“Protecting our sacred places is non-negotiable. USDA Secretary Perdue and the federal government are duty-bound to defend and preserve tribal nations' places of cultural and religious significance, including Oak Flat (

),” said Fawn Sharp, President of the National Congress of American Indians.

Right now, the USDA is fast-tracking the transfer of the Oak Flat area in the Tonto National Forest – a place rich with sacred, cultural, historical, and ecological significance for many tribal nations in Arizona and New Mexico – to Resolution Copper, a foreign-owned private limited liability company. If allowed to proceed, Resolution Copper will annihilate this place and the religious and cultural connections tribal nations have with it. Contact Secretary Purdue and demand that the USDA #SaveOakFlat.

· Please contact the following Trump Administration officials and urge them to save sacred Oak Flat, located in the Tonto National Forest and listed as a Traditional Cultural Property on the National Register of Historic Places, and stop the giveaway of Oak Flat to Resolution Copper, a shell limited liability company owned by foreign mining conglomerates Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton, for a mine that will destroy it:

o Jim Hubbard, Undersecretary, National Resources and the Environment, USDA, 

o Vicki Christiansen, Chief, U.S. Forest Service, USDA, 

o Diane Cullo, Director, Office of Tribal Relations, USDA, 

o Douglas Hoelscher, Director, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, White House, 

o William Crozer, Special Assistant to the President & Deputy Director, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, White House, 

o Tyler Fish, Senior Policy Advisor & Tribal Liaison, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, White House, 

Save Sacred Oak Flat Federal Land and Stop Giveaway to Foreign-Owned Resolution Copper

As Indigenous Peoples' Day gains in acceptance across the United States, more and more events as being held in commemoration of the holiday. We've gathered some of the events happening today which you can join virtually.


All Month
Hosted by the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

Indigenous Peoples' Day: Opening Ceremony


10:00 a.m. EDT
Hosted by the Northern Michigan University Native American Student Association.

Indigenous Peoples' Day Webinar with Kellen Lewis


12:00 p.m. EDT
Hosted by the University of Idaho


2:00 p.m. EDT
Hosted by the Greater Cincinnati Native American Coalition

Indigenous Peoples' Day: Indigenous Representation Virtual Panel


2:00 p.m. EDT
Hosted by the University of Utah

Our Talk, Our Land: Indigenous Languages, Identities, and Social Justice


6:00 p.m. EDT
Hosted by the Florida International University Center for the Humanities in an Urban Environment and the Global Indigenous Forum

"For the love of our people": A virtual California voter guide for Native people


9:00 p.m. EDT
Hosted by the University of Nevada

Events happening on Indigenous Peoples' Day

Haaland, Cole, McCollum Introduce Bill to Protect Indigenous Burial Sites From Unlawful Excavation, Theft

Bill will increase penalties for those who excavate and steal indigenous funerary objects, sacred objects, and other cultural patrimony from Tribal sites

Washington, D.C. – Today, Members of the Congressional Native American Caucus leaders, Co-Chair Deb Haaland (N.M.-01), Co-Chair Tom Cole (Okla.-04) and Co-Chair Emeritus Betty McCollum (Minn.-04) introduced and bill to protect indigenous burial sites from unlawful excavation and theft. The bill will amend the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) to increase penalties for those who excavate and steal indigenous funerary objects, sacred objects, and other cultural patrimony from Tribal sites. This bill also creates efficiency in the administration and oversight of NAGPRA by transferring enforcement authority from the Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) — the appropriate Interior department that works more closely with Tribes – and protects Tribe’s confidential information to prohibit the public disclosure of culturally sensitive information.

“Everyone’s loved ones who have passed on deserve to be laid to rest and their burial site protected, but throughout history indigenous burial grounds have been raided and stolen from without penalty or oversight,” said Co-Chair Haaland. “The bill that we’re introducing today, will make sure our cultural items don’t continue to be stolen from Tribal lands. While money is no replacement for stealing our living sacred items, we’re bolster the penalties so looters will be adequately held accountable so our ancestors can rest in peace. ”

Co-chair Cole said, “I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing legislation to improve the Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act. By delivering harsher penalties for the unlawful excavation of precious tribal items and streamlining enforcement of justice against such crimes, we can help preserve the priceless history and culture of tribal nations. The reforms outlined in our legislation will help safeguard the sacred treasures, artifacts and other items belonging to Native Americans.”

