Native American News: November 6, 2023, marks the second anniversary of the historic passing of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law by Congress. This groundbreaking legislation has paved the way for unprecedented investments in our nation's natural and built environments, authorizing a staggering $1.2 trillion in funding to be disbursed over the course of a decade.
One of the significant beneficiaries of this law has been Indian Country, which has seen over $1.6 billion allocated to tribes by the U.S. Department of the Interior in just two years. Notable allocations include $682 million to the Navajo Nation, $212 million to the Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana, $155 million to the Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, $136 million to the Chippewa Cree Indians of Rocky Boy's Reservation, and $116 million to the White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation. Nearly 40 tribes have received funding exceeding $1 million.
The majority of this funding was channeled through the Bureau of Reclamation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Water rights settlements accounted for approximately $1.3 billion of the total funding allocated to tribes, while $190 million was designated for various tribal investments. Notable projects in this category include a $1.7 million climate adaptation plan for the Tulalip Tribes of Washington, an $1.8 million irrigation project on the Fort Peck reservation, and $8.7 million for the Hopi Arsenic Management Project.
