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U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm says she considers tribal governments “huge allies” in the Biden Administration’s efforts to develop cleaner forms of energy and cut carbon dioxide emissions.
Chuck Quirmbach of station WUWM reports on her visit to a Forest County Potawatomi property in Milwaukee.
The Energy Secretary viewed a solar farm, an energy efficient data center the Forest County Potawatomi opened a decade ago.
She also heard about efforts to renovate older buildings to reduce their carbon footprint. Then, Sec. Granholm spoke to a group of children, and tribal leaders.
“So appreciate the emphasis on being one with this planet. With our land, our water and our air. I think that gives us a strength, and a feeling like we must, that we have an obligation, to leave our campsite cleaner than when we found it.”
Sec. Granholm told news reporters that she’s trying to help President Biden get to his goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035 and net zero carbon pollution by 2050.
“The tribal governments across the nation are huge allies for us in making that happen. They’re sovereign governments. They also can take advantage of some of the incentives that have been passed in the Invest in America agenda. It’s very exciting to see they are very focused on energy efficiency –we saw the solar panels—and on generating clean energy. Both sides—there are incentives for, to continue their mission.”
Forest County Potawatomi Vice Chairwoman Heather Van Zile says that in a private meeting with tribal leaders, Sec. Granholm mentioned clean energy tax credits in the recently-passed Inflation Reduction Act.
Van Zile says those credits are interesting, and that the tribe has already applied for clean energy and conservation grants.
“It’s a longstanding importance to the tribe. Due to the fact that we, as a people, are all about preserving and protecting our land, our water and our natural resources.”
During Sec. Granholm’s visit to Milwaukee, she also announced the release of $77 million to improve the nation’s electrical grid in seven states.
Tribes in Louisiana, California, and Connecticut will receive about $1.3 million of those funds.
The governments of Canada and Ontario have reached a proposed settlement with 21 First Nations in Ontario.
As Dan Karpenchuk reports, the deal would be for $10 billion.
The Robins Huron Treaty Litigation Fund represents the 21 Robinson Huron First Nations, mostly in northeastern Ontario along the shores of Lake Huron.
The First Nations went to court more than ten years ago for failing to increase annuities payments as the resource revenue in the treaty territory increased. Instead the parties met at the negotiating table to reach a proposed settlement.
“Tears of joy and my heart is lighter today.”
That’s chief Dean Sayers of the Batchewana First Nation.
He says under an 1850 treaty the collective annuity to the First Nations from resource revenues should have increased as those revenues increased, but they were bumped only once, in 1875, form a $1.70-$4.00 per person and didn’t change since.
Now, the Ontario government and the Canadian government will each pay $5 billion.
Sayers says now the First Nations will decide what’s next, and what to do with the money and for that they will engage members of the First Nations.
“There will be community meetings. There will be individual interviews, questionnaires in regard to how we might forward with regards to the annuity.”
The new money from resource sharing and annuities will be negotiated after the compensation agreement is finalized.
Other chiefs call the proposed deal a major milestone and a chance to renew the treaty relationship.
Marc Miller, the Crown Indigenous Relations Minister, says the proposed settlement is long overdue.
When the settlement is approved, each of the 21 First Nations will get a share based on a distribution agreement.
That agreement will not be final until approved by all parties and by the courts.
The Alaskan aviation community is still reeling from the death of Jim Tweto, a bush pilot who went down in his Cessna 180 near Shaktoolik on Friday.
Rhonda McBride from our flagship station KNBA has more.
He was flying with a hunting guide, who also died in the crash.
Tweto grew up in Minnesota and met his wife Ferno (Inupiaq) in Unalakleet, a community on the Bering Sea Coast where they ran a family airline.
Tweto, Ferno, and two of their three daughters, Ariel and Ayla, won the hearts of viewers all over the country, when they starred in a Discovery Channel series Flying Wild Alaska.
The series ran for two years from 2011-2012.
Ariel Tweto continues to work in show business and has been featured in a number of television projects.
She shared the news about her father’s death on an Instagram post on Friday.
She wrote, “My dad and a wonderful hunting guide and friend of our family passed away this afternoon in his 180. He died doing what he truly loved…. I don’t think anything could hurt this bad.”
Jim Tweto was 68.
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