Co-Chair Emeritus McCollum said, “Excavating and stealing from sacred tribal sites is a crime, but the fines are currently so low that they do not deter this illegal conduct – which has resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of sacred items. This important legislation strengthens NAGPRA by increasing penalties and transferring oversight authority to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. By passing this bill, Congress will reinforce the need to treat indigenous sacred and cultural objects with the respect they deserve, and provide tools to help Tribes to repatriate stolen objects and ancestral remains.”

The amendment to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) specifically

Amends existing penalties by increasing the monetary fine for violating NAGPRA protections to either 5% of the museum’s annual budget or 25,000, whichever is less for each substantiated failure to comply.

Transfers NAGPRA’s jurisdiction, enforcement, and all other activities delegated by the Secretary of the Interior from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).

Creates new section to protect Tribes’ culturally sensitive information when it is deemed “confidential” to prohibit public disclosure by the Secretary, museum, or federal agency.

Establishes additional public disclosure protections for confidential information that is submitted to the review committee provided that the affected party seeks to keep the information confidential.

The bill to amend NAGPRA has support from Tribes and organizations who have been working on this issue for generations.

“The disturbing and illegal taking of items of tribal cultural heritage has been condemned by many tribes throughout the United States, including the Pueblos. This NAGPRA amendment is a key step in strengthening existing laws to better prevent theft and trafficking and facilitate the repatriation of our living sacrosanct items used for worship and other cultural purposes that our ancestors passed down to us. These changes are long overdue. I commend the bipartisan Co-Chairs of the Congressional Native American Caucus for their ongoing work to fight for Indigenous rights and protect our living cultural identities and spiritual practices.” - 

Michael Chavarria, Chairman of the All Pueblo Council of Governors (APCG)

“Revision to NAGPRA is long overdue. While the original intent of NAGPRA was to wholly prevent the unlawful excavation and retention of our cultural items, it has in practice over the years provided only a minor hurdle to overcome for federally-funded local government agencies, academic institutions, and museums. Despite NAGPRA, tens of thousands of cultural objects continue to be removed from federal and tribal lands without tribal consent or meaningful consequences. The amendment to NAGPRA provides much needed revisions to help NAGPRA fulfill its original intent. We support the amendment to NAGPRA.” - 

Robert Deschampe, Tribal Chairman, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

"On behalf of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, I express support of U.S. Representatives Deb Haaland, Tom Cole, and Betty McCollum's new Amendment to the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act of 1990 and thank them for their leadership on this issue of great importance to Indian Country. The legislation would make important, practical, and long overdue amendments to the Act. It is practical and precise and would result in conforming NAGPRA to the human rights legislation that it was always intended to be, rather than a treasure map for pot hunters. It shows great respect for our ancestors, and we thank the Congressional Native American Caucus Chairs for their leadership on this enormously important issue.” - 

Chief Douglas Lankford, Miami Tribe of Oklahoma

“As currently written, NAGPRA places a de minimis value on our invaluable and irreplaceable cultural objects and items. The amendment to NAGPRA helps remedy this shortcoming by increasing the fine to a more effective amount in order prevent calculated violations of NAGPRA. We fully support the amendment to NAGPRA.” - 

Kevin DuPuis, Tribal Chairman, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

“Repatriation and protection of our sacred objects and ancestors are vital to our continued existence and to passing on our teachings and culture to the next generation. The NAGPRA amendment further strengthens these protections. We support the Chairs of the Congressinoal Native American Caucus' amendment to NAGPRA.” - 

Cathy Chavers, Tribal Chairwoman, Bois Forte Band of Chippewa

“Protection of our ancestral graves is the most important sacred duty as tribal leaders. Illegal excavation and looting of burial grounds is unacceptable and an insult to our spiritual and cultural beliefs. We applaud Representatives Haaland, Cole, and McCollum's efforts to protect our ancestors.” - 

Leonard Forsman, Chairman, Suquamish Tribe

“Returning our ancestors to their rightful home and allowing them to rest in peace is vitally important in Hopi culture. By strengthening the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, Representatives Haaland, Cole, and McCollum's bill will help ensure our ancestors and sacred items receive the protections deserved. This critical legislation comes as we welcome home our ancestral remains from Finland.” 

