12.06.23

Grijalva Celebrates Biden Administration’s Actions to Support Tribal Communities, Advance Tribal Self-Determination

Washington, D.C. – On the first day of this year’s White House Tribal Nations Summit, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today released the following statement on the Biden administration’s announcement of several actions to support Tribal Nations and communities, including a historic executive order to advance tribal sovereignty and self-determination.

“With today’s announcements, the Biden administration is continuing their historic progress to support tribal self-determination and strengthen our Nation-to-Nation relationships. I’m especially heartened that this administration understands the central role that tribal communities must have in managing our public lands—their ancestral homelands—and preserving the many historic and cultural resources that have remained there since time immemorial. These actions are an important step in properly recognizing and addressing the country’s long history of silencing and suppressing Indigenous peoples’ cultural heritage. I look forward to continuing to engage with both the Biden administration and tribal communities in pushing this significant progress even further.”

Among other important actions detailed at the Summit, U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced efforts to increase tribal co-stewardship of public lands and waters; to provide Department-wide guidance on the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge in decision-making and scientific research; and to implement best practices for the protection of Tribal and Native Hawaiian sacred sites.

CONGRESSIONAL ACTION

Last week, Ranking Member Grijalva held a roundtable titled, “Strengthening Historic and Cultural Preservation” to discuss how Congress can ensure that preservation efforts are better supported and resourced to protect the diverse historic and cultural legacy of all Americans, including tribal communities. WATCH the recorded livestream of the roundtable.

In addition, on Nov. 1, the first day of Native American Heritage Month, Ranking Member Grijalva and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced two bills to advance Tribal co-management of public lands and to improve the protection of sacred and cultural sites.

Numerous federal laws require public land managers to consult with state and local governments but omit tribal governments. The Advancing Tribal Parity on Public Land Act would update our land management laws to ensure that tribal governments are afforded the respect and rights due to them as sovereign nations, and to increase protection for public lands that contain tribal cultural sites.

Current law has established national systems of protected lands for parks, wilderness, and other purposes, but no such system exists for tribal cultural sites. The Tribal Cultural Areas Protection Act will correct this deficiency and enhance protections for cultural and sacred sites on public lands by establishing a national Tribal Cultural Areas System.

Finally, on Nov. 30, Ranking Member Grijalva led a bipartisan resolution with Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee Ranking Member Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), Rep. Mary Sattler Peltola (D-Alaska), Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), and Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) to commemorate Native American Heritage Month.

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