Rep. Lujan Grisham Statement on Interior Department’s Effort to Reorganize Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education

Rep. Lujan Grisham Statement on Interior Department’s Effort to Reorganize Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education

New Mexico’s Tribes Must Be Consulted and Supported

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) released the following statement on the Department of Interior’s (DOI) effort to reorganize the DOI’s bureau regional offices, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), by watersheds and ecosystems instead of by state boundaries. This proposed reorganization would have serious implications for the BIA and BIE whose primary mission is to deliver services to tribes and Native American people.

“The Department of Interior has an obligation to engage in meaningful, nation-to-nation consultation with New Mexico’s Tribes as it considers reorganizing its employees, offices, and boundaries of operations. It is outrageous that DOI proposed the reorganization before any tribal government engagement, which is necessary to fulfill DOI’s treaty and trust responsibilities. Further, the proposal lacks clarity and detail in how the reorganization will benefit tribal communities. Before spending millions of dollars on a costly reorganization that tribes have never asked for, the Trump Administration should focus on fully funding education, public safety, and natural resources programs that support self-determination and have a significant impact on tribal communities across New Mexico.”

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