05/19/2023
🌟 Exciting News from Jamul Indian Village! 🌟
We are thrilled to share an important update with our community. The Department of the Interior recently convened the Secretary's Tribal Advisory Committee (STAC) for its very first in-person meeting! 🎉✨ This is a significant milestone that follows the successful bi-annual online sessions held since the establishment of the STAC last year.
The STAC was announced during the 2021 White House Tribal Nations Summit and officially launched in June 2022. This Committee serves as an incredible opportunity for appointed Tribal leaders to engage directly with high-level Department officials, fostering robust discussions on intergovernmental responsibilities, sharing views, exchanging information, and providing recommendations on Departmental policies, programs, and funding that have a direct impact on our Tribal Nations.
During the two-day meeting, skillfully facilitated by STAC Chair President Whitney Gravelle from the Bay Mills Indian Community and our very own Vice Chair Chairwoman Erica Pinto, Jamul Indian Village was honored to host the STAC members. We had the privilege of meeting with Secretary Haaland, Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau, and esteemed White House leadership. It was a fruitful and productive exchange of ideas and perspectives. Furthermore, leaders from various departments within the Department of the Interior, including the Indian Water Rights Office, Solicitor's Office, Assistant Secretaries of Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Indian Affairs, Land and Minerals Management, and Policy, Management, and Budget, were present to engage with the STAC.
Throughout the meeting, our STAC members actively participated in sessions focused on key areas, including co-stewardship, broadband/spectrum, treaty rights, rights-of-way on Tribal lands, the fee-to-trust process, public safety, and efforts to combat the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples. We were also thrilled to receive updates on Tribal funding opportunities provided through President Biden's Investing in America Agenda. The recently passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will directly invest more than $13 billion into Tribal communities across the nation, supporting critical infrastructure repairs, enhancing roads, bridges, and rails, expanding access to clean drinking water, and advancing environmental justice initiatives.
It is important to note that our STAC is composed of a primary Tribal representative from each of the 12 Bureau of Indian Affairs Regions (BIA), including our own esteemed Chairwoman Erica Pinto, along with one alternate member from each region. These dedicated individuals serve on staggered terms for up to two years, ensuring consistent representation and advocating for our interests.
We are incredibly grateful to be part of this historic moment and to have the opportunity to collaborate and contribute to the advancement of our Tribal Nations. We look forward to the positive outcomes that will emerge from the discussions and recommendations made during this meeting.
For more information about the STAC meeting and its outcomes, please reach out to [email protected].
https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/secretarys-tribal-advisory-committee-convenes-first-person-meeting
