He is the state's physical anthropologist, a job created in 2008 when the Legislature passed laws concerning the inadvertent discovery of human remains.

Government: U.S. Department of Justice grants $4.2 million to Oregon tribal groups - The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday announced grants totaling $4.2 million to five of Oregon's Native American tribes.

Government: Shutdown delays could hit tribes hard - If the government shutdown goes too long, it will mean the end of services for the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians. The Coquille Tribe is a little better off, according to Ray Doering, spokesman. “If this continues much longer it could be bad,” said Bob Garcia, chairman for the Confederated Tribal Council.

Government: Funding for Native American tribes could save fish and wildlife - Native American Tribes are eligible to apply for Federal grants to protect endangered species according to the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife. The Tribal Wildlife Grant Program gives an opportunity for Tribal governments to develop programs for fish and wildlife and their habitat, including species of Native American cultural or traditional importance and species that are not hunted or fished.

Government: Tribal Sovereignty Supported in Latest Tax Reform Bill - A California congressman has introduced a far-reaching tax reform bill clarifying that sovereign tribal nations are as tax exempt as states and other nations. On August 2, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA.) introduced the "Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act of 2013" – H.R. 3043 into Congress. The bill will stop the Internal Revenue Service from imposing federal income taxes on benefits tribal members receive from a wide range of tribal government programs and services, such as education scholarships, funds to attend and participate in cultural events, housing benefits, bereavement stipends, and many others. In addition, it will put an end to IRS agents showing up unannounced on reservations to conduct audits of tribal governments’ expenditures that have not been and never should be subject to taxation.

Government: U.S. gears up for huge, difficult land buyback for Indian tribes - After bungling the management of Indian lands for generations, the federal government wants to make amends by spending nearly $2 billion to buy 10 million acres of land for 150 tribes across the nation. When tribal leaders met with government officials in Seattle, Chief James Allan of Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene Tribe complained that 45 percent of the money will go to just seven tribes.

Government: Tribes form national emergency council - A national tribal group with roots in Washington has a new, high-profile leader to help with emergency preparedness. The association works to help tribes to prepare for floods, fires and other disasters and to make sure other governments work with tribes.

Government: Native American Tribes To Get 10 Million Acres From US Government - Native American tribes in the United States will soon be given 10 million acres following a land buy-back program. The US government is currently preparing to spend almost $2 billion in purchasing privately owned lands.

Government: White House Establishes Council on Native American Affairs - “This is an exciting development in advancing a new era of U.S.-Tribal relations," exclaimed Fawn Sharp, President of the Quinault Indian Nation and the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians regarding today’s establishment of the White House Council on Native American Affairs by President Barack Obama.

Government: Four Oregon Tribes Eligible For Federal Land Buy-Back Program - A number of Oregon's native tribes stand poised to consolidate tribal land holdings now that the federal government has launched its long-awaited land buy-back program. Four Oregon tribes meet the requirements for participation in the program. The largest being the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs which has 44,000 acres eligible for buy-back.

Government: IRS Harassing Tribes with Audits, Threatening Sovereignty - The Tea Party is not the only entity that’s come under improper scrutiny by the Internal Revenue Service. Over the past several years, tribal governments have been targeted for audits by a government entity that was set up to help them understand and comply with applicable tax laws. Instead the IRS’s Indian Tribal Governments office has initiated audits and other compliance check activities throughout Indian country that tribal leaders say not only violate tribal sovereignty, but are discriminatory, harassing, and almost always fail to find any tax abuse.

Government: 3 Washington Native Leaders, Quinault Adviser Named to Key Positions - Suquamish Tribe Chairman Leonard Forsman was appointed by President Barack Obama to the federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Maia D. Bellon, Mescalero Apache, was appointed director of the state Department of Ecology by Gov. Jay Inslee. Gary Morishima, natural resources adviser to Quinault Nation President Fawn Sharp, is a new member of the U.S. Geological Survey Climate Change and Natural Resources Science Committee, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Native AmericanPolicy Team.

Government: Celebrate Native American culture and 100 years of state parks at Deception Pass June 8 - The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission invites the public to attend the Eighth Annual Salish Sea Native American Culture Celebration with the Samish and Swinomish tribes. The celebration runs from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 8, at the Bowman Bay picnic area on the Fidalgo Island side of Deception Pass State Park, 41020 State Route 20, Oak Harbor.

