News from the Nations

Oneida Indian Nation Gets Trust Land

On May 30, the Department of the Interior announced its decision that it will take into trust 13,004 acres of the Oneida Indian Nation’s historical territory. The 13,004 acres include the Nation’s Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona and 32 acres near Oneida where most of the government and cultural offices are located.

Interior first announced it would take the 13,000-plus acres into trust in 2008 after three years of investigating its social, economic and environmental impacts. A cluster of lawsuits were filed by Oneida and Madison counties and the state of New York challenging the decision and seeking to overturn it.

Last year, however, Ray Halbritter, Oneida Nation representative and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the signing of a monumental agreement that recognizes the Oneida Nation’s reservation, settles all outstanding litigation and resolves all disputes over property and sales taxes, including cigarette and fuel sales. The agreement which was approved in March by the state legislature, also resolves all disputes between the two sovereigns over land rights, tax issues, gaming exclusivity and profits. As part of the agreement, the state and towns dropped their lawsuits challenging Interior’s decision to take the 13,004 acres into trust for the Nation.

Keith Harper to Serve as US Representative to the UN Human Rights Council

(June 03, 2014) WASHINGTON, DC – The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) congratulates Keith Harper of the Cherokee Nation on his confirmation as United States Representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council. His historic confirmation makes Ambassador Harper the first member of a federally-recognized Indian tribe to serve at the U.S. Ambassador level.

Ambassador Harper is an attorney who has dedicated his career to the injustices facing Native peoples. Issues surrounding Indigenous peoples have emerged prominently on the agenda of the United Nations, and Ambassador Harper will be a valuable resource to the Human Rights Council. We look forward to working with him to ensure that the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is fully implemented, and as tribal nations prepare for the upcoming high-level plenary meeting known as the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples taking place this September.

AFN Acknowledges 6th Anniversary of Parliament’s Apology for Indian Residential Schools, Urges Full Implementation of Settlement Agreement & Concrete Steps Toward Real Reconciliation

OTTAWA, June 10, 2014 /CNW/ - June 11th marks six years since Parliament offered an apology to former students of Indian residential schools and their families, and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Executive Committee is urging the Government of Canada to fulfill the spirit of the apology and work with First Nations toward real reconciliation that respects the Treaties and First Nation jurisdiction, title and rights.

“Six years ago on June 11, Prime Minister Stephen Harper rose in the House of Commons and stated that the attitudes and objectives behind residential schools were wrong and will never prevail in Canada again. And yet these same attitudes and approaches that created the residential schools and sustained them for over 100 years continue to hold back First Nations and all of Canada from achieving real change,” said AFN spokesperson and Quebec/Labrador Regional Chief Ghislain Picard. “Now more than ever we must see the Government of Canada bring life to the words of the apology and work with First Nations in the spirit of true reconciliation to address the many challenges before us. Reconciliation requires respecting and implementing First Nation and Aboriginal rights and title, the Treaties and jurisdiction in ways that will drive real change for First Nations peoples and communities.”

The historic apology offered to residential school survivors took place in the House of Commons June 11, 2008. It included a commitment by Parliament and all of Canada to join First Nations on a shared journey toward healing and reconciliation as set out in the 2007 Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement (IRSSA).

Proud To Be Native Video Aired During NBA Finals

The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation of northern California purchased sixty seconds of airtime for the National Congress of American Indians’ “Proud to Be” video during the NBA Finals. It was aired in Miami during Game 2 and aired in Los Angeles, New York, Sacramento, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco and Washington during Game 3 on Tuesday night.

The NCAI’s “Proud to Be” video was originally released in January, right before the Superbowl, and was touted as “the #BigGame commercial that the NFL would never allow” because of the stance it takes against the R*dskin moniker. While the video is not new to the 2.4 million viewers that have seen the video on youtube, it is new to the estimated 30 million people that tuned in to watch Game 2 and 3 of the NBA Finals.

Interior Signs Agreements with Three Additional Tribal Nations to Reduce Fractionation in Indian Country

WASHINGTON – Deputy Secretary of the Interior Michael Connor announced that the Department has signed three additional agreements to facilitate the purchase of individual interests in fractionated trust lands and consolidate ownership for the tribes with jurisdiction. Agreements with the Coeur D’Alene Tribe of the Coeur D’Alene Reservation (Idaho), Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (Ore.), and the Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation (Ariz.) detail what each tribal government will do to help implement the Program, such as appraisals, owner outreach, and education.

To date, the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program) has made nearly 20,000 purchase offers to owners of fractionated interests. The Program has successfully concluded transactions worth more than $62 million and has restored the equivalent of more than 177,000 acres of land to tribal governments.