Iowa Commission to Introduce Bill Providing Process to Restore Parental Rights

The Iowa Commission on Native American Affairs will be introducing a bill during next year’s state legislative session that would provide a process to restore parental rights to Native American parents who have lost children through Iowa's child welfare system, as reported today by DesMoinesRegister.com.

The proposed bill comes about a month after a two-day hearing during which the commission heard testimony from Native American families and advocates who are dissatisfied with the state's high rate of removal of Indian children.

The bill, which will be like one that passed in Illinois, would allow parents to appeal to have their rights restored if their children have not already been adopted and if the parents have “cleaned up their act.” 

HHS Establishes Tribal Advisory Committee, Representatives Sought

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced last week the establishment of a new Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee (STAC), according to a press release issued by HHS on Oct. 7.

The release stated that STAC signals a new level of attention to government-to-government relationship between HHS and tribal governments. Its primary purpose: to seek consensus, exchange views, share information, provide advice and recommendations or facilitate any other interaction related to intergovernmental responsibilities or administration of HHS programs, including those that arise explicitly or implicitly under statute, regulation or executive order. The first STAC meeting is scheduled for Dec. 2010.

HHS is currently seeking nominations for one primary representative from each of the 12 areas of the Indian Health Service as well as five at-large national representatives. All representatives must either be elected or appointed tribal officials, acting in their official capacity as the elected officials of their tribe or be designated by an elected tribal official with authority to act on behalf of the tribal official.

Nominations should be submitted no later than Oct. 29, 2010, to:

Paul Dioguardi, Director

Office of Intergovernmental Affairs

US Department of Health and Human Services

200 Independence Ave SW Room 630-F

Washington, DC 20201

Fax: (202) 205-2727

Email: HHSIGA@hhs.gov

Former Soboba Chairman Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes from Vendors

Robert Salgado Sr., former chairman of the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians, pleaded guilty last week to federal charges related to his acceptance of approximately $875,000 in bribes from tribal vendors and concealing that income from the IRS, according to a press release issued on Oct. 5 by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California.

Salgado, 68, pleaded guilty to two felony charges — bribery and subscribing to a false tax return — before U.S. District Judge Dean D. Pregerson.

In a plea agreement, Salgado admitted that he accepted a total of $874,995 in bribe payments from five vendors who did business with the Soboba Band. The payments to Salgado, which were made by vendors hoping to obtain or being allowed to keep contracts with the tribe, were given to Salgado in the form of cash, payments made to his creditors and checks payable to an entity controlled by Salgado.

Salgado is expected to be sentenced early next year, and he faces a statutory maximum sentence of 13 years in federal prison. The plea agreement contemplates a sentence of 87 months to 108 months in prison, but the actual sentence will be determined by Judge Pregerson, the release said.

Oneida Indian Nation Partners with HELP USA to Provide Holiday Meal to the Homeless

Ray Halbritter, Oneida Indian Nation Representative and CEO of Oneida Nation Enterprises, has initiated an effort between HELP USA and the New York tribe to help feed the homeless next month. 

  

With the current economic conditions causing a surge in homelessness across the country and with next month National Homeless Awareness Month, which is tied with the symbolic significance surrounding Thanksgiving, a holiday that originated from Native Americans providing food and shelter to the pilgrims, Halbritter knew there was no better time for the Oneida to give back in a meaningful way.

Joining forces with HELP USA, a non-profit group dedicated to providing housing and support services to the homeless, the Oneida will serve a Thanksgiving meal to hundreds of homeless people on Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010. The feast will be streamed live online.

Halbritter has recruited a bunch of celebrities to join him in a PSA campaign to raise awareness on homelessness and HELP USA and to help serve the holiday meal. Among them are Mario Cantone, Jill Flint, Thomas Jones, Evan Lysacek, Gilles Marini, Amy Carlson, Jesse Metcalfe, Leven Rambin and Justin Tuck.

To learn more about this effort or to donate, visit: www.HELPUSA.org, Facebook.com/HELPUSA, twitter HELPUSA and www.crowdrise.com (Holiday HELP Feed the Homeless).

NASA Awards $3.3 Million to Support STEM at Tribal Colleges

NASA is awarding $3.3 million to support academic excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education at tribal colleges and universities, the agency announced in a press release dated Oct. 1.

The awards, which have a three-year period and range in value from $215,000 to $592,000, are part of a Cooperative Agreement Notice released by the NASA Office of Education's Minority University Research and Education Program for the Tribal Colleges and Universities Project (TCUP).

The institutions selected through a merit-based, peer-reviewed competition are: Kiksapa Consulting, LLC of Mandan, N.D.; Salish Kootenai College of Pablo, Mo.; and the American Indian Higher Education Consortium in Alexandria, Va.

TCUP is a STEM education grant and mentoring program with the goal of expanding opportunities to academic institutions that prepare Native Americans to enter the nation's STEM workforce through internships, fellowships, research experiences, outreach, information exchange, capacity building and infrastructure development.

Three Alaska Native Firms Want SBA 8(a) Program Reformed

Three prominent Alaska Native corporations say the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program needs to be changed, as reported on Oct. 3 by the Anchorage Daily News.

Native contracting has grown exponentially since the 8(a) program was created. Although developed to help increase the number of small, disadvantage companies participating in federal contracts, the program has over recent years been seriously criticized, and there have been allegations of abuse. Alaska Native firms have become major players in the program, but they have also attracted a lot of the scrutiny due to a small number of them violating the rules.

The Alaska Native firms that want the program changed — Cook Inlet Region, Inc., Doyon and Arctic Slope — have come up with a nine-point reform package, which, as the article says, mirrors revisions already proposed by the SBA and to be finalized later this year. Among the firms’ proposed changes are: requiring Native 8(a) contractors to annually disclose how they have benefited shareholders and tribal members and capping the size of contracts at $100 million.

"To reform it is to save it," Margie Brown, chief executive of Cook Inlet Region, told Anchorage Daily News.

Attend the National Indian Board Members Conference!

Join Falmouth for the 2010 National Indian Board Members Conference at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. Three general sessions and six unique and exciting workshops will provide you with important legal updates, new skills and valuable networking opportunities.

Our conference presenters this year are Richard Phelps, Tal Moore, and Rick McGee, experts with years of experience in Indian Country. With these presenters, you’ll explore strategies for managing conflict, meetings best practices, shielding yourself from potential board liability, the latest technologies available to boards and councils to increase visibility and levels of interactivity, using performance measures, and how to read and understand an audit report. 

Three general session presentations will cover timely issues facing boards/councils today, including finance, human resources, the Health Care Reform Act and more.

This dynamic conference is for both experienced and new board and council members. Don't miss this important annual Indian Country event. Register today! 

Click here for more information!