WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Department of the Interior commences the 2023 White House Tribal Nations Summit. The summit provides an opportunity for Biden-Harris administration and tribal leaders to discuss ways the federal government can invest in and strengthen nation-to-nation relationships, as well as ensure that progress in Indian Country endures for years to come.
President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is deploying record investments to provide affordable high-speed internet, safer roads and bridges, modern wastewater and sanitations systems, clean drinking water, reliable and affordable electricity, good paying jobs and economic development in every tribal community. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law alone invests more than $13 billion directly in tribal communities across the country.
President Biden, Vice President Harris, Secretary Deb Haaland and members of the cabinet will provide remarks and discuss new announcements and efforts to implement key policy initiatives supporting tribal communities. Secretary Haaland and other Department leaders, including Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Wizipan Garriott, will participate in a series of panels, including:
Wednesday, December 6
- 9:00 a.m. ET: Program begins
- 9:15 a.m. ET: Opening remarks from Secretary Haaland
- 9:35 a.m. ET: Panel on Protecting Tribal Homelands in an Era of Climate Change
- 11:00 a.m. ET: Panel on Next Steps to Address the Crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples
Thursday, December 7
- 9:00 a.m. ET: Program begins
- 3:15 p.m. ET: Roundtable on Healing and Protecting Native Languages and Cultures
- 4:00 p.m. ET: Panel on Supporting Tribal Economic Development
A livestream of each day’s events can be viewed at the Interior Department’s YouTube page.