The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs advanced the Pit River Land Transfer Act to place 557 acres in California, including the culturally significant Four Corners site, into trust for the Pit River Tribe, reinforcing Tribal stewardship. The FCC will hold a Tribal Workshop in Albuquerque on Aug. 20–21 to address Tribal broadband, data and mapping initiatives; registration is required via [email protected]. Senators Patty Murray and James Lankford introduced bipartisan legislation to allow Tribal governments to apply directly for Defense Community Infrastructure Program grants, with House companions from Reps. Emily Randall and Rob Wittman.
D.C. Briefs: Pit River Land Transfer Advances; FCC Tribal Workshop Aug. 20–21; Bill Would Let Tribes Apply for Defense Infrastructure Grants
Native News Weekly (August 2, 2026): D.C. Briefs
WASHINGTON — Below is a roundup of recent developments from Washington, D.C., that affect Indian Country, in addition to coverage already published by Native News Online.
Pit River Land Transfer Advances
The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs has advanced bipartisan legislation to transfer 557 acres of federal land in northeastern California to the Pit River Tribe, a notable step in the Tribe’s more than decade-long effort to restore stewardship of ancestral territory.
The Pit River Land Transfer Act, sponsored by U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), would transfer Forest Service-administered federal land to the Secretary of the Interior for placement in trust for the Tribe. The acreage includes the Four Corners site, which the Pit River Tribe regards as culturally and ancestrally significant.
If enacted, the bill would place the 557 acres in federal trust for the Pit River Tribe, strengthening Tribal management, cultural protection, and local sovereignty over these important lands.
FCC Tribal Workshop Scheduled for Aug. 20–21 in Albuquerque
The Federal Communications Commission will convene its next Tribal Workshop on Thursday–Friday, Aug. 20–21, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to bring together federal and state broadband officials with Tribal stakeholders to address Tribal connectivity and telecommunications issues.
Representatives from the FCC, the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service (RUS), and New Mexico and Arizona state broadband offices are expected to participate. The FCC will also highlight recent data and mapping initiatives relevant to Tribal broadband planning.
When and where: National Indian Programs Training Center, 1011 Indian School Road NW, Suite 254, Albuquerque. The workshop runs 9 a.m.–4 p.m. MDT on Thursday, Aug. 20, and 9 a.m.–1 p.m. MDT on Friday, Aug. 21. Attendance is free but registration is required.
Who should attend: Tribal leaders, telecommunications and IT managers, planners, enterprise specialists, Tribal broadband providers, and GIS staff.
How to register: Email your name, title, Tribal affiliation and contact information to [email protected] with the subject line "August Workshop."
Bipartisan Proposal To Let Tribes Apply For Defense Community Infrastructure Grants
U.S. Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) have introduced bipartisan legislation to allow Tribal governments to directly apply for grants under the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP). Currently, Tribes are excluded from applying as eligible recipients even though many Tribal communities neighbor and support military installations.
DCIP provides grants to state and local governments for infrastructure projects outside military installations that support military readiness and benefit service members and their families. Eligible projects include roads, utilities, schools, hospitals and emergency-response facilities. The proposed amendment would explicitly add Tribal governments to the list of eligible applicants.
'Tribes play a key role in our military readiness—they should be eligible for these funds just like any other community would be,' Sen. Patty Murray said.
Sen. Lankford noted that Oklahoma is home to 39 Tribal Nations, and that Tribes that provide infrastructure or services benefiting nearby military installations should have the same opportunity to seek federal infrastructure grants as other local governments. Companion legislation is being led in the House by Reps. Emily Randall (D-Wash.) and Rob Wittman (R-Va.).
The measure aims to expand federal infrastructure funding opportunities for Tribal Nations that support military installations and surrounding defense communities. Full bill text and status are available through congressional records and committee releases.
This report originally appeared on Native News Online.
Help us improve.
