The flag of the Shinnecock Nation. Photo from SN
The Shinnecock Nation of New York will mark a key milestone with a special guest. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell will visit the reservation tomorrow. Her trip marks the start of the Tribal Solarthon, a new initiative to bring solar power and job training to Indian Country, but it also happens to fall on the fifth anniversary of the tribe's federal recognition. The tribe's federal status was finalized on October 1, 2010. The decision came after 32 years of review by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Office of Federal Acknowledgment. The tribe has since adopted a new constitution and is looking to explore economic development opportunities on Long Island. The effort includes a partnership with GRID Alternatives to bring solar power to the reservation, which suffered extensive damage and power losses during Hurricane Sandy in October 2012.
The Bishop Paiute Tribe of California hosted the Tribal Solarthon kick off event on September 29, 2015. Photo from GRID Alternatives / Facebook
“GRID Alternatives’s partnership with the Shinnecock Nation and other tribal communities serves as a model for helping to build a sustainable energy future and solar technology workforce in Indian Country,” Jewell said in a press release. “This partnership shows how the tribal, federal and private sectors can work together to remove barriers to economic development, advance tribal self-determination and add clean energy to the grid.” The Shinnecock Nation is one of four tribal communities participating in the Tribal Solarthon. The effort will bring solar power and job training to the Bishop Paiute Tribe in California, the Leupp Chapter of the Navajo Nation in Arizona and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota. Federal Register Notices:
Notice of Service Delivery Area Designation for the Shinnecock Indian Nation (September 11, 2013)
Final Determination for Federal Acknowledgment of the Shinnecock Indian Nation (June 18, 2010)
Proposed Finding for Federal Acknowledgment of the Shinnecock Indian Nation (December 21, 2009) IBIA Decision:
In Re: Federal Acknowledgment of the Shinnecock Indian Nation (October 1, 2010)
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