U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today spoke with Mr. William Kirkland, nominee to serve as Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs during a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing. Daines emphasized the importance of ensuring Montana tribes have the federal resources they need to support law enforcement, enhance public safety, and advance long-overdue water rights settlements. The Senator welcomed Kirkland’s thoughts and expressed his commitment to working together on behalf of tribal communities across Montana.
Watch the full exchange HERE.
Daines advocated for more resources for tribal law enforcement:
Daines: Mr. Kirkland, thank you for coming before this committee today. The Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs is tasked with fulfilling the government’s trust responsibilities to our tribal nations as well as supporting self-determination. Unfortunately, as I spent a lot of time with my tribal leaders across Montana, they’ve told me time and time again that the Bureau of Indian Affairs is falling short in that very important mission. Public safety is the number one concern. I hear this from Indian country all the time and frankly on the ground it is beyond a full-blown crisis in Montana. Cartel members are exploiting jurisdictional loopholes and often operating with impunity on Montana’s reservations. Tribal law enforcement are trying to police some areas that are larger than Rhode Island, with only a handful of officers and insufficient resources. Going back about 10 years, drug overdoses in Montana have skyrocketed, and deaths in Indian Country are three times higher than the rest of Montana. I appreciate my colleague, Senator Smith, for working with me to introduce the Protection for Reservation Occupants Against Trafficking and Evasive Communications Act. This bill is going to help give tribal law enforcement the tools they need to police our communities, stop the flow of deadly drugs on their reservations like fentanyl and meth. Mr. Kirkland, will you commit to working with me to enhance public safety in Indian Country and to help tribal law enforcement get the resources they so badly need?
Kirkland: I look forward to working with you to advance that within your state, with your tribes.
Daines discussed Fort Belknap water settlements:
Daines: Water settlements are a big deal. The Fort Belknap are the original Winters tribe. And their settlement has been over a century in the making. After decades of negotiation and strong leadership from President Jeff Stiffarm, who’s been a great friend and ally and a courageous president, we’re almost across the finish line to settle a hundred-year issue. Without a settlement, farmers, ranchers, water users are left in limbo, and these issues are going to end up being litigated in court. This will help bring clean drinking water to the reservation and provide certainty for not only tribal users, but non -tribal water users alike. This settlement has already passed the Senate twice, and has unanimous support from the tribe, the state of Montana, relevant counties, and the entire Montana delegation. Mr. Kirkland, do you agree it is important to enact this agreement to settle a 100-year dispute to close at the last water settlement in Montana, and will you work with Congress to get this done?
Kirkland: I want work with Congress to make sure that we comply with all treaty obligations to honor our trust responsibly with tribes. Water is vital to life.
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Contact: Matt Lloyd, Gabby Wiggins