Government: FERC Issues Order to Ag Hydro, LLC on Order Modifying and Approving Historic Properties Management Plan - The U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued the text of the following delegated order: Ag Hydro, LLC Project No. 11910-022 ORDER MODIFYING AND APPROVING HISTORIC PROPERTIES MANAGEMENT PLAN

Government: Investigation clears US interior-department staff of misconduct - In the first of its reports on alleged scientific misconduct to be released since the 2011 introduction of a new scientific integrity policy, the US Department of the Interior (DOI) has rejected allegations brought by Paul Houser, a scientific-integrity official and hydrologist who claimed in 2012 that he was fired for trying to do his job calling out bad science. Now the report, which was released by the DOI as part of a new scientific-integrity website launched on 15 March, agrees with Houser that a press release and scientific summary document prepared by DOI staff in 2011 downplayed the level of uncertainty around scientific studies suggesting that the proposed removal of four dams on the Klamath River in Northern California would be good for the environment. But it finds that the misrepresentations were not deliberate and did not rise to the level of scientific misconduct.

Government: Why Is the Indian Health Service Denying Native American Women Access to Emergency Contraception? - For many Native American women, it can be difficult to obtain emergency contraception over the counter, which can in turn diminish the chances that the drug will prevent an unintended pregnancy. The time to schedule a doctor’s appointment, attend the appointment, obtain a prescription, and fill that prescription—and the fact that many IHS and tribal clinics close after 5 p.m. and during weekends—further reduces access to the drug.

Government: Tribes seek fresh start with Jewell - Tribal leaders east and west of the Cascades say that while they haven’t worked with Sally Jewell, they like what they see in the nominee for secretary of interior and would look forward to a fresh start at the department.

Government: State bill would name day after Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day - The day after Thanksgiving would no longer be Black Friday or leftover turkey day in Washington state under a proposal approved unanimously Tuesday by a House committee. Instead, it would be a legal holiday dubbed Native American Heritage Day.

Government: Interior chief Salazar stepping down in March - Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who oversaw a moratorium on offshore drilling after the BP oil spill and promoted alternative energy sources throughout the nation, will step down in March. A former U.S. senator from Colorado, Salazar ran the Interior Department throughout President Barack Obama's first term.

Government: Gregoire next? Salazar stepping down as Interior Secretary - Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who oversaw a moratorium on offshore drilling after the BP oil spill, will step down in March, Obama administration officials said Wednesday. Washington governor Chris Gregoire, who is leaving office Wednesday, and former Congressman Norm Dicks from Washington, have been reported as possible successors.

Government: Tribal leaders, worried ‘fiscal cliff’ spending cuts could impede progress, meet with Obama - Hours after talking tough against Republicans in “fiscal cliff” negotiations, President Barack Obama and members of his Cabinet reassured hundreds of Native American leaders the administration’s programs and efforts on their behalf would continue. Note: The "fiscal cliff" is irrelevant. The innovation cycle (sometimes called the Kondratieff Wave) might rescue the global economy. Or it won't. Either way, there will be very high inflation. Tribal leaders should prepare for a collapse of the currency, and for creation of the North American Union. How will the NAU affect the status of tribes?

Government: Resolution honoring Native Americans passes - Much of Idaho’s history begins with Native American Tribes. The Coeur d’Alene, Kootenai, Nez Perce, Shoshone-Bannock and Shoshone-Paiute contribute to the richness of Idaho’s history and are each important to its future.

Government: Advancing the State-Tribal Consultation Mandate - In 1989, the state of Washington and its neighboring tribes signed the Centennial Accord. The Accord commemorated the 100th anniversary of Washington’s statehood, paying homage to Washington’s first sovereigns: the Tribes. Ten years later, Washington State and the Tribes signed the Millennium Agreement “in the spirit of understanding and mutual respect of the 1989 Centennial Accord and the government-to-government relationship established in that Accord,” and desiring to strengthen their relationships and “cooperation on issues of mutual concern.” Now years later, it must be appreciated that both of those Washington state-tribal pacts—and the state and tribal leader-visionaries who forged them—were far ahead of their time.

