Murkowski Announces That Previously Cancelled BIA Providers Conference is Back on Schedule
Today U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski announced that the 2016 Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Tribal Providers Conference, which was abruptly cancelled last month, is back on track to occur in November. The BIA Tribal Providers Conference, an annual meeting of Alaska’s 229 federally recognized tribes and their federal partners, was canceled by the BIA due to logistical problems with a contractor. Tribes were notified through the conference website that “The Providers Conference has been cancelled until further notice. Refunds to paid attendees, artists and vendors are being processed.” After learning of what happened, Senator Murkowski and her staff immediately contacted top officials within the Department of Interior – including the Director of BIA – to resolve the issues and get the conference back up and running.
“This annual conference is in its 26th year now and is arguably the single most important conference for Alaska’s tribes. It is an invaluable opportunity to learn about programing, receive training, and to conduct consultation on various issues – and for many tribal leaders in the villages it is the only direct communication with the federal government,” said Senator Murkowski. “With topics such as land into trust – and other issues with a direct impact on Alaska Natives – at the forefront of so many minds, this year could not have been a worse time for this conference to be canceled. This is why I did everything in my power, especially as Chairman of the Interior Appropriations Committee, to stress the immense value of this event and ensure that this conference takes place. I want to thank the folks at BIA for listening to me, and so many Alaskans, and express my appreciation for their efforts in making the Tribal Providers Conference a reality for the 26th year in a row.”
The conference will take place in Anchorage on the previously scheduled dates of November 29th to December 2ndand will be held at the Dena’ina Center in Anchorage. More info can be found by clicking here.
