Tribal Colleges and Universities, Executive Order 13270: July 3, 2002
George W. Bush’s
Executive Order 
is designed to ensure that Tribal colleges and universities receive support
from the Federal government to assist these schools in providing high-quality
educational opportunities for their students.
The order establishes the President’s Board on Tribal Colleges and Universities
(PBTCU) which includes representatives of tribal colleges. The “Board” is
assisted with it’s recommendations through the consultation with the White
House Initiative on Tribal Colleges and Universities (WHITCU), which composes
of an appointed official from each department and agency, as determined by the
Secretary of the Department of Education.
The WHITCU assists Tribes that are beginning to build environmental programs
and encourages American Indian college students at Tribal colleges to consider
careers in the environmental sciences. With the help of the WHITCU, Tribal
colleges and universities are meeting the demands of Tribes that are seeking
qualified American Indian scientists and engineers with the skills necessary
for protecting and preserving the environment.
Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments, November 6, 2000
President Clinton's Executive Order 
reaffirms the U.S. Government's responsibility for continued collaboration and
consultation with Tribal Governments in the development of Federal policies
that have tribal implications, to strengthen the United States
government-to-government relationships with Indian tribes, and reduce the
imposition of un-funded mandates upon Indian tribes. This executive order
supersedes Executive Order 13084 signed May 14, 1998.
Through the The Department of Energy's American Indian Policy
the Department maintains its commitment to collaborating with Tribal
Governments on a government-to-government basis.
American Indian and Alaska Education, August 6, 1998
President Clinton's Executive Order
affirms the Federal government's special and historic responsibility for the
education of American Indian and Alaska native students and requires Federal
agencies to focus attention on six goals: including improving science and
mathematics education and expanding the use of educational technology.
The Department values the importance of education and supports initiatives to
help educate and train tomorrow's scientists and engineers.
At the Santa
Fe Indian School ,
the Environmental Management program continues to support a special initiative
to encourage Tribal youth to consider careers in the scientific and technical
areas of environmental protection. In a community based approach students learn
hands-on environmental monitoring and analytical skills. They work with Pueblo
Tribal environmental program staff in the areas of water and wildlife
monitoring. The knowledge gained in the classroom is applied to field work. The
field work is a part of the Pueblos' environmental programs that are related to
cleanup and ongoing activities at the Los Alamos and Sandia National
Laboratories.
Indian Sacred Sites, Executive Order 13007: May 24, 1996
President Clinton issued an Executive Order
designed to protect and preserve Indian religious practices by requiring
Federal agencies to accommodate access to and ceremonial use of Indian sacred
sites and avoid affecting the physical integrity of such sites.
Several of the Department's Environmental Management sites and facilities are
located on Tribal aboriginal and treaty lands. Staff at these facilities work
with the Tribes to allow Tribal members safe access to Department of Energy
sites for Tribal cultural/religious purposes.
Government-to-Government Relations with Native American Tribal Governments:
April 29, 1994
President Clinton issued a Memorandum
to all Executive Departments outlining Departmental responsibilities to consult
with Native American Tribal governments in a government-to-government
relationship.
The Department of Energy consistently maintains and implements the
DOE American Indian Policy
when interacting with Tribal
nations on a government-to-government basis.
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