INDIAN AFFAIRS
This page provides information about federal appointments in matters related to Indian Affairs. There is substantial collateral information which may be of interest, as well, but the primary research and development of this information is about any sort of political, commission, committee, or executive material related to the interests of the United States government in this subject.
Updated Sunday, February 03, 2008 07:23 PM. .
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Pending Appointments
Carl Artman: This nominee to the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs, Department of Interior was confirmed today - 3/5/07 - by the United States Senate. This ends a two year vacancy in this position. 3-05-07 Carl Joseph Artman has been nominated to be Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs, United States Department of Interior. Confirmation Hearings have been held. The testimony is available at United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Information about his qualifications and background are included. The position has been vacant for two years. Reported out of Committee with positive recommendation to the Senate, on Senate calendar for confirmation as of 2/13/07. Floor speeches to move nomination effective presented this week. (March 1 2007) Confirmed
Presidential Appointments related to Indian Affairs
These are present occupants of various Presidential Appointments requiring confirmation which have jurisdiction over diverse aspects of Indian Affairs. This is not necessarily a complete list.
(Vacant-appointment pending on Senate Floor 3/1/07- Carl Artman appointment on hold by unknown GOP Senator 2-16-07) Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs (This position has been open for two years, with Carl Artman being nominated by President Bush. There is little national press on the appointments. There is an anonymous hold on the nomination which requires the vote of 60 Senators to break. 2-19-07 - The Senate is in recess until late February)
Philip N. Hogen: Chair: National Indian Gaming Commission (See commission site below)
Cloyce V. Choney: Commissioner: National Indian Gaming Commission (See commission site below)
Ross Swimmer: Special Trustee for American Indians (See site below)
Indian
Affairs: The top Indian administrator - the Assistant Secretary of
the Interior - Indian Affairs, has been vacant for two years because of an
anonymous hold by a Republican Senator for more than two years. Indian
Affairs administers fundamental services for more than 500 Tribes on subjects
from education to the testy area of casinos. I have watched Presidential
appointments through the administrations of twelve Presidents - rarely is there
a more blatant abuse of Presidential power and Senatorial duties of Advice and
Consent than in this situation.
Whether it is White House obstinacy in not making another choice, or Senatorial
silliness which allows hidden holds on appointments - the real issues
undoubtedly relate to Indian lands or Indian gambling operations. The real
damage is to Indian children and Indian sick.
Further, the Presidential Appointments process - which is sticky and quirky on
good days - really fails when it is used to prevent the administration of
services to a significant number of American citizens - original American
citizens, at that.
John Isaacson, Director@Presidential-Appointments.org
(Written for the Chicago Tribute Letters to the Editor, 3/3/07.
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Reference Sites
These are broad-based sites on Indian matters covering the whole range of government reference information.
United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs: This site is the primary source of information, in the United States Senate, on Indian Affairs. Material about legislation, Presidential Appointments, and similar information - from the perspective of the United States Senate - is provided on this site.
Bureau of Indian Affairs: Basic Information about the Bureau, many link references on a variety of subjects related to this page.
Indian Trust Matters: Massive detailed page on Indian Affairs.
Office of Insular Affairs: Matters related in Islands and people there, US related.
National Indian Gaming Commission: Indian Gaming Issues
Special Trustee for American Indians: See page for details of office
Indian Crafts Board: Details of commissions and officers - appointed by Secretary of Interior.
Department of Interior: General List of confirmed appointments
Maintenance Schedule for Indian Affairs Pages
Information related to the Nation's Native American Community and various levels of Executive Appointments is voluminous and volatile. We continue to believe that good information in the hands of decision makers is our best way to contribute to good government which encourages honorable public interest. The following material outlines our methodology and timing, as well as methods of distribution of information. Please send suggestions or other information to Director@Presidential-Appointments.org.
Who is going to be appointed to a position? When nominations are announced by the White House, and in the case of nominations which require Senate confirmation, forwarded to the Senate, public records such as the Federal Register, the Senate committee schedules, and the Congressional Record, begin to track their progress. The Record is updated by late in the morning the day after each session of the Senate, and other pages promptly, most of the time. Often, searches of major national papers, and regional press if the nomination or the nominee is important to a particular community, and a general watch of subject specific publications gives the first hint of a nomination, or a potential nomination. We track the name of a position which is vacant, or which will become vacant, as well as the name of an interim appointee, and the name of any potential nominee that shows up in all of this press and paperwork. Often we receive email or telephone tips about people who are in the running. We follow various organizations interested in a particular appointment - they are often ahead of the information game - ahead of the papers and other sources.
When a nominee is known, what then? Essentially it becomes an official search then, the government publications don't necessarily have the best information but they have the official word on the legal status of an appointment. Most appointees sail through the process and take office. Even so - if there are contentious issues around the office, or around the nominee, the appointment process provides major collateral information. When possible, we try to outline the issues and provide resources to our users about who thinks what about what - and some sources with various views of these issues. You are on your own about what is right and wrong about these issues, and the nominees themselves, for that matter!
What about appointments which do not require confirmation by the United States Senate: In this area of government, governing with a wide constituency - there are many commissions and committees, and much like the Agriculture Department, has many local operations by state and region which require local appointments. Openings in these are reasonably difficult to track, so it is important for those interested in those situations to contact local Tribal and BIA operations for more information.
E-Mail Notifications
At the present time, we send e-mail notifications to people we think ought to know about various appointments that seem to impact Native American citizens. If you wish to be added to the current list, please send an e-mail to Director@Presidential-Appointments.org.
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