By Michael Steele
Tribal Policy Analyst
Published in the June 12, 2025 issue of Sho-Ban News
FORT HALL – During the quarterly meeting of the Coalition of Large Tribes (COLT) hosted by the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs in Redmond, Ore., Fort Hall Business Council Chairman Lee Juan Tendoy successfully passed a resolution requesting the United States Department of Interior (DOI) present its plan within the next 30 days on how it will mitigate the loss of numerous employees focusing on mitigating the loss of personnel with responsibilities toward processing leases and managing the associated lease revenue on behalf of Tribes and Tribal members.
As part of the federal government’s employee termination efforts, the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) released a letter dated May 7, 2025, incentivizing numerous employees to accept its “Limited Deferred Resignation/Retirement Program (DRP) and DRP with Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA). This incentive resulted in seven of sixteen local Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) employees from Fort Hall taking this offer to leave federal service.
Tendoy highlighted an immediate impact on the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes is that only one of five authorized local BIA realty positions remains filled – responsible to manage over 400 leases on Fort Hall. Leaders from other Tribes echoed Tendoy’s concerns that expressing that various local and regional BIA offices also lost a significant number of personnel without a plan in place that ensures that Trust and Treaty obligations are met.
Tendoy explained, “Many of the challenges that Tribes have faced throughout the years are a result of too few BIA employees. If the Tribes are forced to take on self-governance, a plan must be in place, along with the funding and technical support.”
During the meeting, Tendoy also expressed the need to for collaboration to protect the Indian Health Service, ensure that controls are in place to protect the environment, identify where Public Law 280 funding goes, and work together to exercise Tribal rights to hunt buffalo and fish.
Tendoy concluded, “You don’t fight over food!”
The Fort Hall Business Council will continue to participate COLT’s advocacy efforts highlighting the impacts of federal actions on Tribes with planned engagements to address preserving funding for Tribal law enforcement and corrections, adjust federal taxation rules for Tribes, and protect Medicaid, education and other critical programs.
(Article published in June 12, 2025 issue of Sho-Ban News. Since the time of this meeting, Lee Juan Tendoy has completed his term and now serves as the former Chairman of the Fort Hall Business Council.)