Taxpayers’ money seems to be flying from Washington, D.C., into the hands of state, county and local leaders. American Indian tribal leaders say they want a piece, too.
American Indian advocates are pushing for $2.8 billion to be set aside for tribes in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a plan designed to kick-start the nation’s flagging economy that could top $800 billion.
Tulalip tribal leaders have been shuttling between their reservation in northern Snohomish County and the nation’s capital in recent weeks to ensure that they’ll get some of the money.
“We’re tracking this very closely because we have projects we feel benefit not only Tulalip, but also Marysville and north Snohomish County,” Tulalip tribal Chairman Mel Sheldon said.
Tulalip leaders hope the bill will mean extra money for the $60 million overhaul of the 116th Street interchange, which feeds both Quil Ceda Village, the tribes’ shopping and casino complex, and new developments in north Marysville.
Sheldon also hopes to secure funding to begin building a $90 million water pipeline that would pump up to 36 million gallons of water daily from north Everett to the reservation.
“We don’t know when we’ll start construction on that, and if we could start tomorrow, we’d be happier than heck,” Sheldon said. “But the reality is, we need to secure that funding.”
North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan, chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, led a team of more than a dozen federal lawmakers who asked President Barack Obama to set aside the money for tribal governments, committee spokesman Barry Piatt said.
A version of Dorgan’s plan was approved by the House of Representatives last week, Piatt said. The Senate neared a tentative agreement on the plan on Friday.
If approved, Indian tribes would receive less than half of 1 percent of the money offered by the act. Indians make up about .79 percent of the total U.S. population. Many tribes, particularly those in the western U.S., signed treaties with the federal government that promised money for medical care, education and other services.
The money from Dorgan’s plan would be added to existing programs and would be available to tribes through a competitive grant process.
Last month, representatives of the National Congress of American Indians, a tribal advocacy group in Washington, D.C., asked the Senate Indian Affairs Committee to increase the proposed funding to more than $6 billion.
Sen. Dorgan knows that $2.8 billion won’t cover the needs in Indian Country, Piatt said, but hopes his proposal will help move projects forward. His plan includes $545 million for health care, $300 million for tribal courts and jails, $274 million for water projects and $510 million for housing projects.
Reporter Krista J. Kapralos: 425-339-3422 or kkapralos@heraldnet.com.
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