Please see the message below from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Tribal Justice, and the Army.
Recent events have highlighted the need for a broader review and consultation as to how, prospectively, Federal decisionmaking on infrastructure projects can better allow for timely and meaningful tribal input. On behalf of the Department of the Interior, Department of Justice, Department of the Army, and other Federal agencies, we invite you to consultations on how the Federal Government can better account for, and integrate tribal views, on future infrastructure decisions throughout the country. Consistent with our nation-to-nation relationship, our consultations are with tribal leaders and your designated staff. In particular, we have identified the following questions we seek your input on:
(1) How can Federal agencies better ensure meaningful tribal input into infrastructure-related reviews and decisions, to protect tribal lands, resources, and treaty rights within the existing statutory framework?
(2) Should the Federal agencies propose new legislation altering the statutory framework to promote these goals?
We will provide a framing paper with additional detail on these questions, including a description of the statutory framework currently in place. While these questions are of particular interest to the Federal agencies, we welcome any input relevant to the broader topic. We respectfully request your participation in one of the following consultation sessions:
Seattle Tribal Consultation: Tuesday, 10/25/2016, 8:30am-12:30pm (local time)
Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center
5011 Bernie Whitebear Way
Seattle, WA 98199
Meeting Room: Lower Level
Albuquerque Tribal Consultation: Thursday, 10/27/2016, 8:30am-12:30pm (local time), Albuquerque, New Mexico
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
2401 121h Street NW
Albuquerque, NM 87104
Meeting Room: Chacon I & II
Billings Tribal Consultation: Wednesday, 11/02/2016, 8:30am-12:30pm (local time), Billings, Montana
DoubleTree by Hilton
27 N. 27th Street
Billings, MT 59101
Meeting Room: Grand Ballroom BC
Old Town Tribal Consultation: Thursday 11/10/2016, 8:30am-12:30pm (local time), Old Town, Maine
Sockalexis Arena
16 Wabanaki Way
Old Town, ME 04468
Meeting Room: Arena
Prior Lake Tribal Consultation: Tuesday, 11/15/2016, 8:30am-12:30pm (local time), Prior Lake, Minnesota
Mystic Lake Casino
2400 Mystic Lake Blvd
Prior Lake, MN 55372
Meeting Room: Wabasha
Rapid City Tribal Consultation: Thursday, 11/17/2016, 8:30am-12:30pm (local time), Rapid City, South Dakota
Holiday Inn Rapid City – Rushmore Plaza
505 N. 5th Street
Rapid City, SD 57701
Meeting Room: Dakota Ballroom
Tribal Consultation by Teleconference: Monday, 11/21/2016, 12:30pm-4:30pm
(888) 790-1868
Passcode: 8468568
The framing paper, details on the consultation locations, and any additional information will be available at this website: http://www.biagov/WhoWeAre/AS-WORMffriballnput/index.htm.
If you would like to provide written input, please send it by email to consultation@bia.gov or by mail to:
Office of the Assistant Secretary- Indian Affairs, attn.: Office of Regulatory Affairs & Collaborative Action
1849 C Street, NW, MS 3071, Washington, DC 20240.
We will consider all written input we receive by Friday, November 30, 2016.
