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The changes come as the 2018 Farm Bill sits in limbo on Capitol Hill. Tribes and their advocates are supporting the version of H.R.2 that passed the Senate because it includes a number of pro-sovereignty provisions. The Senate version was developed in close consultation with the Native Farm Bill Coalition, a diverse group of tribes and Indian organizations. But Keith Anderson, the vice chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, whose leadership made the effort a reality, wasn't confident about the bill's chances of success. "The greater likelihood is that the next Congress will write the Farm Bill," Anderson said at NCAI last Thursday. According to John Berrey, the chairman of the Quapaw Nation, the Farm Bill will help tribes exercise greater control over their food systems. In an opinion published on Indianz.Com in August, he believes the best components of the House and Senate versions can be combined to advance Indian Country's interests. "We did not get everything we wanted in either the House or Senate bills, but the provisions included so far will make major, historic inroads in getting tribes better access and maximum use of USDA programs and services," wrote Berrey, who has been a part of the Native Farm Bill Coalition. The 115th Congress is currently on break and is expected to resume a full schedule after the November 6 election. There is still a chance that the Farm Bill, as well as other key pieces of Indian legislation, are taken up before the end of the year.Executive Director Janie Simms Hipp of the Native American Agriculture Fund announces the establishment of this new organization which will provide business assistance, technical support, and advocacy for #NativeAg through the 20 year Keepseagle Trust. pic.twitter.com/Ya1dipj399
— NCAI (@NCAI1944) October 23, 2018
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