WASHINGTON — In addition to articles already covered by Native News Online, here is a roundup of other news released from Washington, D.C. that impacts Indian Country during the past week.
BIA Nevada Advances Solar Projects to Promote Robust Clean Energy Economy
The Bureau of Indian Affairs announced on Wednesday it is advancing the Chuckwalla Solar Projects in coordination with the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians (Moapa Band), the Bureau of Land Management and other federal partners.
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The BIA today issued a Notice of Availability inviting public review of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the projects, which evaluate construction, operation and maintenance, and eventual decommissioning of four photovoltaic electricity generation and battery storage facilities located entirely on the Moapa Indian Reservation in Clark County, Nevada. The photovoltaic electricity generation and battery storage facilities would be located on up to 6,500 acres of Tribal trust land and would have a combined capacity of up to 700 megawatts.
“Clean energy, including solar projects like these in Nevada, will help Tribal communities be part of the climate solution,” said Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland. “We are proud to play a role in the Administration’s all-of-government approach toward its ambitious renewable energy goals, which will boost local economies and address economic and environmental injustice.”
The public is invited to attend a virtual public meeting at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 15 and 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday March 16. The public may also submit written comment responses via email, mail, or by website located at www.chuckwallasolarprojectseis.com.
Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge Tribal Consultation Scheduled
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has scheduled two tribal consultations with tribal leaders to discuss the development of Guidance for Federal Agencies on Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK).
The consultations will take place at the following times:
Tribal Consultation 1:Tuesday, April 5, 2022. 3:30-5:30 pm EDT
Register in advance for the meeting here: https://pitc.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_KMwXKWx2QFypxyaOgxV2UQ
Tribal Consultation 2: Friday, April 29, 2022. 3:00 – 5:00 pm EDT Register in advance for the meeting here: https://pitc.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_NOcHbTPzTZSgmhHr9eUcFA
National Museum of the American Indian Announces Three New Board of Trustees Members
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian announced on Wednesday it is welcoming three new members to its board of trustees.
The National Museum of the American Indian’s board of trustees was created by the 1989 legislation (National Museum of the American Indian Act) that established the museum. It consists of 23 members who serve staggered three-year terms.
The new members are:
Christian Allaire (Ojibwe); New York City - Christian Allaire is the fashion and style writer at Vogue in New York City. Allaire is First Nations and grew up on the Nipissing First Nation reserve in Ontario, Canada.
Johnson Cerda (Kichwa); Arlington, Virginia - Johnson Cerda conducts research related to climate change, biodiversity and protected areas in Ecuador. Cerda is an indigenous Kichwa of the Ecuadorian Amazon (Comuna Santa Elena – Limoncocha).
Lacey Horn (Cherokee Nation); Tulsa, Oklahoma - Lacey Horn is the CEO of Native Advisory, a strategic financial consulting firm. Through this work, she advises tribal leaders on best practices so they can accomplish True Tribal Sovereignty, a multi-level approach to a thriving tribal existence.
Sen. Krysten Sinema Hosts Virtual Roundtable with Salt River Pmia-Maricopa Indian Community
Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema hosted a virtual roundtable discussion with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community to discuss the historic investments her bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law makes in expanding jobs and opportunities in tribal communities across Arizona.
“Our bipartisan infrastructure law makes historic investments in tribal communities across Arizona. We’re making sure the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community - and Tribal governments across our state - get their fair share of funding and can begin repairing roads and bridges, expanding broadband access, upgrading electrical grids, and strengthening and securing water systems,” Sinema said.
The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC) is a sovereign Tribe home to over 10,000 members in Northeast Phoenix. During the discussion, Sinema pointed to specific tribal infrastructure and jobs funding she secured in her bipartisan law and answered questions about funding implementation.
During the roundtable, Sinema also underscored her support for the Violence Against Women Act, which was recently reintroduced in the U.S. Senate. One of Sinema’s first victories in Congress was leading the successful fight to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. Working with members of both parties, she ensured the renewal included provisions that gave tribal governments new tools to protect women.
Click HERE to learn more about how the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act impacts tribal communities.
Rep. Sharice Davids Issues Statement on the State of the Union Address
Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS), a tribal citizen of the Ho-Chunk Nation, issued the following statement after President Biden delivered his State of the Union address:
“At a time of global uncertainty, I hope we can come together as a nation to recognize the progress we’ve made over the last year—and that we can come together in Congress to pass bipartisan policies that address inflation, fix our supply chains, and lower costs on everyday expenses from prescription drugs to gas and groceries.
I appreciated the President’s attention to those issues tonight, and I will hold him accountable to his words. We need clear and consistent leadership to tackle the concerns that I am hearing from Kansans and build on bipartisan successes like the infrastructure law and our work to bring down health care costs. I stand ready to work with anyone who shares that goal."
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