Deb Haaland Secretary at U.S. Department of Interior | Official website
Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland concluded a multi-day visit to Washington and Alaska, emphasizing the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to honoring its trust and treaty responsibilities to Tribal Nations. The visit underscored support for Indian Country through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.
With funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, the Department of the Interior has allocated significant resources in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. These initiatives include a new Voluntary Community-Driven Relocation program, wildfire resilience resources, programs addressing legacy pollution from extractive industries, and a new “Gravel to Gravel” initiative.
In Washington, Assistant Secretary Newland joined the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation and the Colville Business Council for the release of 50 summer Chinook into Rufus Woods Lake. This effort is part of ongoing work to reintroduce salmon into the upper Columbia River. Last year, a historic agreement was announced by the Biden-Harris administration to support Tribally led efforts to restore salmon populations in the Upper Columbia River Basin.
Newland also visited Paschal Sherman Indian School in Omak, Washington. The school serves grades K-9 with funding from the Bureau of Indian Education. Historically known as St. Mary’s Mission from 1886 to 1973, it was one of 417 Indian boarding schools identified by the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative. This initiative aims to address intergenerational impacts and trauma resulting from past federal policies.
In Alaska, Newland met with Tribal leadership of Northway Village and Tanana Chiefs Conference in Northway. In March, $9.9 million was awarded to Tanana Chiefs Conference through the Tribal Electrification Program for solar photovoltaic and battery energy storage systems aimed at bringing clean energy to homes. This funding represents a significant step toward electrifying all U.S. homes with clean energy sources by 2035.
Newland also toured a seafood processing plant owned by the Sun’aq Tribe of Kodiak in Kodiak, Alaska. The plant purchases fish from local Tribal and commercial sources for personal and commercial sale, supporting economic development within Tribal communities.
Additionally, he visited a pre-school that immerses students in the Sugpiaq language to discuss language revitalization efforts. The White House Council on Native American Affairs is developing a 10-year National Plan on Native Language Revitalization to protect and reclaim Native languages.
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