House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs sets field hearing for self-determination anniversary

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House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs: Examining 50 years of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act in Indian Country

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Indianz.Com

The House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs is going on the road to mark the 50th anniversary of the self-determination era.

The Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act became law in January 1975 after being passed by the 93rd Congress. [S.1017] Over the last 50 years, tribes have asserted greater sovereignty over programs and services that were previously managed by agencies within the Department of the Interior and the Department of Health and Human Services.

“This hearing will examine the successes and opportunities for tribal self-governance in economic development and healthcare as the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act turns 50,” a notice from the subcommittee reads.

The hearing takes place on April 4 at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. A witness list has not been posted online as of Wednesday afternoon.

The Richard Nixon Foundation: Tribal Self-Determination Revisited: President Nixon’s Lasting Impact on American Indian Life

On October 16, 2024, the Chickasaw Nation and The Richard Nixon Foundation co-hosted a conference at the museum. The half-day event, titled “Tribal Self Determination Revisited: President Nixon’s Lasting Impact on American Indian Life,” focused on the ways in which Public Law 93-638 has affected the economic, social and cultural well-being of Indian Country.

“If you look at where we were and where we are, it’s been a successful journey, from the 1970s to today,” Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby said at the event.

“We have a highly functioning tribal government,” said Anoatubby, who has held executive leadership positions within his tribe more than four decades. “We have the revenues that we need in order to for us to function and we are delivering the services that we need to deliver.”

The subcommittee is led by Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-Colorado). He is a new member of the U.S. House of Representatives whose district includes the reservations of the Southern Ute Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in Colorado.

Since the start of the 119th Congress in January 2025, the subcommittee has held three hearings on legislation and issues affecting Indian Country, all of which took place in February. The upcoming hearing in Oklahoma is the first one in the field for the panel.

The subcommittee is part of the House Committee on Natural Resources, which is chaired by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Arkansas).

The committee does not currently have any members from Oklahoma, according to the membership list.

House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs Notice

Examining 50 years of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act in Indian Country (April 4, 2025)

Prior House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs Notices

Federal Indian Trust Asset Management: Progress Made But Improvement Needed (February 25, 2025)
Leaving Indian Children Behind: Reviewing the State of BIE Schools (February 12, 2025)
Legislative Hearing on H.R. 410, H.R. 412, H.R. 504 & H.R. 741 (February 5, 2025)