Government: Interstate 5 span’s Native American name, Whilamut Passage Bridge, praised - It’s official: The new Interstate 5 freeway bridges that span the Willamette River, one finished and the other under construction, now have a name. Within days, the Oregon Department of Transportation will erect the official white-on-brown signs at each end of the western span, which will carry vehicles in both directions until completion of its eastern twin late next year, proclaiming the pair the Whilamut Passage Bridge.

Government: U.S. Department of Justice grants $3 million in public safety funds to Oregon tribes - Six of Oregon's Native American tribes will get more than $3 million in financial assistance in their efforts to enhance public safety, the U.S. Department of Justice announced today.

Government: Indian Affairs nominee wins backing from Senate panel, vows more power for tribes - Kevin Washburn, Dean of the Univ. of New Mexico Law School, will be named the head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. W. Ron Allen, chairman of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe in Sequim, Wash., said that Washburn possessed "a remarkable acumen in tribal affairs."

Government: Tribes Say IRS Moves to Tax Tribal Per Capita Payments; Congress Investigates - Three tribal leaders testified before the U.S. Congress on September 15 that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was moving to tax non-gaming per capita payments paid by tribes to their tribal citizens through trust accounts held by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Per Capita Act of 1983 and tribal treaties are supposed to prevent this type of action, the tribal leaders said, because per capita distributions of funds held in trust by the Interior Secretary for tribal citizens are not to be considered income or resources, so they therefore cannot be taxed.

Government: U.S. Department of Justice awards $1 million for sex offender monitoring - U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan announced today more than $1 million in grant assistance to five Native American Tribes in the Western District of Washington for use in creating and/or enhancing sex offender registry and notification programs on tribal lands: Chehalis -- $62,855; Lummi -- $217,462; Quinault -- $302,905; Shoalwater Bay -- $186,351; Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe -- $394,412.

Government: Washington receives $50 thousand grant for tsunami debris - Washington will receive a $50,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to address the increase in marine debris along the coastal beaches. The grant will be used to address marine debris along 375 miles of beaches, owned and managed by eight different landowners. These are the Hoh Indian Tribe, Makah Nation, Quileute Indian Tribe, Quinault Indian Nation, Shoalwater Bay Tribe, Olympic National Park, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.

Government: Climate change conference ends with calls for action - The final messages from the inaugural First Stewards national symposium on climate change are needs for education, adaptation and respect, organizers said. The four-day conference, attended by some 300 members of coastal tribes and scientists, ended Friday at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Comment: One thing I would hope for is that at every level, our governments will kick open doors to speed adoption of Andrea Rossi's Energy Catalyzer The popular name for it is "cold fusion," and the result is clean, cheap, abundant energy. He expects to go into commercial production this year, but there could be a lot of resistance from entrenched energy companies. Assuming it's not all an elaborate hoax, the best thing that could happen would be for the government to kick down the barriers and then get out of his way so he can deploy this technology as quickly as possible.

Government: Peninsula tribes host national climate change conference - A national symposium on climate change and possible ways to adapt and slow the effects will be hosted by North Olympic Peninsula coastal tribes beginning Tuesday. The inaugural First Stewards symposium, which will continue through Friday at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., is expected to be attended by some 300 coastal indigenous tribal elders, leaders, scientists, witnesses and other scientists and policy leaders from around the nation. The Hoh, Makah and Quileute tribes and the Quinault Indian Nation created the symposium, saying tribal coastal people are among the most affected by climate change.

Government: Congress Investigating Interior on Missing Tribal Jobs Reports That Broke Law - Democratic and Republican Indian affairs leaders in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate are concerned that the U.S. Department of the Interior has twice delayed a tribal labor force report under the Obama administration to date, in violation of federal law that requires biennial reporting. Federal data released last week contained breakdowns of African-American and Hispanic labor numbers, but included no information on American Indians, despite the fact that the federal government has had a special trust relationship with tribes for two centuries.

Government: Huy: Washington State Non-Profit to Improve Indian Prisoner Ceremonies - In the Coast Salish language it means “See you again/we never say goodbye,” and today Huy (pronounced “Hoyt”) is a boost for moral and a connection to community for American Indians imprisoned in Washington State. Tribal community leaders, advocates and state Department of Correction leaders have created non-profit organization, an offshoot of a two-year effort through charitable fundraising and gifting, to reform state policy in regard to Native prisoners’ Indian religious freedoms and cultural expression according to a press release from the new non-profit.

