Assistant Secretary Washburn Announces Tribal Consultation in Preparation for 2013 Labor Force Report

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that Indian Affairs will be holding informational and consultation sessions in the coming weeks seeking input from tribal leaders in preparation for the Interior Department’s 2013 American Indian Population and Labor Force Report. The sessions will provide an opportunity for tribal leaders to provide their views on what should comprise the report’s scope, data, and methodology.

“It is important to identify the best policies and strategies for promoting economic development in Indian Country,” Washburn said. “As we begin to develop the 2013 Labor Force Report, I encourage tribal leaders to provide us with their insights and thoughts on how the report can be accurately and effectively produced and can best help tribes address job training and employment needs.”

Tribal leaders will be asked to provide their ideas on issues such as data collection, definitions of “service population” and other terms, how service populations should be measured, and other issues in order for the Department to meet the report’s 2013 deadline. The Department did not publish a report in 2010 because the data collected did not meet the standards of quality and reliability that are required of federal agencies in reporting official statistics.

Two informational sessions will be held for the exchange of information and to receive informal comments (all times are local):

• October 20, 2012, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon: Alaska Federation of Natives Annual Conference, Dena’ina Center, 600 W. 7th Ave., Second Floor – Room #3, 600 W. 7th Ave., Anchorage, Alaska.

• October 24, 2012, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m .: National Congress of American Indians 69th Annual Convention, Sacramento Convention Center, 1400 J Street, Room #305, Sacramento, Calif.

In addition to the listening sessions, there will be four consultation sessions – three in-person and one via a national teleconference (all times are local):

• October 29, 2012, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m .: Hilton Garden Inn, 801 South Meridian, Oklahoma City, Okla .; phone: (405) 942-1400.

• October 30, 2012, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m .: Bureau of Indian Affairs Western Regional Office, 2600 North Central Ave., Fourth Floor – Eagle and Buffalo Rooms, Phoenix, Ariz.

• November 1, 2012, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m .: Holiday Inn Rushmore Plaza, 505 North 5th Street, Rapid City, S.D .; phone (605) 348-4000.

• November 9, 2012, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. EST: Phone in using (877) 716-4290 and participant code 5074051. For technical assistance during the call, use (202) 208-7163.

Public Law 102-477, the Indian Employment, Training, and Related Services Demonstration Act of 1992, as amended, requires the Department to publish the American Indian Population and Labor Force Report at least once every two years. Section 17 of the Act requires the report to capture the population eligible for services the Secretary provides to American Indians at the national level by state, Bureau of Indian Affairs service area and tribal level.

Written comments may be submitted by email to consultation@bia.gov no later than November 12, 2012. For more information and to view background and explanatory materials related to the listening and consultation sessions, please see “Preparation for American Indian Population and Labor Force Report – 2013” at http://www.bia.gov/WhoWeAre/AS-IA/Consultation/index.htm.