WASHINGTON – Today, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo and Chief Recovery Officer Jacob Leibenluft met with Tribal Leaders and Tribal organizations to discuss economic recovery for Tribal governments and communities. Treasury is the lead federal department for Indian Country’s economic recovery, managing approximately $30 billion in Tribal set asides across seven programs for over 582 Tribes and 190 Alaska Native corporations. These programs are administrated by Treasury’s Office of Recovery Programs and includes staff fully dedicated to supporting Tribal communities. Deputy Secretary Adeyemo said Treasury has worked to disburse these funds quickly and equitably to Tribal governments after robust Tribal consultation.
The Deputy Secretary acknowledged that the losses Tribal nations have experienced through the pandemic have been exacerbated by the public health, infrastructure, and economic disparities that impacted Tribal communities prior to the pandemic and became lethal during this crisis. He said addressing such structural inequities, for Tribal and non-Tribal communities, is a recovery priority the Biden Administration. Treasury officials and Tribal leaders also discussed support for Tribal economic development and inclusion of Tribal governments and communities in Treasury’s work department-wide.
Participants included:
• Shannon Holsey, President, Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans
• Richard Peterson, President, Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska
• Cheryl Andrews-Maltais, Chairwoman, Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head Acquinnah
• Ron Allen, Chairman, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe
• Kirk Francis, Chief, Penobscot Indian Nation
• Mark Macarro, Chairman, Pechanga Band of Luiseño Mission Indians
• Rico Frias, Executive Director, Native American Finance Officers Association
• Dante Desiderio, CEO, National Congress of American Indians
• Kitcki A. Carroll, Executive Director, United South and Eastern Tribes
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