- Clark Tenakhongva, Vice Chairman, Hopi Tribe

“Tribal Nations in New Mexico fight tirelessly to protect and bring home human remains and culturally significant objects that have made their way into museums and other institutions. The Indian Affairs Department applauds the efforts to amend NAGPRA, particularly the increased penalties that will be incurred by those that fail to comply with the law. It is vital that we work diligently with tribal officials to ensure that items of immeasurable significance to Tribal Nations are returned to their proper home.” 

- Lynn Trujillo, Cabinet Secretary, New Mexico Indian Affairs Department 

“The preservation of our Native cultures, lifeways, places, and histories for present and future generations is core to NCAI’s mission. These amendments are long overdue. NCAI is grateful to Representative Haaland and the co-sponsors of these important amendments and urges Congress to take immediate action to ensure our ancestors and sacred sites are protected.” - said 

Kevin Allis, CEO of the National Congress of American Indians

Throughout Indian Country, women and girls don their Jingle Dresses and mesmerize powwows as they move lightly, kicking out their heels and bouncing to the drumbeat. The dresses – also known as Prayer Dresses – are lined with rows and rows of metal cones, or ziibaaska’iganan, traditionally made from rolled up snuff can lids and hung from the dress. The cones create another melody as the dancers move, mimicking the sound of falling rain and bringing a sense of peace to the whole endeavor.

The dance itself began just over a century ago when the granddaughter of an Ojibwe medicine man fell sick. As the man slept he dreamt, over and over, of four women as his spirit guides wearing Jingle Dresses and dancing. The women taught the man how to make the dress, what songs to play, and how to perform the dance. The spirits told him that making the dress and performing the dance would make his granddaughter well.

When the man awoke he set out and made the dress, and once completed the tribe gathered to watch the ill girl dance. At first, she was too weak and had to be supported and carried by the tribe. Slowly she gained her strength and performed the dance on her own, cured of her sickness.

The young girl was likely infected with the flu pandemic of 1918 which hit Native communities around the Great Lakes hard. This was closely followed by a ban on ritual dancing on reservations, yet despite this the Jingle Dress dance spread from the Ojibwe people, first to the Lakota and then on to the rest of Indian Country.

 is performed at powwows across the country, with the women and girls often dancing with feather fans, eagle feather plumes, or eagle feathers in their hair. As the dress and dance have spread to tribes from coast to coast it’s grown to represent both healing and pride, a spiritual form of wellness and celebration that links us to our past and helps us move forward with strength and hope.

The History of the Jingle Dress Dance

NCAI Response to the Washington Football Team’s Commitment to Addressing Name Change

WASHINGTON, DC | Today, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) welcomed the Washington NFL team’s 

 this morning of its plan to conduct a “thorough review” of the team’s name and mascot, which represents an important breakthrough for Indian Country in its longstanding effort to change the name and mascot. 

“We are encouraged by the Washington NFL team’s announcement that it will conduct a ‘thorough review’ of the team’s name and mascot. This moment has been 87 years in the making, and we have reached this moment thanks to decades of tireless efforts by tribal leaders, advocates, citizens, and partners to educate America about the origins and meaning of the R-word,” said NCAI President Fawn Sharp. “NCAI looks forward to immediately commencing discussions with the league and team about how they will change the team’s name and mascot, and a prompt timetable for doing so. Indian Country deserves nothing less. The time to change is now.”

NCAI is the oldest, largest, and most representative national organization serving American Indian and Alaska Native tribal nations and their citizens, and has been 

 to eradicate offensive Native “themed” mascots from sports and popular culture for more than 50 years.

About the National Congress of American Indians:

Founded in 1944, the National Congress of American Indians is the oldest, largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization in the country. NCAI advocates on behalf of tribal governments and communities, promoting strong tribal-federal government-to-government policies, and promoting a better understanding among the general public regarding American Indian and Alaska Native governments, people and rights. For more information, visit 

NCAI Commends Leadership of FedEx in Taking Stand Against the Washington NFL Team’s Racial Slur Mascot, Calls on League’s Other Sponsors and Retailers to Join Movement

WASHINGTON, D.C. | The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) commends this evening’s 

 by FedEx asking the Washington NFL team to “change the team name.” FedEx’s announcement is particularly noteworthy given that the company is the stadium sponsor of the Washington NFL team, and FedEx CEO Fred Smith owns a minority ownership stake in the team.

