Stephen Manydeeds: The BIA Unmasked

The BIA would like tribes to believe that it plays a role in economic development on their lands.

But the reality is that the BIA is simply a permitting agency. Its role is just to approve or disapprove any permits that are required on Indian lands. History has shown that it will defend that role at all costs lest it loses control over Indian lands. It is an existential prerogative.

This is no more evident than in its treatment of the Division of Energy and Mineral Development (DEMD), which it has cut, downsized, and is now trying to extinguish.

DEMD has furnished information, technical advice, and funding to help tribes make multi-million decisions. By diminishing DEMD, the BIA has forced tribes to depend on leasing their properties to outside entities. Tribes that have exercised their sovereignty by going around the BIA in developing their own resources have been met with strong opposition from the BIA.

For the last several months, our website posts have discussed how essential technical information, expertise, and finance is to tribal economic development. The Biden Administration did not understand how important these things are to tribes in developing their resources and stabilizing their economies. We had hoped that the incoming administration would grasp this and restore these programs to full capacity. The good news is that there is still time to convince them to do that.

Tribes have an opportunity to express their concern to the current administration through a series of workshops that are being offered now through the BIA:

Indian Affairs Workforce Efficiency and Productivity (EO 14210) and Emergency Permitting Procedures to Strengthen Domestic Energy Supply | Indian Affairs

We recommend these talking points:

1)      Restore DEMD’s staffing via direct hires and the prevailing labor contract to put tribes back in charge of their own resources;

2)      Unfreeze DEMD funding so that tribes can acquire much needed technical data to help them make decisions about those resources; and

3)      Move DEMD out of the BIA. Befitting its importance, DEMD should be be elevated to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Interior. After all, energy and minerals are the second biggest economic generator in Indian Country.

We urge all tribes to log in to this meeting to express their concern about the loss of DEMD’s critical services.