MHA Nation Chairman Supports Trump’s Interior Nominee and Energy Agenda

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By Shaun Griswold

November 18, 2024

A leader from one of the five tribal nations in North Dakota has lined up to support President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for the Department of the Interior and the domestic energy proposals that are being put in place for the incoming administration beginning January 20, 2025.

The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation chairman Mark N. Fox said the tribe has benefited from the government to government relationship with North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who was tapped last week to lead the Interior and a new National Council on Energy under Trump.

“Beyond any doubt, Burgum as Governor of our state has benefited and engaged tribal nations in North Dakota far more than any of his predecessors,” Fox said. “He is no stranger to Indian Country and fully understands our needs.”

As governor Burgum has hosted several summits for tribal leaders in North Dakota and has supported energy interests for tribes like the MHA Nation.

He is also named in a redistricting lawsuit against the North Dakota Secretary of State brought by the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and Spirit Lake Nation with claims of Voting Rights Act violations. A judge ruled in the tribes’ favor that North Dakota violated Native voter rights with gerrymandered redistricting maps in 2021. 

Burgum signed legislation to approve the redistricting process and then eventually the new maps. North Dakota is appealing, arguing the tribes have no right to contest the maps. The parties last met before a judge in October and the case could end up in federal court.

Burgum faces Senate confirmation next year for the Interior post.

If approved, he would replace current Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) who was the first Native American to oversee the department responsible for managing agencies that uphold treaty obligations to the 574 federally recognized tribes in the United States. The Interior is responsible for more than 500 million acres of federal land, more than a billion offshore and employs more than 70,000 federal workers.

Fox told the North Dakota Monitor that was unsuccessful in several attempts to meet with Haaland at the Interior. In that absence, Fox did find an ally in state government and business with Gov. Burgum, which could line up to benefit the MHA Nation’s energy interests even more if Burgum gets the federal role.

The MHA Nation, also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes, runs an energy division that oversees oil and gas production on the Fort Berthold Reservation.

It’s big business too. Recently, the MHA Nation has been responsible for nearly one-third of annual oil and gas production in North Dakota, which is the third ranked state in the nation in both crude oil reserves and production.

In October, the tribe’s oil activity registered 196,207 barrels a day, according to the North Dakota Oil and Gas Division. MHA Nation has 2,951 active wells, the vast majority on federal trust lands.

The MHA Nation is responsible for using oil and gas royalties to create housing, education, medical and other opportunities for its 17,000 tribal citizens.

“He understands and supports tribal sovereignty and his outstanding business background is key to his ability to cut through red tape to find solutions that will stand to benefit tribal nations and the country as a whole,” Fox said.

That “red tape” is the exact language used by the Trump transition team in his assignment to Burgum at Interior and the National Energy Council to eliminate regulations and “oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the ECONOMY.”

United States domestic energy production has increased every year under President Joe Biden’s administration. In 2023 energy consumption was behind production for the first time in decades, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. 

It’s unclear what specific regulations the new Trump administration will successfully tackle to implement its “drill, baby, drill” campaign message and make gains over the Biden administration on oil and gas production. 

Some predict this could lead to federal lands protected for conservation, such as National Parks, to be opened up for extraction. Deregulation is expected to pick up production, and that has shown to lead to more pipeline spills that pollute the environment. Environmentalists are also concerned that Burgum is a climate change skeptic, and are worried about the harm that the business first approach to energy will bring to air and water.

Economic analysts are also unsure if new policy changes would actually increase oil and gas production by companies since customers’ demands are not as large as what’s available. 

But the message is to move forward with drilling. Last week the American Petroleum CEO Mike Sommers told reporters that offshore drilling should be a key target for the new administration, according to an article from S&P Global

On the campaign trail Burgum repeated the, “drill, baby, drill” line and is ready to make that the marching order for the Interior.

“Focusing on innovation over regulation to solve the nation’s challenges will allow us to smartly expand American energy and make our world cleaner and safer by selling energy to our friends and allies versus them having to buy it from our adversaries,” Burgum said in a statement after the nomination.

Burgum’s Tribal Relations in North Dakota

The relationship between the two governments, MHA Nation and North Dakota, grew in other areas under Burgum.

In March, he signed a tax reform agreement that would give 80% of taxes on alcohol sold on tribal lands to the tribes, while the state takes the rest.

Fox praised the revenue-sharing agreement at the signing saying that alcohol sold on the reservation burdened courts, increased domestic violence and other crimes. 

“This new tax revenue will help relieve the tremendous amount of money our government spends yearly to provide treatment services related to alcohol addiction, social and wellness services, and supplement enhancements to law enforcement,” Fox said

If appointed to the Interior, Burgum could also be responsible for completing the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative that started under Haaland. 

The report concluded the U.S. government enacted an education policy that took Native children and abused them under assimilation policies. 

Twelve boarding schools were located in North Dakota in Bismarck, Wahpeton, Spirit Lake, Fort Berthold, Standing Rock, and Turtle Mountain.

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