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SEPTEMBER 28, 2000

On Wednesday, experts in tribal economic development called for the passage of a new bill aimed at helping tribes become more successful through increased cooperation of government agencies.

Several agencies, including the Department of Interior, the Department of Education, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, currently provide programs, funding, and services to tribes. But the wide amount of offerings do not always help tribes achieve success, according to witnesses who testified before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

"Hundreds of millions of dollars in federal assistance have been thrown at the problems of Indian Country over the preceding decades," said Joseph Kalt, an economics researcher at Harvard University. "Even the most sanguine of observers would have to agree that the results have been disappointing."

Michael J. Anderson, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, pinpointed part of the problem. Government agencies each have their own rules and regulations, resulting in a situation which "frustrates" and "confuses" tribes seeking assistance.

Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo) calls this funding situation "fractured." He has introduced the bill, called the Indian Tribal Development Consolidated Funding Act of 2000, in order to help fix the problem.

"In my experience as Chairman of this Committee, I have seen far too many instances where agencies are not cooperating and not coordinating their resources and efforts for the benefit of Indian people," said Campbell.

Instead of the "piecemeal" distribution of the $9 billion in funds directed to tribes each year, Campbell's bill would bring together nine agencies and consolidate funding when appropriate. Led by the Interior, tribes would be able to apply for joint funding, rather than apply to each agency separately.

The bill would also create a pilot program that Campbell hopes will demonstrate the success of consolidating funding. Under the current version of the legislation, a maximum of 24 tribes or a consortium of tribes acting as a tribe, would be able to participate in the program.

Peter Deswood, manager of the Kayenta Township on the Navajo Nation, testified in support of the bill. The Kayenta Township itself began as a pilot project 15 years ago and has become a self-sufficient community within the Navajo Nation.

Part of that success has been attributed to the institution of a sales tax. This type of local funding, when coupled with federal money, has resulted in the realization of self-determination, Deswood said.

"The Kayenta Township Commission has learned that when given the power to decide matters locally, economic and community development can be achieved," said Deswood.

Get the Bill:
A bill to establish a demonstration project to authorize the integration and coordination of Federal funding dedicated to community, business, and the economic development of Native American communities (S.2052)

Relevant Links:
The Kayenta Township Commission - www.kayentatownship.com
The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs - www.senate.gov