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- By Native News Online Staff
The Chickahominy Indian Tribe, located in Providence Forge, Virginia, welcomed United States Treasurer Marilynn “Lynn” Malerba (Mohegan Tribe) and Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo on Thursday to discuss the historic investments in Indian Country made by the Biden-Harris administration.
During their visit, the Treasury leaders toured the Tribal Health Clinic and engaged with a family who had received assistance from the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF), a provision of the American Rescue Plan (ARP).
Additionally, they had the opportunity to explore the tribe's re-acquired ancestral territory. Deputy Secretary Adeyemo and Treasurer Chief Malerba convened a roundtable discussion with tribal leaders hailing from various regions in Virginia. This session facilitated conversations about the economic aspirations and challenges faced by tribes throughout Indian Country and on how federal funding is contributing to tribal economic growth.
During the Biden-Harris administration, the Treasury Department has intensified its commitment to Indian Country. In June 2022, Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen visited the Rosebud Indian Reservation, which marked the first time a treasury secretary ever visited an Indian reservation. The Treasury Department has made unprecented investments in tribal communities, including implementing the largest-ever single infusion of federal funding into Indian Country through the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund’s $20 billion set-aside for Tribes, investing an historic $234 million in Native-owned and Native-majority shareholder depository institutions through the Emergency Capital Investment Program (ECIP), and making the two largest infusions of federal capital to Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs)
Additionally on Thursday, the Financial Literacy and Education Commission (FLEC) – chaired by Secretary Yellen – published a new Tribally-focused webpage on MyMoney.gov to serve as a central source for the posting of financial literacy and educational resources available to Tribal communities by federal agencies. This webpage is in response to Tribal leader feedback about the need to streamline access to Tribally-specific financial literacy resources, and serves as another example of the Department’s commitment to integrating Tribal feedback into improved federal policy and support for Tribal economic advancement.
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