Saturday, July 21, 2012

Dept. Of Interior Fails to Show for Congressional Hearing. BIA is Missing In Action In CA Tribal Rights Abuses


WASHINGTON – What if Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, held a hearing on federal recognition of tribes and no one came? At least no one from the federal agency that handles tribal recognition issues? That’s what happened on June 27, when Young called a meeting of the Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs, titled, “Authorization, standards, and procedures for whether, how, and when Indian tribes should be newly recognized by the federal government,” and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and all staff underneath him declined to show up. The slight was made all the more stinging when two weeks later, on July 12, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, chaired by Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, held a hearing on the same issue, and Interior sent an expert witness.
Questions come fast and furious: Are we seeing the era of political hardball clash with the usually bi-partisan efforts on Indian policy? Is Interior so desperately understaffed on Native policy issues that it couldn’t find anyone to send to Young’s meeting? Does Young have bad breath?
Regardless of the answers to any or all of those questions, Young is mad, and he believes politics are at play. “Unfortunately, it’s become clear to the Congressman that the Department of the Interior [DOI] is playing politics with tribal federal recognition—especially when you consider how many times DOI has stonewalled not only Rep. Young’s Subcommittee, but the House Natural Resources Committee as a whole,” said Luke Miller, a spokesman for Young.
“Congressman Young has always held the belief that Congress has the final say when it comes to making federal tribal policy,” Miller added. “It does seem as if DOI’s reluctance to work with our subcommittee is rooted in their belief that they—the executive branch—have primary authority over federal tribal policy.”


Read more:http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/07/19/interior-department-disses-us-house-on-tribal-federal-recognition-124209 http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/07/19/interior-department-disses-us-house-on-tribal-federal-recognition-124209#ixzz21IU9858c

9 comments:

smokeybear said...

"Missing in Action!" Does that "Surprise Anyone?"..."Eagle Eyes."

Anonymous said...

smokey bear, can you stop commenting with parenthesis around everything? For heavens sake, its annoying.

smokeybear said...

I gave up all caps 'cause you asked. Give me a break....."NO!"...The idea is to make a point, and get our point across. That is my way. Anyone else think it's "Annoying?" And its not parenthesis, it ittalics...."Eagle Eyes."

Anonymous said...

It's alright smokeybear!

Some folks, skids!

It isn't brothersome!!

Have a good one, Smoke!!

smokeybear said...

Thanks..."Eagle Eyes."

Anonymous said...

"OK" , "Agree" "To" "Disagree"

"Take" "Care" "Smokey" "Bear"

"AHO!"

Anonymous said...

Those aren't italics, they are quotation marks.

To make italics put an i in between the left and right arrows and then when you are done with italics, put in to stop them. Same with bolding..us a b between the arrows to get BOLDED

smokeybear said...

I stand "Corrected."...."Eagle Eyes."

smokeybear said...

"AHO!"

Really??? What..."Hurt Feelings?" Are you, as a non rational person, "Unable To Comprehend" the gravity of our situation? Or is it that you really don't care? Witch is it? If you choose to participate, and have something meaningfull to say, then we are all ears, otherwise..."Take a Hike!"..."Eagle Eyes."