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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.
NCAI and IGA Hosting Legislative Summit on Tuesday & Wednesday
The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and the Indian Gaming Association (IGA) will co-host a Legislative Summit next week in Washington, D.C., to address tribal leaders' concerns in light of recent developments within the Administration and the Budget Reconciliation process.
The event will be held at the IGA Building (224 2nd St SE, Washington, D.C.) and will feature key speakers from the Administration and Congress, along with policy experts providing briefings to support tribal leaders in their Capitol Hill engagements.
On May 13, programming will run from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET, followed by an offsite Tribal Leaders Reception that evening. On May 14, attendees will participate in coordinated Hill visits in smaller groups from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. A potential Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA) hearing and staff roundtable may also be added to the agenda.
FCC Missing and Endangered Persons (MEP) Emergency Alert Webinar
On May 6, 2025, the Commission’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) and Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) co-hosted a webinar on a new alert code. This informational opportunity described the Missing and Endangered Persons (MEP) Emergency Alert System (EAS) event code. The MEP code could enable a more rapid and coordinated response to missing and endangered person incidents by allowing alert originators to use the EAS to issue a wider range of alerts, to get the word out about missing persons.
Read More on the ‘Missing and Endangered Persons’ Emergency Alert System Code Webpage
NCN CEO Joins U.S. Treasury Financial Literacy Roundtable
Pete Upton, CEO of the Native CDFI Network (NCN), took part in a Financial Literacy Roundtable hosted by the U.S. Department of the Treasury on April 30, 2025, in the historic Cash Room. The gathering brought together 14 national leaders to explore strategies for expanding financial literacy in underserved communities.
“In 2023, 46.4% of majority Native census tracts were banking deserts—12 times the national rate. Over 12% of Native households are unbanked, compared to 4.2% nationwide,” Upton said. “Native CDFIs are filling these gaps and building long-term financial infrastructure.”
The roundtable concluded National Financial Literacy Month, but Treasury’s efforts continue. The 2025 FLEC public meeting will be held May 29 from 1:00–2:45 p.m. in the Treasury’s Cash Room. The session is open to the public and will be webcast via MyMoney.gov.
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