News from around the Nations

WASHINGTON STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION RECOMMENDS DISTRICTS DISCONTINUE USE OF NATIVE AMERICAN MASCOTS

Olympia, WA - September 28, 2012 – On September 26, the Washington State Board of Education approved a resolution urging districts to discontinue the use of Native American mascots.

The resolution echoes the findings of the 2005 American Psychological Association report citing the adverse effect of Native American mascots on students. Several states, including Oregon in 2012, have passed resolutions related to the Native American mascot issue.

The decision to adopt or alter a school’s mascot or logo is a local one. However, State Board of Education members hope that this resolution will prompt districts to reevaluate their policies regarding the use of mascots that are potentially derogatory or damaging to the students those districts serve.

USDA, BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, WORK TO BOOST ACCESS TO FARM PROGRAMS IN INDIAN COUNTRY

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26, 2012—Officials from the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) have signed two memorandums of understanding (MOU) designed to foster improved access to USDA and BIA programs by tribes and tribal members. The memorandums apply to programs administered by the Farm Service Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Rural Development at USDA, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior (DOI). The MOUs will further improve the important government-to-government relationships and also the services offered between USDA, BIA and the tribal governments and the communities they serve.

The MOUs set up a framework for consultation, training, coordination, and the provision of technical assistance, which will increase the amount of Indian land enrolled under USDA conservation and farm loan programs and improve service delivery on those lands. Farming and animal management, grazing, ranching and related food and agricultural operations will be supported through improved interdepartmental coordination. The MOUs, which are in place for five years, also support establishment of Native rural businesses, renewable energy development, and job creation. Additionally, the BIA will work with Rural Development to increase homeownership, home repair, and rehabilitation opportunities, and improve energy efficiency of homes on Indian lands through improved coordination of program delivery. Finally, the MOUs will complement the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) work with BIA to implement and administer the Substantially Underserved Trust Areas (SUTA) provision of the 2008 Farm Bill to increase affordability and availability of RUS-supported infrastructure on Indian lands.

The MOUs also help further the objectives of the Keepseagle settlement agreement, which resolved a lawsuit regarding past discrimination by USDA against Native American farmers and ranchers concerning its farm loan program.

VA AWARDS OVER $47 MILLION FOR STATE AND TRIBAL VETERANS CEMETERIES

WASHINGTON October 1, 2012 –The Department of Veterans Affairs announced the award of 18 grants totaling $47,462,135 to 15 states and one tribal government to establish new Veterans cemeteries and to expand or improve others.

 VA provides grants to states and tribal governments to establish, expand or improve Veterans cemeteries, and for operations and maintenance projects.

 Two of the larger grants for more than $14 million went to establish new state and tribal Veterans cemeteries in Louisiana and South Dakota. Louisiana received $8.3 million to build a new cemetery in Slidell, La., and the Oglala Sioux tribe received $6.5 million to establish a new tribal Veterans cemetery in Pine Ridge, S.D.  This will be the third state Veterans cemetery in Louisiana and the fourth tribal Veterans cemetery grant VA has awarded.

VA also provided 10 other expansion and improvement grants totaling more than $28 million. In addition, VA awarded six operations and maintenance grants for more than $3 million to six states.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AWARDS $101 MILLION TO ENHANCE, SUPPORT TRIBAL JUSTICE AND SAFETY

 WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced more than 200 grants to more than 110 American Indian and Alaska Native nations. The grants will provide more than $101 million to enhance law enforcement practices, and sustain crime prevention and intervention efforts in 10 purpose areas including public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; violence against women; elder abuse; juvenile justice; and tribal youth programs.

 The awards are made through the department’s Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS), a single application for tribal-specific grant programs.  The department developed CTAS through its Office of Community Oriented Policing, Office of Justice Programs and Office on Violence against Women, and administered the first round of consolidated grants in September 2010.  It awarded 286 grants totaling $245 million in 2011 and 2012.