GAO released a report titled “Indian Affairs: Opportunities Exist to Address Bureau’s Strained Regional Workforce Capacity.” The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provided significant supplemental funding for Tribes and programs that serve Tribes, with Congress appropriating $385 million to the Bureau of Indian Affairs through the end of fiscal year 2031. The report found that in Indian Affairs’ Central Offices implementing IRA programs, increased workload exacerbated existing capacity challenges, making it difficult to meet mission and priority goals and to provide adequate support to Tribes. The report also addresses IRA implementation in Indian Affairs’ regional offices, regional workforce capacity since the IRA was enacted, and opportunities for Indian Affairs to help meet overall regional workload demands to support Tribes.

Key Takeaways

1. Regional officials said IRA implementation increased overall workload and exacerbated existing regional workforce capacity challenges, affecting the agency’s ability to provide services to Tribes. The pause in IRA fund disbursements in early 2025 led to schedule delays and potential cost increases for projects, impacting Tribes.
2. From fiscal year 2022 through fiscal year 2024, total staff in Indian Affairs’ regional offices decreased. Staff separations were highest among staff with less than 5 years of service and staff with over 20 years of service. These service categories made up over half of the regional workforce during this time frame. With fiscal year 2025 changes to agency workforce policies and staffing, additional separations are expected, which will further strain regional capacity.
3. We recommend that Indian Affairs systematically identify and assess opportunities to streamline its policies, processes, systems, and requirements to better meet workload demands and implement a comprehensive plan to create efficiencies. We also recommend that Indian Affairs systematically assess tribal technical assistance needs to expand Tribes’ use of self-determination contracts and self-governance compacts and formally assess resources needed to do so.

Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office Learn More

Tuesday, March 3rd from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. CT

This webinar will provide Tribal leaders, tribal finance practitioners, Tribal government services staff, and Native organization leaders with the opportunity to learn how tribes are leveraging this unique data collaboration to advance their data practices. CICD staff will discuss the survey’s flexible design, provide an overview of data-security procedures, and share examples of the data analyses that participating tribes receive. Tribal leaders will share their perspectives on how Native nations can use survey results to advance their individual economic development goals.

Speakers will include:

• First Assistant Chief Wayne Adkins (Chickahominy Indian Tribe), Chickahominy Indian Tribe
• Phil Gover (Northern and Southern Paiute, Pawnee, and Comanche Nations), CICD, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
• Casey Lozar (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes), CICD, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
• H Trostle (Cherokee Nation), CICD, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
• Vice Chair Crystal Williams (Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana), Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana

Source: Center for Indian Country Development at Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Register to Join on March 3rd

The Internal Revenue Service provides information to help taxpayers located in or near Indian Country prepare their individual income tax returns. Taxpayers can visit VITA sites serving Indian Country to find a listing of Volunteer Income Tax Assistance locations serving Indian Country by state. Volunteer Tax Assistance resources for Indian Country includes information about several free programs the IRS provides to help taxpayers prepare their individual tax returns, including the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE). IRS trained volunteers familiar with tax issues affecting Indian tribal members generally staff these sites.

Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury Learn More

The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California announced last Wednesday that it has completed the purchase of more than 10,000 acres of ancestral land in the Sierra Nevada, marking the largest tribal land return ever completed in the mountain range and the third largest in California.

The tribe acquired 10,274 acres northeast of Lake Tahoe and about 20 miles north of Reno, land formerly known as Loyalton Ranch. The property will now be known as the WélmeltiɁ Preserve and will be held by the tribe’s Waší·šiw Land Trust.

Tribal leaders and conservation partners said the acquisition restores ecologically significant Washoe homelands to tribal ownership and represents a major step toward addressing generations of displacement.

“The return of this land is deeply meaningful for our people,” said Chairman Serrell Smokey of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California. “These lands are part of who we are and have been stewarded by the Washoe people since time immemorial.”

Source: Native News Online Continue Reading

The Chief Financial Officer is responsible for all accounting operations and financial reporting functions of the Finance Department of the Tulalip Tribes of Washington, including Finance Department assignments contracted through Memorandum(s) of Understanding with other fully-owned tribal entities. The CFO is responsible for ensuring all government accounting procedures and reporting functions are completed timely and in compliance with GAAP, GASB, tribal policy and/or code and in the best interest of the tribal government.

Learn More & Apply at nafoa.org/jobs