Posted on 02/12/2021 6:34:59 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Interior Department will start consultations with Native American tribal leaders next month on COVID-19, economic security, racial justice and climate change, part of efforts by President Joe Biden to get more tribal input in federal policy deliberations.
The Interior Department, which oversees the country’s tribal and federal lands, will be led by New Mexico Representative Deb Haaland, who would become the first Native American to head a cabinet-level agency if she is confirmed by Congress.
Some tribes felt sidelined after major decisions by former President Donald Trump’s administration, such as approving the Dakota Access Pipeline and drastically reducing the size of the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah that had been created with input of an inter-tribal council.
Native American tribes have also been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic due to health disparities and higher rates of poverty. Under Trump tribes received $8 billion in coronavirus aid but only after major delays caused by a legal dispute.
“Meaningful consultations ensure we center Tribal voices as we address the health, economic, racial justice and climate crises — all of which disproportionately impact American Indian and Alaska Natives,” said Ann Marie Bledsoe Downes, the department’s designated Tribal Governance Officer and Deputy Solicitor for Indian Affairs.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Pandering reaching for new heights
Where’s the joke about Byedone with his cell phone and the tribal chief?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.