Tribes from Across the U.S. Announce Support for Congressman Huffman as House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member

Tribes from Across the U.S. Announce Support for Congressman Huffman as House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member

Washington, D.C. - Today, 27 tribes and tribal representatives announced their support for Congressman Jared Huffman (CA-02) as Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee. Additionally, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Greenville Rancheria Tribal Council, and Mooretown Rancheria, sent individual statements supporting Rep. Huffman. These tribes represent regions from across the U.S., including the Wes Coast, Southwest, Midwest, and Northeast.

"As the Congressman representing the most tribes in the Lower 48 states, Congressman Huffman is a tireless advocate for meaningful changes that directly benefit Native communities. His advocacy for tribal nations spans a wide range of issues, from energy and water to education, broadband, health, and cultural resource protection. He has been the leader in advocating for restoring critical protections to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge-home to Indigenous Peoples who depend upon the unique ecosystem. He has also been at the forefront of efforts to right historic wrongs, such as returning sacred lands to tribes and spearheading initiatives, including urging the Government Accountability Office to analyze the impacts of Public Law 280 on law enforcement and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis in Indian Country. Through these efforts, he has worked to ensure federal accountability for the safety, justice, and protection of Native people and sacred resources," the letter states.

"I am deeply honored and grateful to receive these endorsements from my valued tribal partners. Native communities have been stewards of our country's natural resources for millennia and bring immense knowledge and important perspectives to the table," said Rep. Huffman. "I have been fortunate enough to represent the most tribes out of any member of Congress in the contiguous U.S. and know first-hand how successful we can be when we listen to indigenous voices. They deserve to not only be heard, but to equally benefit from all the work we do on the Natural Resources Committee. If I am fortunate enough to be elected as Ranking Member, I will be sure to represent the voices and opinions of every tribe from every region."

Some of the work Rep. Huffman has done to support indigenous communities includes:

• Working with tribes to author legislation creating the first-ever dedicated revenue stream for tribal communities from offshore renewable energy development
• Leading the effort to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Bristol Bay, both sacred to Alaska Natives who have relied on these ecosystems for millennia
• Helping the Klamath Tribes, Yurok Tribe, and Karuk Tribe complete the historic removal of four salmon-killing dams on the Klamath River, securing more than $72 million for ecosystem restoration and water supply reliability projects
• Leading the bipartisan appropriations request for the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA), securing $1.3 billion for the Indian Housing Block Grant in FY24-more than $300 million above the previous record and significantly exceeding both the White House and Senate-passed levels.
• Expanding broadband access in rural and tribal areas, championing his New Deal Rural Broadband Act, supporting the $3 billion Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and negotiating provisions in the bipartisan public lands package.
• Urging the Government Accountability Office to analyze the impacts of Public Law 280 on law enforcement and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis in Indian Country.
• Successfully passing legislation that was signed into law to place federal lands located in Humboldt and Siskiyou counties in California into trust for the Karuk Tribe, rectifying historic injustice.
• Securing $88M in federal dollars to bring together four tribes and other partners to build critical infrastructure in highly vulnerable and underserved communities that need reliable and decarbonized energy systems.
• Through these efforts, Rep. Huffman has worked to ensure federal accountability for the safety, justice, and protection of Native people and sacred resources.

The letter was signed by Chairman Steven Orihuela, Bishop Paiute Tribe; Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe of California; Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria; Colorado River Indian Tribes; Cloverdale Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California; Dry Creek Rancheria, Band of Pomo Indians; Elk Valley Rancheria, California; Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria; Forest County Potawatomi Community, Chairman James Crawford; Jamul Indian Village of California; Karuk Tribe; Chairwoman Debra Ramirez, Little River Band of Pomo; Lytton Rancheria, Chairperson Andy Mejia; Manchester Band of Pomo Indians, Chairwoman Tisha Jones; Manzanita Band of Mission Indians; Charles Martin, Chairman of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians; Chairman Tehassi Hill, Oneida Nation; Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians; Penobscot Nation; Pit River Tribe; Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation; Yurok Tribe; Kenneth Kahn, Chairman Santa Ynez Chumash Indians; President Martin Harvier, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community; Quapaw Nation Business Committee Chair; Heidi Moore-Guynup, Director of Tribal and Government Affairs, Blue Lake Rancheria; and Pit River Health Services Vice Chair.

A copy of the letter can be found here.

Additional letters of support include ones from the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Greenville Rancheria Tribal Council, and Mooretown Rancheria.

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