“Tonight’s action by FedEx is a wake-up call to all of those who choose to remain in business with the National Football League. In this historic moment and global movement for racial justice, they can no longer sit idly by as the league’s Washington franchise clings to a dictionary-defined racial slur as its mascot. The R-word is destined for the dustbin of history – it’s not a question of if, but when, and that time is now,” said NCAI President Fawn Sharp. “Our nation faces a day of reckoning – we can choose to perpetuate racial inequality and the marginalization of peoples of color, or we can choose to pursue a new path towards a just, righteous, and inclusive society. Removing racist and harmful words, symbols, and imagery like the Washington team’s R-word mascot is a necessary and non-negotiable first step in taking that path.”

NCAI calls upon the major corporate sponsors of the National Football League to join FedEx in calling for the immediate retirement of the Washington team’s name and mascot. It also calls upon the top retailers of NFL merchandise to discontinue selling any and all apparel and related products bearing the team’s name and mascot.

The oldest, largest, and most representative national organization serving tribal nations and citizens, NCAI has been 


Founded in 1944, the National Congress of American Indians is the oldest, largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization in the country. NCAI advocates on behalf of tribal governments and communities, promoting strong tribal-federal government-to-government policies, and promoting a better understanding among the general public regarding American Indian and Alaska Native governments, people and rights. For more information, visit 

We’re here for you. The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) stands with you in these uncertain and difficult times. We’re here to help. We’re here to listen. We’re here to work. We’re here to heal.

We simply want you to know that we are working every day to help bring positive change to your nations, communities, and citizens. We’ve had the honor and responsibility to carry out this sacred charge for more than 75 years and we won’t ever stop. Please know that you are not alone.

Despite what some proclaim, America’s greatness depends not on the degree to which this nation advances policies of racial and economic inequality that privilege one group of people at the expense of all others. To the contrary, America’s greatness has always risen and fallen on the degree to which this nation embraces its incredible diversity and provides equal footing to all Americans to seize opportunities, enabling them to realize their full potential. As the first peoples of this land, Native people are an integral part of the American mosaic, and we will not rest until we secure our rightful place in this country’s future and equal opportunities to thrive.

NCAI has an unwavering commitment to continue supporting Indian Country, no matter the challenges that stand in our way. Even during the coronavirus pandemic, we are advancing policies and protections that will serve us beyond the pandemic. In addition, we want to provide financial assistance where it’s needed the most. If you haven’t already, please visit our COVID-19 website at 

. On the site under the “Get Involved” tab, you’ll find a link to apply for COVID-19 relief funding. This funding can be used as you see fit, to ensure you can respond to and recover from this pandemic. If your tribal nation or a non-profit organization in your community needs assistance, we encourage you to apply. This website also serves as a resource hub to stay informed on all legislative matters, news, events, and reliable health-related information, including COVID-19 statistics specific to Indian Country.

In addition, NCAI encourages tribal nations to remain active in the fight for racial equity. We frequently express our commitment by consistently partnering with a number of national partners, such as with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, on the issues that matter most to communities of color. We also believe that public education and personal wellness are two additional components to consider. We encourage you to consider developing a 

 so that we can have a unified voice in our cries for justice. We also encourage you all to take a moment and check in with yourselves, your families, and your communities to create spaces for prayer and healing. 

 has an ongoing series of workshops, activities, and resources to get you started.

I call on you as leaders to come together and rise to the occasion. We must turn this crisis into an opportunity to shape the future for the next seven generations. We can do this together.

NCAI is here for you



This year’s Pride Month has been unlike any other, as a social justice movement more powerful, diverse, and widespread than any seen in decades has swept across the United States. As the country grapples with the issues of racism, police brutality, and confronting its history through monuments and statues, we are also marking the 51st anniversary of the Stonewall uprising – the catalyst for the modern fight for LGBTQ2S rights in the United States, and an incredible demonstration of a marginalized group standing up and demanding the respect they deserve.

In the early hours of the morning on June 28, 1969, the police raided on the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The Stonewall Inn was a popular location among the gay and lesbian communities, and was known to cater to their most marginalized members such as drag queens and transgender people. The LGBTQ2S community faced an anti-gay legal system in the 1950’s and 60’s, and as tensions escalated outside the Stonewall Inn, New York’s gay community broke out into riots that lasted for more than three days.

The Stonewall riots prompted organizations like the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance to form, setting the foundation for a half century of activism and advocacy that would bring the LGBTQ2S community to where it is today.

Indian Country has long stood side by side with the LGBTQ2S community, and far back into time immemorable tribes from coast to coast recognized, respected, and 

accepted two-spirit brothers and sisters.

