WASHINGTON (December 13, 2023) — Last week, the Department of the Interior hosted the 2023 White House Tribal Nations Summit. Over two days, the Summit provided an opportunity for the Biden-Harris administration and Tribal leaders from the 574 federally recognized Tribes to discuss ways the federal government can invest in and strengthen nation-to-nation relationships as well as ensure that progress in Indian Country endures for years to come.
Since Day One of the Administration, the Interior Department has prioritized strengthening nation-to-nation relationships, honoring trust and treaty obligations with federally recognized Tribes, and advancing Tribal sovereignty and self-determination. Through President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction Act, the Administration is making historic investments in Tribal communities to ensure they have the support and resources they need to thrive.
A report detailing major announcements and progress in Indian Country across the Administration can be found on the White House website. Key milestones specific to the work of the Interior Department under Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland’s leadership can be found in the Department’s 2023 Tribal Nations Summit report.
Secretary Haaland announced that the National Park Service will collaborate with Tribes across the nation on a new theme study that will focus on the Indian Reorganization Period to help broaden the understanding of an important chapter in American history. A theme study provides a national historic context for specific topics in American history or prehistory, as well as evaluation guidance and a list of properties for study as possible future National Historic Landmarks. This theme study builds on the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, and other efforts by the Department of the Interior to ensure that Native American history is recognized as American history.
Huffington Post: National Park Service Teaming Up With Tribes To Tell ‘More Complete Story’ Of U.S. History
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced Wednesday that the National Park Service is launching an initiative with Native American tribes to tell “a more complete story of American history” at the country’s 428 national park sites. “I want to talk about how we tell our stories,” Haaland, who is the first Indigenous U.S. Cabinet secretary, said in remarks at the White House Tribal Nations Summit. “There are parts of our history that are painful, but they do not define us,” she said.
The Department announced the conclusion of the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations, a decade-long effort to consolidate and return land to Tribal ownership. Over the course of the program, nearly 3 million acres in 15 states were consolidated and restored to Tribal trust ownership and $1.69 billion was paid to more than 123,000 interested individuals. Appropriated funding for the Buy-Back Program ended in November 2022, pursuant to the Settlement and Claims Resolution Act of 2010.
Native News Online: 3 Million Acres Returned to Tribal Trust Ownership During Decade Long Program
The Department of the Interior has officially concluded the Land Buy-Back Program for tribal nations, marking the end of a decade-long initiative aimed at consolidating and restoring land to tribal ownership. Throughout the program’s duration, nearly 3 million acres in 15 states were successfully consolidated and returned to tribal trust ownership. The initiative disbursed $1.69 billion to over 123,000 individuals with vested interests. The funding allocated for the Buy-Back Program ceased in November 2022, following the guidelines set forth in the Settlement and Claims Resolution Act of 2010.
The Department of the Interior announced new steps to strengthen the nation-to-nation relationship with Tribal Nations, including new efforts to increase Tribal co-stewardship of lands and waters, incorporate Indigenous Knowledge into the Department’s work, and preserve and protect sacred sites around the country.
Associated Press: US touts new era of collaboration with Native American tribes to manage public lands and water
The U.S. government is entering a new era of collaboration with Native American and Alaska Native leaders in managing public lands and other resources, with top federal officials saying that incorporating more Indigenous knowledge into decision-making can help spur conservation and combat climate change. Federal emergency managers on Thursday also announced updates to recovery policies to aid tribal communities in the repair or rebuilding of traditional homes or ceremonial buildings after a series of wildfires, floods and other disasters around the country.
The Department of the Interior announced a final rule to revise regulations that implement the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). These regulations provide systematic processes for returning Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony to lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian Organizations. The revised regulations streamline requirements for museums and federal agencies to inventory and identify Native American human remains and cultural items in their collections.
Hawaiʻi Public Radio: Change of federal law intends to help Native Hawaiians reclaim ancestral bones
The federal government has made it easier for Native Hawaiian families to make claims for the return of iwi, or ancestral remains, currently housed in museums and other institutions. Since 1990, repatriation efforts under the Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act were limited to claims by Native Hawaiian organizations, like the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Recent changes to the law regulators call “NAGPRA” will provide greater deference to Native Hawaiian families, as long as they provide a reasonable belief of their connection to specific ancestral remains.