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- By Native News Online Staff
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 recently.
U.S. Education, Interior & Labor Departments to Consult Tribal Leaders on Indian Education Partnership
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon on Friday sent a Dear Tribal Leader Letter inviting tribal leaders to a consultation on the Indian Education Partnership Interagency Agreements (IAA) between the Departments of Education, Interior, and Labor. The meeting is scheduled for Feb. 10, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
“Consultation with elected Tribal leadership is an important next step in the Indian Education partnership,” the letter states. Meaningful input from American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities will help guide the implementation of the IAA.
“The Trump Administration is ready to work with Tribal leaders and hear their perspectives on how the federal government can empower all Tribes and best support every Native student across the country,” said Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education Kirsten Baesler. “Through this partnership, we will strengthen educational services to all Native students and their families, including those attending public schools, who constitute over 90% of all Native students.”
“The Department of the Interior is committed to delivering education programs that produce results for Native students,” said Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Billy Kirkland. “Consultation strengthens coordination and helps shape decisions affecting Native education. We are excited to work with tribes to improve program delivery, enforce accountability, and drive measurable outcomes for Native students.”
“The Department of Labor and the Employment and Training Administration are committed to genuine dialog with Tribal leaders as we streamline grant-making to Tribes and free education and career preparation from the excessive bureaucracy of the past, allowing for true Tribal sovereignty,” said the department’s Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training.
Rep. Sharice Davids Votes to Extend Affordable Care Act Tax Credits
Rep, Sharice Davids (D-KS), who is a tribal citizen of the Ho-Chunk Nation, voted to extend the lifesaving Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits that reduced health care costs for more than 24 million Americans.
“Families from both parties are seeing their health care costs go up because Washington failed to act. That’s unacceptable,” said Davids. “Extending these tax credits is about keeping care affordable for families, seniors, and small business owners who are already stretching every dollar — and making sure no one must choose between paying their mortgage and seeing a doctor
Rep. Doug LaMalfa, A Strong Supporter of Indian Country Passes
Rep. Doug LaMalf (R-CA) passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. He was 65.
Throughout his tenure, Rep. Doug LaMalfa advocated for the rural communities he represented, focusing on agriculture, forestry, water and wildfire response — issues affecting Tribal Nations and non-Native communities across the region. He also worked on issues important to Tribal communities, including legislation involving Tribal lands and culturally significant agricultural resources.
Among those efforts was his support for the Pit River Land Transfer Act, which returned ancestral federal land to trust status for the Pit River Tribe, strengthening Tribal sovereignty and stewardship of culturally significant lands. He also supported legislation related to culturally significant agricultural resources, including the Indian Buffalo Management Act and the Native American Seeds Act, both aimed at supporting Tribal food systems, traditional agriculture and resource management.
“On behalf of NCAI, we extend our deepest condolences to Congressman LaMalfa’s family, loved ones, staff, and constituents,” said National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) President Mark Macarro. “We respect his commitment to the people he served and his willingness to engage on matters affecting Tribal communities — especially efforts tied to land stewardship and Tribal agriculture.
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