 Just as the Stonewall uprising impacted and inspired tribes across the country, the ongoing social justice movement gets to the heart of the centuries long struggle Indigenous peoples have had to endure.

This month, a story similar to Stonewall has played out across the country. The death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police spurred protests and unrest across the country, prompting an in depth national discourse on policing in the United States, and the figures that are memorialized as statues and monuments.

We are watching as people stand up and make sure their voices are heard and their lives respected today, condemning oppressive practices and institutions while demanding statues and monuments to confederate soldiers and colonizing oppressors are removed across the country.

The Stonewall uprising launched a half century of forward progress and hard fought battles for justice and equality, bringing the LGBTQ2S community greater and greater protection under the law, and an ever growing acceptance and love from within our culture and communities. Today’s movement for justice and equality demands that we stand together for our marginalized and oppressed communities, always pushing for what is right and protecting those who are vulnerable, all while bringing the same passion and commitment that those at the Stonewall Inn did a half century ago.

Pride 2020: Indian Country, Black Lives Matter, and the Struggle for Equality

NCAI Statement on the Negative Decision in Chehalis v. Mnuchin

WASHINGTON, D.C. | The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is extremely disappointed in today’s decision by the D.C. District Court in Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation v. Mnuchin.

Although the Court acknowledged that Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) “are not federally recognized Indian tribes but are for-profit corporations established by Congress under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act”, and explicitly limited its decision to “the status of ANCs under [the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act] and the [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act]”, today’s decision would result in critical congressional funding intended for Indian tribal governments being diverted to state chartered corporate entities with no governance authority and no governmental duties to tribal citizens in Alaska.

NCAI continues to believe that Congress intended for Title V CARES Act funding to be distributed to Indian tribal governments.

NCAI Statement on the Negative Decision in Chehalis v. Mnuchin

MEDIA ADVISORY: NCAI to Convene Tribal Leaders to Discuss Tribal Lands andSacred Sites Issues and Threats across Indian Country

Cedric Cromwell – Chairman, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe

Mark N. Fox – Chairman, Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation

Harold C. Frazier – Chairman, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe

Ned Norris, Jr. – Chairman, Tohono O’odham Nation

Terry Rambler – Chairman, San Carlos Apache Tribe

Fawn Sharp, President, National Congress of American Indians and President, Quinault Indian Nation


Join the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and tribal leaders for our upcoming Forum: Protecting Tribal Lands and Sacred Places: Current Threats across Indian Country.

This Forum will share the stories of five tribal nations working to protect their tribal homelands in the face of baseless and arbitrary attacks by the federal government, and they will discuss how the federal government must recommit to its trust and treaty obligations to all tribal nations in this critical area.

Each participant has a unique perspective and experience with tribal land issues and its effects to their rights as sovereign nations: 

 experienced attempts from the Secretary of the Interior to disestablish their reservation and take their lands out of trust; the 

, also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes, are currently fighting the illegal confiscation of minerals beneath the Missouri River on the Fort Berthold Reservation; the 

 has faced several issues including a recent attempt by the governor of South Dakota to force the removal of COVID-19 checkpoints into their tribal nation without cause or jurisdiction; the 

 Nation has long opposed fortified walls on the border of their reservation, and despite a 2017 Executive Order, the Nation reiterates their stance on border walls; and the 

San Carlos Apache Tribe recently testified

 in front of the House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States to discuss the irreparable environmental and cultural impacts of the proposed copper mining operation.

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7395488239360720652

 Tuesday, June 23, 2020 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EDT

MEDIA ADVISORY: NCAI to Convene Tribal Leaders to Discuss Tribal Lands and Sacred Sites Issues and Threats across Indian Country

WASHINGTON – The Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives announced four listening sessions to be conducted by teleconference in May and June. In response to the COVID-19 health emergency, previously scheduled in-person sessions have been postponed and will be rescheduled as soon as it is safe to do so.

American Indians and Alaska Natives experience disproportionately high rates of violence. President Trump has called the crisis of missing and murdered Native Americans “sobering and heartbreaking.” The task force, designated Operation Lady Justice, has been empowered to review Indian Country cold cases, to strengthen law enforcement protocols, and work with tribes to improve investigations, information sharing and a more seamless response to missing persons investigations.

Tribal Listening Session Webinars are open to Tribal Leaders and others. Sessions will include a short presentation about the current activities of the task force, followed by a listening session.

