Ranking Member Grijalva Celebrates Native American Heritage Day, Announces Historic and Cultural Preservation Roundtable
Washington, D.C. – House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement to commemorate Native American Heritage Day. Ranking Member Grijalva also announced that he will hold a Historic and Cultural Preservation Roundtable next Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. ET. Preserving the stories of Indigenous peoples is critical to maintaining the country’s full historic and cultural legacy. A media advisory with additional details about the panel is forthcoming.
“On Native American Heritage Day, we celebrate the rich ancestry and deep historic and cultural legacy that Indigenous peoples have created, shared, and passed down since time immemorial. But with that celebration must also come a recognition of the countless atrocities that have tried to erase that heritage for good. We have a duty to go beyond the usual holiday commemorations and mark this day as a time to reinforce our commitment to upholding our trust and treaty responsibilities and strengthening tribal sovereignty and self-determination.
“Secretary Haaland and the Biden administration have made forward progress in elevating the role of tribal consultation and Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge in the U.S. government, among other initiatives. Congress must continue this momentum by codifying these efforts into law and ensuring tribal voices are front and center in the policymaking process. I encourage my colleagues to move quickly on legislation that has already been introduced and is supported by tribal communities all over the country.”
PREVIOUSLY INTRODUCED LEGISLATION
In the first year of the 118th Congress, Ranking Member Grijalva has introduced the following legislation to better uphold our trust and treaty responsibilities, strengthen tribal sovereignty, and advance the interests of Indian Country:
Urban Indian Health Confer Act: BILL TEXT
Introduced on Jan. 30, 2023. Currently, only the Indian Health Service (IHS) is required to confer with urban Indian organizations on matters relating to the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. The Urban Indian Health Confer Act will require the other agencies and offices within U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to confer with urban Indian organizations on matters relating to health care for American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Save Oak Flat From Foreign Mining Act: INTRODUCTION | BILL TEXT | FACT SHEET
Introduced on March 3, 2023. Oak Flat is sacred to several tribal nations in Arizona, including the San Carlos Apache Tribe, whose citizens have visited the area to conduct cultural ceremonies and gather traditional medicines and food for millennia. In 2015, a non-germane midnight rider was inserted into the National Defense Authorization Act that would transfer the land to a foreign-owned mining company whose operations would destroy the site for good. The Save Oak Flat From Foreign Mining Act would rescind this land transfer.
H.R. 2376, To amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act and title 5 of the United States Code to facilitate participation in Federal benefits programs, and for other purposes: INTRODUCTION | BILL TEXT
Introduced on April 5, 2023. Although employees at Urban Indian Organizations and Tribal Colleges and Universities are considered public service employees, they are largely ineligible for both Federal Employee Health Benefits and dental and vision insurance. This inequity creates recruitment and retention issues for these entities, which are vital to Indian Country. H.R. 2376 would extend these benefits to both categories of employees.
Clean Energy Minerals Reform Act: INTRODUCTION | BILL TEXT | FACT SHEET
Introduced with Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) on May 19, 2023. Our severely outdated Mining Law of 1872 has allowed mining companies to pay nothing in royalties, leave taxpayers with billions of dollars in cleanup costs, and pollute 40% of the headwaters of western watersheds. With most clean energy minerals being located within 35 miles of tribal lands, Indigenous communities are especially at-risk. Among other long overdue reforms, the Clean Energy Minerals Reform Act will require federal agencies to conduct meaningful consultation with tribes prior to permitting mining activities that will impact tribal communities.
Advancing Tribal Parity on Public Land Act: INTRODUCTION | BILL TEXT | FACT SHEET
Introduced with Sen. Heinrich on Nov. 1, 2023. 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.
Tribal Cultural Areas Protection Act: INTRODUCTION | BILL TEXT | FACT SHEET
Introduced with Sen. Heinrich on Nov. 1, 2023. 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.
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