Tag: Indian Affairs

Daines Meets With Montana Tribal College Leaders

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today met with representatives from Montana’s tribal colleges to discuss the important role these institutions hold in providing Native American students with the training and skills that they need to obtain good-paying jobs. Today’s meeting comes on the heels of the bipartisan Senate passage of legislation cosponsored by Daines to designate the week beginning February 8, 2015 as “National Tribal College and Universities Week.” The bill also calls on the people of the United States and interested groups to observe the week with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs to support the nation’s tribal colleges

Daines Works to Secure Support for Tribal Water Projects

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today announced that he has helped introduce legislation to ensure Montana tribes have the resources they need to maintain irrigation projects on Montana reservations. Daines today joined Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Jon Tester (D-MT) in introducing the Irrigation Rehabilitation and Renovation for Indian Tribal Governments and Their Economies Act, which will fix critical maintenance backlog issues at certain Indian irrigation projects throughout Montana and the West. Montana currently faces the largest maintenance backlog of Indian irrigation projects. “We need a long-term strategy to maintain and address the

Daines Works to Advance Interests of Montana Tribes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today spoke out about the lack of assistance available for tribal housing loan programs and called on Congress to find solutions to make loan programs more accessible for Montana’s tribes. “If you don’t have a home, achieving other life needs is difficult. But with these high unemployment rates we see in Indian country, access to loans is very difficult. The Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act, I believe, is an important law to facilitate access to housing for Native American communities,” Daines stated today during a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing on hearing

Tester, Daines introduce Little Shell recognition bill

(U.S. Senate) – On the first day of the 114th Congress, Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines introduced a bill to grant the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Cree federal recognition. The Little Shell Tribe, headquartered in Great Falls, has sought federal recognition for over 35 years.  The State of Montana recognized the Little Shell tribe in 2000. “Congress has a trust responsibility to our nation’s tribes, and that responsibility should extend to Montana’s Little Shell,” said Tester, ranking member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.  “Their federal recognition will strengthen all of Indian Country and help us live up