Registration information for the following listening sessions is available at 

Tribes in Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)’s Eastern Region (Tribal land located in Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and all states to the east coast)

Tribes in BIA’s Southern Plains, Southwest, Western and Rocky Mountain Regions (Tribal land located in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Montana and Wyoming)

Tribes in BIA’s Midwest and Great Plains Regions (Tribal land located in Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska)

Tribes in BIA’s Pacific, Northwestern and Alaska Regions (Tribal land located in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska)

Katharine (Katie) Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, designee for the Attorney General;

Tara Sweeney, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, designee for the Secretary of the Interior;

Terry Wade, Executive Assistant Director, Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch, Federal Bureau of Investigation;

Laura Rogers, Acting Director, Office on Violence Against Women;

Charles (Charlie) Addington, Deputy Bureau Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services;

Trent Shores, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma and Chair of the Native American Issues Subcommittee of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee; and

Jean (Jeannie) Hovland, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Native American Affairs and Commissioner, Administration for Native Americans, Department of Health and Human Services.

Marcia Good, of the Department of Justice, serves as the Executive Director of the Task Force. The Task Force will present a progress report to the President by Nov. 26, 2020, and a final report detailing its activities and accomplishments by Nov. 26, 2021.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of the Department of Justice at 

. 2020 also marks 171st anniversary of the Department of the Interior. Learn more about the history of DOI at 

Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives to Resume Remote Listening Sessions

 in 11 additional states (AZ*, CO, IN, IA, LA, NE, NV, NM*, NY*, RI, and WY) and Puerto Rico, including dropping census invitation packets at the front doors of rural households and households that don't normally receive mail at home (known as the Update/Leave operation). As a reminder, on May 6, 2020, the Census Bureau resumed the hand delivery of census packets in AK, AL, AR, ID, ME, MS, MT, ND, OK, TN, UT, VT, and WV. On May 13, the Census Bureau resumed operations in an additional 54 Area Census Offices across FL, GA, KS, KY, MO, NC, OR, PA, and WA.'

Census Bureau Resumes Update/ Leave Operation in Some States

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) applauds President Trump’s signing of the recent bills that help advance the preservation of culture, rights, and sovereignty for American Indians and Alaska Natives. Most notable of the three bills is the passage and signing of the National Defense Authorization Act that granted federal recognition to the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana, making the Tribe the 574th federally recognized tribal nation in the United States. “Signing these bills into law, the President affirmatively acknowledges the existing government-to-government relationship between the United States and tribal nations, and the responsibility Congress and the Administration both have in ensuring the lives of American Indians and Alaska Natives across the county are improved,” said NCAI’s CEO Kevin Allis. “We only ask for what has been promised to us in Indian Country, through treaties and past legislation, and the President’s actions recognize the debt owed to the first peoples of this country,” Allis states.

It is important to understand that the term “Indian Country” is leveraged broadly as a general description of Native spaces and places within the United States, and it is inclusive of the hundreds of tribal nations that occupy these spaces. The term is used with positive sentiment within Native communities, by Native-focused organizations such as NCAI, and news organizations such as Indian Country Today. In law, the term Indian country (lower case “c”) is found in several areas of the United States Code, and is also an official legal term referenced in many Supreme Court opinions, collectively articulating the meaning as it pertains to federal law relating to American Indian land and people.

When used appropriately, Indian Country takes on a powerful meaning, legally and symbolically, for all tribal nations. Indian Country is wherever American Indian spirit, pride, and community are found. It resides not only in law books, legislation, and historical treatises, but also on ancestral homelands, within our homes, and in the hearts of American Indian and Alaska Native people everywhere.

NCAI Response to Usage of the Term, "Indian Country"

Trump Administration’s Regulation Punishes Immigrant Families for Using Life-Saving Services

 – On August 12th, the Trump Administration’s Department of Homeland Security announced it will be publishing its finalized public charge rule, continuing its history of actions and policies harmful to immigrant communities.

The finalized rule change, which is expected to be published on August 14, 2019, will go into effect on October 15, 2019. These changes will likely have a chilling effect – not only increasing the number of immigrants denied lawful permanent residence based on their use of certain government services, household income, and other criteria, but also dissuading families eligible for Medicaid and other public benefits intended to support their health and well-being from availing themselves of those benefits.

