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.
$500 Million Investment is Available for Tribal School Districts
The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law is making $500 million available for tribal schools. Tribal schools can now apply for this funding to use for clean school buses. Eligible applicants for the program include public school districts (including charter schools), eligible contractors that sell clean school buses to school bus owners, nonprofit school transportation associations, and tribes, tribal organizations, and tribally controlled schools responsible for the purchase of school buses.
This $500 million in investments is the first round of funding a part of the $5 billion that was allocated in the bipartisan infrastructure law to be used for low and zero-emission school buses over the next five years.
This funding will allow tribal schools to purchase new, clean, low or zero-emission buses to replace outdated diesel-powered buses. Anyone who believes they might be eligible for this funding can apply here.
Tribal Leaders Invited to Participate in a Virtual Tribal Consultation Session
The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, and Agricultures are partnering with the White House to put on a virtual consultation session with Tribal leaders from across America. The session will take place June 28, 2022 from 1:30-3:30 Eastern Time.
If you are interested in participating in this session, you can register for the zoom link here. Written feedback and recommendations can also be sent to consultation@hhs.gov.
The goal is to seek input from tribal leaders on strategies to successfully develop and implement a national strategy on hunger, nutrition, and health. This is part of the Biden-Harris Administration initiative to end hunger by 2030 and increase overall health in order to decrease chronic diseases.
Part of this effort also includes a White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health which is scheduled for September. At that time, the Biden-Harris Administration will announce a Plan.
Buy-Back Program Nearing a Close
Landowners who received buy-back offers interested in selling have until June 16 to respond to their offers. In order to respond, landowners who received offers must return the accepted offers in the pre-paid postage envelopes provided.
So far, the Department of the Interior has sent over $2.8 million in purchase offers to over 3,000 landowners with fractional interests at the Lower Brule Reservation, South Dakota.
This program implements the consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement. The time frame to buy consolidated fractional interests in trust or restricted land ends November 2022.
All interests consolidated through the Program are immediately restored to Tribal trust ownership. As of May 18, approximately $13 million remains in the land consolidation fund. The Program is collaborating with Tribes to prioritize the use of the remaining funds.
Landowners can contact the Trust Beneficiary Call Center at 888-678-6836 or TBCCmail@btfa.gov with questions about their land and/or purchase offers, or to request a copy of an appraisal report for any appraised tract in which they have an owner interest. Landowners can also contact their local Bureau of Trust Funds Administration office with additional questions.
Neely Bardwell (descendant of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians), a Michigan State University student who is interning with Native News Online, contributed to these briefs.
