1. Policy: The Tribal Trust Land Reaffirmation Act Introduced in the House, Aims to Reaffirm All Current Land Put into Trust on Behalf of Federally Recognized Tribes
Representative Tom Cole (R-OK-04), Representative Betty McCollum (D-MN-04), Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL-03), and Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA-02) have introduced bipartisan legislation, “Tribal Trust Land Reaffirmation Act,” also known as the “Carcieri Light Fix.” The legislation seeks to resolve longstanding uncertainty created by the Supreme Court’s 2009 decision in Carcieri v. Salazar. This decision limited the DOI’s authority to take land into trust to only those Tribes “under federal jurisdiction” as of 1934, when Congress enacted the Indian Reorganization Act (1934).
NAFOA has strongly supported bipartisan legislation to fix the Carcieri decision. As NAFOA Board President Rodney Butler, Chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, testified to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, the Carcieri decision fundamentally undermines the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, which was enacted to halt the massive loss of Tribal homelands caused by the General Allotment Act of 1887.
2. Hearing: SCIA Hearing: Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act
September 17, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. ET
The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA) will hold an oversight hearing entitled “Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act: Successes and Opportunities at the Department of the Interior and the Indian Health Service.”
This hearing will be held both online and in person at Dirksen 628.
Source: United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
3. Call for Nominations: USDA Solicits Nominations for the Tribal Advisory Committee
Nominations must be submitted via email September 22, 2025.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is soliciting nominations for four (4) vacancies on the USDA Tribal Advisory Committee (“the Committee”). The Committee consists of eleven (11) members serving staggered terms. Three members will be appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture for a three-year term and one by the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture to serve the remainder of the vacancy term ending December 19, 2025.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture
4. Event: Tribal Housing Solutions Roundtable
Wednesday, September 24, from 9:00 am–1:00 pm PST
The National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC) and the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco are hosting a Tribal Housing Solutions Roundtable in Portland, Oregon. This collaborative discussion, immediately following the NAFOA 2025 Finance & Tribal Economies Conference, will:
- Highlight underutilized lending programs,
- Share actionable strategies to improve affordable housing options, and
- Showcase Native-led housing solutions in the Pacific Northwest.
If you are interested in attending this convening as an audience member, submit your interest below, and NAIHC’s team will follow up with a link to register. Please note that we will do our best to accommodate on a first-come, first-served basis, depending on our venue’s capacity constraints.
Source: National American Indian Housing Council
5. Job Opportunity: Sr Financial Accountant, Twenty Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians
This position is responsible for supervising all accounting employee’s operation activities and initiatives. Coordinate and supervise the monthly closing process and preparation of consolidated and individual property financial statements and the accounts’ payable function, by performing the following duties personally or through subordinates. In addition, we strive to deliver our Five Star Experience to Guests and fellow Team Members. This includes being committed to our Service Promise: We are the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians Team, where your experience is our top priority. Every person and detail matters.
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