For Immediate Release
March 29, 2022
Contact:
Manu Tupper or Mike Inacay (Schatz) at press@indian.senate.gov
Schatz: Indian Affairs Tribal Consultations Will Honor Tribal Sovereignty, Protect Tribal Lands, Support Native Economic Development
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, released the following statement on the Department of the Interior’s announcement of Tribal consultations on draft regulations for the fee-to-trust process and Class III gaming compacts. The consultations follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Order 3400, which streamlined the review process for land-into-trust decisions.
“Nation-to-nation consultation fundamentally honors Tribal sovereignty and must continue to guide federal decision-making on matters affecting Tribal communities,” said Chairman Schatz. “I am encouraged by today’s announcement of Tribal consultations, which will appropriately inform the Department’s regulatory process, protect Tribal homelands, and support Native economic development.”
More information on the Department’s virtual consultation sessions is available here.
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