Government: Tribes look to Congress to stop IRS from taxing government benefits - Tribal officials asked a Senate committee Thursday to block taxation by the Internal Revenue Service of government benefits to the tribes and their members. They said the IRS has been auditing several tribes across the country, requesting documents on aid such as school clothes, burial rituals, elder care and even minor housing repairs. Witnesses told the Senate Indian Affairs Committee that the actions violate tribal tradition and threaten the welfare of tribes across the country.

Government: Gregoire, tribal leaders celebrate great strides - The date of this year’s Centennial Accord meeting between state and tribal officials was June 7, the anniversary of the death of Chief Seattle in 1866. Brian Cladoosby, chairman of the Swinomish Tribe, asked the audience to remember the honest spirit of the chief. Cladoosby spoke of how, in recent years, state and tribal governments have been able to improve their relationship. Cladoosby, Gregoire and several state and tribal officials spoke at the 23rd Centennial Accord meeting Thursday, an annual conference to address the ongoing achievements and hurdles between the Accord’s signers. The meeting was held at the House of Awakened Culture.

Government: Spend tribes settlement with an eye on future - Forty-one tribes, and thousands of individual Native Americans, must soon decide what to do with the proceeds from two legal settlements negotiated with a federal government that over decades was even more careless with their community and personal resources than it is with those of all Americans today. The tribes will split $1 billion, and as many as 500,000 individuals will share another $3.4 billion due them because the federal government, acting as trustee for assets such as mining and oil claims, timber and grazing rights, cannot account for lease and other payments going as far back as the 19th century.

Government: American Indian exhibit on display in Legislative Building - Under the direction of Skylar Baker The Chehalis Canoe Family's welcoming performance reverberates throughout the Capitol Rotunda dome April 24th, opening the ceremony program heralding the unveiling of the"We're Still Here The Survival of Washington Indians" exhibit Tuesday in the Secretary of State's Office.

Government: "We're Still Here." Exhibit highlights Native Americans - Heritage Center exhibit opens April 24 in Legislative Building. Gov. Chris Gregoire, Secretary of State Sam Reed, state Rep. John McCoy, and Nisqually tribal leader Billy Frank Jr. are among those speaking at the unveiling event. The Chehalis Canoe Family and Chief Leschi Schools Drum and Dance Group will perform.

Government: Port Angeles Harbor Natural Resource Trustees Sign Agreement - Local environmental restoration projects will get a boost thanks to an agreement signed today by federal, state and tribal natural resource trustees to jointly conduct Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) activities within Port Angeles Harbor. The six trustees involved are the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. Each of the six trustees has designated representatives to the Trustee Council.

Government: Non-monetary benefits a big part of $1 billion tribal settlement - A landmark settlement announced this week between the federal government and American Indian tribes is expected to have long-term effects beyond the $1 billion in the agreement. Nine Northwest tribes are part of the deal.

Government: Echo Hawk Leaves Interior for Mormon Church - Larry Echo Hawk, the leading Native American voice in the Obama administration, is stepping down to fulfill a calling to join the leadership of the Church of Latter-day Saints. Echo Hawk’s plans were announced by the church and confirmed by the Department of the Interior on March 31.

Government (Canada): Metro Vancouver debates touchy issue of Indian Reserve voting - Metro Vancouver directors are split over whether the regional district should try to block residents of Indian Reserves from voting in future civic elections. Reserve residents in most cities can vote in municipal elections because the reserves are within city boundaries. But that ability may have unintended consequences as local First Nations build market condo developments on their reserves and usher in thousands of new non-aboriginal residents.

Government: Tribes secure $6 million in HUD funds - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded Indian Housing Block Grant funds totaling $6 million to three tribes in northeast Washington. HUD awarded about $2.4 million to the Spokane Indian Housing Authority, based in Wellpinit; about $3.5 million to the Colville Indian Housing Authority, based in Nespelem; and about $100,000 to the Kalispell Indian Community, based in Usk.