Despite more than 250,000 individuals submitting comments opposing these proposed changes, the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to move forward with this rule – along with the ICE sweeps in Mississippi and ongoing family separations at the border – is just another example of how the Administration’s words and actions seek to undermine the rights of and opportunities available to immigrant families.

The proposed changes to the public charge rule punish low-income, immigrant families of color who access essential services, such as nutrition assistance and health care. The rule favors immigrants who have completed higher education, speak fluent English, and are younger. Obviously, these proposed changes will negatively impact the number of people who are able to get a green card, and in turn, impact those who will later be eligible for U.S. citizenship. This is another shameful attack on working-class immigrant families who, once they became citizens, would be able to vote and fully participate in our democracy.

Advancement Project National Office, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Demos, Faith In Action, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Congress of American Indians, National Urban League, Race Forward and UnidosUS are a collaborative of nine leading national racial equity anchor organizations supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Together we work to promote racial equity, advance racial healing and ensure that all children, families and communities have genuine opportunities to reach their full potential.

Joint Statement on Trump Administration’s Regulation Punishes Immigrant Families for Using Life-Saving Services

NCAI Response to Latest Flawed Poll on R*dskins Team Name

“This new poll, which purports to survey individuals who self-identify as Native Americans with no ability to confirm their identity, is equally as flawed and unreliable as the Washington Post’s 2016 poll. It proves nothing, nor does it absolve the NFL of its moral obligation to discard the longstanding symbol of racism and division that serves as the mascot of its Washington franchise,” said Kevin Allis, CEO of the National Congress of American Indians. “The fact is that hundreds of tribal nations and Native organizations representing hundreds of thousands of Native people across this country are on record formally opposing the continued use of harmful ‘Indian’ themed mascots, with the dictionary defined ‘R*dskins’ racial slur the most offensive among them. From the Penobscot Nation in Maine to the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi in Michigan to the Nez Perce and Shoshone-Bannock tribes in Idaho, tribal nations are educating state governments, sports leagues, and school boards with increasing success about the need to do away with these mascots once and for all. The National Congress of American Indians has worked for the past five decades towards this end, and we will not rest until every single disrespectful ‘Indian’ mascot that demeans our peoples is gone from sports and popular culture.” 

yesterday's call by the Native American Journalists Association

 retract the unreliable date sets and all associated reporting connected to this latest poll.

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is the oldest, largest, and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization serving the broad interests of tribal governments and communities. It has been leading Indian Country’s movement to eradicate offensive “Indian” mascots from sports and popular culture for the past 50 years by educating schools, sports leagues, and the general public about the 

On March 11, 2019, the President released his fiscal year (FY) 2020 budget request to Congress. This broadcast will outline the major proposals included, list the impacts to tribal programs funded in the federal budget, and comment on the outlook for passage of the proposals.

The President’s budget proposes reducing FY 2020 non-defense discretionary (NDD) funding by $54 billion (9 percent) below the FY 2019 level, and by $69 billion (11 percent) after adjusting for inflation. The proposed amount follows the cap set by the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011 and which was lowered through sequestration. The proposed decreases to NDD accounts would undermine the ability of the federal government to meet its treaty and trust obligations, with the proposed budget cutting Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education (BIA/BIE) by about 10.5 percent compared to the 2019 continuing resolution level. Other agencies would see cuts of 12 percent for the Department of Health and Human Services, 18 percent for Housing and Urban Development, and 31 percent for the Environmental Protection Agency. See the attached 

 for details of proposed funding for tribal programs by department. 

House Budget Chairman John Yarmuth will be writing a FY 2020 budget resolution which will set discretionary spending limits higher than the current caps. Without a caps deal, the House is likely to pass a deeming resolution, which is used when the House and Senate have not agreed on a budget resolution. Under this deemed budget resolution, the House could begin writing appropriations bills. In the Senate, Budget Chairman Enzi is expected to write the budget resolution abiding by the statutory caps used in the President’s budget. For the Senate to consider spending bills on the floor, the body would have to set enforceable spending limits in a deeming resolution. House Majority Leader Hoyer, (D-MD), has raised the possibility of the two chambers agreeing to spending limits to allow the appropriations process to move forward. Whether Senate Republicans break from the President’s proposal will determine the outcome of such a spending limit agreement. The President’s budget is just the beginning of the appropriations process. Congress has the final say. 

NCAI encourages tribal leaders and advocates to submit testimony to the respective appropriations committee in the House (testimony instructions

for other subcommittees) and the Senate (when the instructions become available).

