Crow Creek Officials and Contractor Plead Guilty in Bribery Case

Three Crow Creek officials and a Fort Pierre contractor face up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to federal charges related to a bribery and retaliation case involving a $383,000 home-building contract, according to an AP article published on KELOLAND.com yesterday.

The contractor, Archie Baumann of First Dakota Enterprises in Fort Pierre, pleaded guilty to one count of bribery for trying to influence the three officials, the AP article said. Vice Chairman Randy Shields and Treasurer Norman Thompson Sr. pleaded guilty to a count of bribery. And Secretary Thomas Thompson Sr. pleaded guilty to a count of retaliation against Tribal Chairman Brandon Sazue, who assisted law enforcement in gathering information for the case.

NAHASDA Block Grant Program Needs Improvement, Report Says

Although tribes consider NAHASDA block grants as effective, improvements need to be made in tracking infrastructure plans, so says a U.S. Government Accountability Office
report published last month.

The report tells how many small grantees do not develop new housing with their block grant funding. Out of 359 grantees in FY 2008, 102 received less than $250,000, with 22 of those reporting that they had developed new housing, the report said. These grantees often provide tenant-based rental assistance and other such services.

HUD does not track activities that are not unit-based (units built, acquired or rehabilitated) and it does not report these activities to Congress.

HUD, though, is revising its reporting to track more activities, which should help efforts to assess the impact of NAHASDA, the report said. It also plans to obtain IHS data on housing-related infrastructure deficiencies on tribal lands.

To read the complete report, click on “report” above or go to: www.gao.gov/new.items/d10326.pdf.

Three Tribal Housing Authorities Sue HUD

Three tribal housing authorities are suing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for illegally reducing the amount of annual block grant funding they are entitled to by law, The Seattle Times reported this week.

In separate lawsuits, the housing authorities of the Yakama Nation, Choctaw Nation and Grindstone Indian Rancheria of Wintun-Wailaki Indians allege that HUD reduced the amount of their block grant funding by improperly requiring that some of their housing units be eliminated from the grant formula.

Bill Reauthorizing NAHASDA Sent to President

Looks like federal lawmakers did not spend the entire weekend working on the $700 billion bailout proposal. As announced this morning by the National American Indian Housing Council, it found the time to complete work on H.R. 2786, a bill reauthorizing the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act, and it is now on its way to the president.

H.R. 2786, introduced by Congressmen Dale Kildee, D-Mich., last year, authorizes $2.2 billion in federal dollars for tribal housing from FY 2008 to FY 2012. The bill contains several new provisions, including language to ensure the continued provision of NAHASDA programs/services to the Cherokee Freedmen.

"Dilapidated and over-crowded houses lead to weak performance in school, poor heath, and contribute to a hopelessness that few Americans witness as part of their daily lives. By reauthorizing NAHASDA, Congress has demonstrated incredible dedication to improve the dire housing conditions that Native Americans face," said Marty Shuravloff, NAIHC Chairman.

Freedmen Issue Dogs Cherokee Nation

According to Indianz.com the members of the Congressional Black Caucus have told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that they will block reauthorization of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act until the citizenship status of the Freedmen is addressed. An amendment to the legislation prohibits giving federal funds to the Cherokee Nation unless it restores the Freedmen to citizenship. In addition, last week at the Federal Bar Association’s Indian Law Conference, Allison Binney, the staff director for the Senate Indian Affairs Committee said the House is considering adding a similar provision to its version of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.