Government: New organization will work to reduce toxic pollutants in the Spokane River - As of this week, the Spokane region has a formal organization to lead efforts to find and reduce toxic compounds in the Spokane River. Thirteen governmental agencies, private industries and environmental organizations have signed a Memorandum of Agreement that forms the Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force. Members of the task force include representatives of the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology), the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Spokane Tribe of Indians, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe of Indians, Spokane County, the city of Spokane, the Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District, Inland Empire Paper Co., Kaiser Aluminum Washington, Avista Corp., the Spokane Riverkeeper (a program of the Center for Justice), the Lands Council, and the Lake Spokane Association.

Government: Restoration project the subject of town hall with Salazar - Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will hold a town hall-style session Tuesday in Medford to discuss a local forest restoration pilot project and other issues. Joining him will be Dan Ashe, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service director, Butch Blazer, U.S. Department of Agriculture deputy undersecretary for natural resources, and Neil Kornze, the Bureau of Land Management's acting deputy director for policy and programs.

Government: HUD Announces more than $400 Million in Indian Housing Block Grants - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced $404 million in Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) allocations to nearly 300 tribes in 27 states.

Government: Burn ban called for seven Indian reservations - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has called for a burn ban on seven Indian reservations, including the Puyallup, Nisqually and Muckleshoot reservations. (T)he ban also impacts the Chehalis, Colville, Spokane and Yakama reservations.

Government: Census releases data on American Indian population - Almost half of American Indians and Alaska Natives identify with multiple races, representing a group that grew by 39 percent over a decade, according to U.S. Census data released Wednesday. Of the 5.2 million people counted as Natives in 2010, nearly 2.3 million reported being Native in combination with one or more of six other race categories. Seventy-eight percent of Natives live off tribal reservations. The majority of Natives live in 10 states: Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas and Washington.

Government: State holiday to honor Native Americans - Exactly 157 years after Chief Seattle joined 81 leaders of Puget Sound tribes surrendering their land to the Governor, the Washington State Legislature is considering a state holiday in honor of Native Americans. Senate Bill 5183 , being considered in Olympia today, attempts to recognize Native's contributions by creating a state holiday called "Native American Heritage Day." The new holiday would be the day after Thanksgiving Day. Placing the holiday on that particular day is not a strong statement from the Senate sponsors, considering that day is already a state legal and school holiday, and it's one many celebrate with black Friday shopping.

Sovereignty: State's gas-tax refunds to tribes under fire - A group representing nontribal station owners says the tribes get an unfair tax break that lets them beat the competition on price while state law lacks teeth to ensure that tribes spend their gains on road improvements.

Housing: Mortgage perks for Native Americans - HUD program expands to serve tribal members living off-reservation with no monthly mortgage insurance, a low down payment of 2.25 percent, a 1 percent guarantee fee that is paid at closing, and a loan-to-value that goes as high as 98.75 percent.

Government: Morning update: special session Day 12 - To be considered: allowing 65 non-tribal card rooms to operate electronic scratch ticket machines already allowed in the state.

Government: Remarks by President Obama at the 2011 Tribal Nations Conference

Government: Obama’s Indian Trust Commission Takes Form

Government: Horses May Soon Be Slaughtered in U.S. for Human Consumption

Government: Interior names members of Indian trust commission

Government: Feds promise to streamline approval of Indian land-use requests

Government: Tribes must be open to sharing gambling revenues with the state

Government: The shrinking nature of government could be an opportunity for Indian Country

Government: New wilderness areas proposed in Olympics

Government: Attack on the Tribal Middle Class, Part III

Government: Whooshing Past the Strict Congressional Deadline for Difficult Budget Choices

Government: Alcatraz Occupation Four Decades Ago Led to Many Benefits for American Indians

Government: The Epidemic of Violence Against Native Women

Government: The Columbia River Gorge management in peril from lack of two-state funding

Government: Geographic names board recommends Native American names for 42 features

Government: Wash. wants less risk for people who eat fish

Government: Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary gets new mangement plan

Government: Attack on the Tribal Middle Class, Part II

Government: What's in a name? More than we know

Government: NOAA releases plan for managing, protecting Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

Government: Another group of landmarks set to have names changed to eliminate offensive reference to Native American women

Gabriel S. Galanda: Attack on the Tribal Middle Class, Part I

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Funding To Improve Rural Housing

Washington State Gives Away Gas Taxes to Indian Tribes