· Indian Guaranteed Loan Program: No funds are requested for new loan guarantees under the program, -$8.4 million from the FY19 CR amount 

· Housing Improvement Program, -$9.7 million FY19 CR amount 

· Small and Needy Tribes, -$4.5 million from the FY19 CR amount 

· Tribal Climate Resilience, -$9.9 million from the FY19 CR amount 

· Indian Community Development Block Grant 

· Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) 

· Community Service Block Grants Education Department Eliminations 

· Strengthening AN/NH-Serving Institutions 

· The President’s budget request for tribal programs at DOJ would increase funding overall. The increase would come as a result of a proposed 7 percent set-aside for tribal governments from across Office of Justice Programs discretionary programs. 

· The Indian Health Service budget (IHS) request for FY 2020 is $5.9 billion, which is $392 million or 7 percent above FY 2019. 

President’s FY 2020 Budget Released

Application deadline is 9:00 p.m. EDT, Feb. 26, 2019

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Justice today announced the opening of the grant solicitation period for comprehensive funding to Indian Country to support crime prevention, victim services, and coordinated community responses to violence against native women.

The Department’s FY 2019 Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, or CTAS, posts today online at 

www.justice.gov/tribal/open-solicitations

. The solicitation contains details about available grants and describes how federally-recognized tribes, tribal consortia and Alaska Native villages can apply for the funds.

“Public safety professionals serving American Indian and Alaska Native communities frequently find themselves under-resourced and over-extended,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio. “This funding will give tribal officials the tools they need to fight violent crime, protect their citizens, serve victims, and deliver justice.”

The funding from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) can be used to for a variety of public safety and justice-related projects and services. Funds can be used to enhance law enforcement; bolster adult and juvenile justice systems; prevent and control juvenile delinquency; serve native victims of crimes such as child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, and elder abuse; improve responses to violence against native women; and support other efforts to combat crime.

New to FY 2019 CTAS is funding designated specifically to address violent crime in native communities (Purpose Area 10). Additionally, the Comprehensive Tribal Victim Assistance Program will be replaced by the Tribal Victim Services Program (Purpose Area 7) in FY 2019. This new program will provide funding to a higher number of applicants and provides funding for a broad range of activities, including a needs assessment, strategic planning, program development and implementation, program expansion, and other actions to address the victim service needs of tribes.

Applications for CTAS are submitted online through the Department’s Grants Management System, or “GMS.” Applicants must register with GMS prior to submitting an application. The application deadline is 9 p.m. EDT, Feb. 26, 2019. Applicants will submit a single application and select from any or all of the 10 competitive grant programs, referred to as “purpose areas.” This approach allows the Department’s grant-making components to consider the totality of a tribal nation’s overall public safety needs.

COPS Office’s Public Safety and Community Policing

Comprehensive Tribal Justice Systems Strategic Planning

BJA’s Tribal Justice System Infrastructure Program

OVW’s Violence Against Women Tribal Governments Program

OVC’s Children’s Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities

OJJDP’s Juvenile Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts

BJA’s Addressing Violent Crime in Native Communities

Fact sheets detailing each of the individual purpose areas can be found online at: 

. The Department will also facilitate a series of webinars to guide applicants through the CTAS application requirements. Details, including how to register for these webinars, will be made available online in coming weeks at 

Additionally, tribes and tribal consortia may also be eligible for non-tribal federal grant programs and are encouraged to explore other funding opportunities, which may be found at DOJ’s Tribal Justice and Safety website at 

 across nine grant programs totaling more than $113 million.

CTAS is administered by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and Office on Violence Against Women.

Today’s announcement is part of the DOJ’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.

If you have questions, please use the contacts in the message or call the Office of Public Affairs at 202-514-2007.

Justice Department Announces Funding Opportunities to Support Public Safety in Indian Country

The Reauthorization of Violence Against Women in 2013 created the Pilot Project, which comprised of five tribes the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Tulalip Tribes of Washington, Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Fort Peck, and the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation in North Dakota. These tribes exercised the Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction, which restored their partial power to criminally prosecute non-Indians for domestic violence offenses. The Pilot Project Report provides a brief account of the activities during the Pilot Project period from February 2014 – March 2015 and shares recommendations for next steps.



VAWA Pilot Project Report 2015

NCAI Response to New Poll on R*skins Team Name

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