Native American Affairs Program

Program Support—Missouri Basin and Arkansas-Rio Grande-Texas Gulf (Interior Regions 5 and 6)

Formerly the Great Plains Region

The Missouri Basin and Arkansas-Rio Grande-Texas Gulf Regions encompasses all or part of the states of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.  There are approximately 68 federally recognized Indian tribes in this region.  Severe water quality and quantity problems exist on many reservations in the region.  To address these problems requires aggressive outreach by Reclamation staff in the six Area Offices within the region.  Working directly with Indian tribes and Tribal coalitions has proven to be an effective way to provide technical assistance to rural Indian communities in the region.  The region's Native American Affairs Office is working toward a stronger level of participation in coordinating and funding projects designed to remediate water problems and benefit Indian communities with other Federal agencies.

The principal objective of this region's Native American Affairs Office is to help Indian tribes build their capability to become self-sufficient.  Overall goals and responsibilities in this region include:

  • Making Reclamation's programs available to Indian tribes.
  • Improving on-the-ground water infrastructure to promote Tribal economic development, and municipal and industrial water development.
  • Developing and using innovative methods or systems to serve the water needs of small communities and villages.
  • Assisting Indian tribes in the protection, management, and development of their water and related resources by providing Technical Assistance through funding opportunities:
  • Making Reclamation resources available to Indian country to assist Tribal governments to protect, manage, and develop water and related resources.
  • Providing policy and technical support for Indian Water Rights Settlements.
  • Carrying out Reclamation policies and procedures upholding the Secretary of the Interior's Indian trust responsibility.
  • Coordinating and implementing a technical assistance program to Indian tribes in accordance with applicable sections of Reclamation's Implementation Plan.
  • Supporting the Indian Self-Determination and Tribal Self-Governance programs (Public Law 93-638 Program).
  • Training Reclamation employees and members of federally recognized Indian tribes in water resources related areas.

These activities are consistent with policy described in the Presidential Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies titled, "Government-to-Government Relations With Native American Tribal Governments," dated April 29, 1994:

Note:  See "Highlights" (and pictures) further below.

Contact Information
Name, Title Office Telephone Number Email
Douglas L. Davis
Regional Native American Affairs Program Manager

Shane Schieck (Indian Water Rights Settlement Acts)
Supervisory Civil Engineer

Lindsey Nafts (Awarding Official)
Supervisory Self-Determination Specialist
 Regional Office
PO Box 36900
Billings MT  59101-6900 		406-247-7710


406-247-7832


406-399-2810		 douglasdavis@usbr.gov


sschieck@usbr.gov


lnafts@usbr.gov
Denise Fischer
Civil Engineer		 Dakotas Area Office
PO Box 1017
Bismarck ND  58501 		701-221-1252 dfischer@usbr.gov
Matthew Pollock
Native American Affairs Coordinator 		Montana Area Office
PO Box 30137
Billings MT  59107-0137 		406-247-7344 mpollock@usbr.gov
Catherine Griffin
Archaeologist		 Nebraska-Kansas Area Office
1706 West Third
McCook NE  69001 		308-345-8324 cgriffin@usbr.gov
Nathan Kuhnert
Hydrologist		 Oklahoma-Texas Area Office
Oklahoma City Field Office
5924 NW 2nd Street, Suite 200
Oklahoma City OK  73127-6514 		405-228-7594 nkuhnert@usbr.gov
April Hanson
Program Analyst		 Wyoming Area Office
PO Box 1630
Mills WY  82644 		307-261-5679 ahanson@usbr.gov
 
Tribes in the Region (Adobe PDF)

Highlights
Tribal Rural Water Projects:
  • Mni Wiconi Rural Water System (One of the Nation’s Largest Rural Water Systems)—Operating and providing safe reliable drinking water to Tribal (Oglala Sioux, Rosebud Sioux, and Lower Brule Sioux) and non-Tribal communities in central South Dakota.




  • Garrison Diversion Rural Water System—Operating and providing safe reliable drinking water to Tribal (Spirit Lake Tribe, Standing Rock Sioux, Three Affiliated Tribes, and Turtle Mountain Chippewa) and non-Tribal communities in North Dakota.




  • Rocky Boy’s North Central Montana Rural Water System—Being constructed to operate and provide safe reliable drinking water to Tribal (Chippewa Cree) and non-Tribal communities in north-central Montana.




  • Fort Peck Dry Prairie Rural Water System—Being constructed to operate and provide safe reliable drinking water to Tribal (Assiniboine and Sioux) and non-Tribal communities in north-eastern Montana.
   Mni Wiconi (South Dakota)Mni Wiconi (South Dakota)
Garrison Diversion (North Dakota)Garrison Diversion (North Dakota)
Rocky Boy's North Central (Montana)Rocky Boy's North Central (Montana)
Fort Peck Dry Prairie (Montana)Fort Peck Dry Prairie (Montana)		  
 
Indian Water Rights Settlements:
  • Implementation—Implementing Reclamation responsibilities authorized in Indian Water Rights Settlement Acts by working cooperatively with Tribes in the planning, design, and construction of various water resources and related projects authorized in the following Acts:

    • Crow Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010
      (Crow Tribe)

    • Blackfeet Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 2016
      (Blackfeet Nation)




  • Negotiation—Assisting the Secretary’s Indian Water Rights Office in negotiating possible future Indian Water Rights Settlements with the following Tribes:

    • Fort Belknap Indian Community
      (Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Tribes)

    • Kickapoo
      (Kickapoo of Kansas)




    Note:  For further information on Indian Water Rights Settlements, Federal teams, policy, etc., see:

  Act Execution Signing April 2012Crow Tribe - Act Execute Signing April 2012
Act Enforceability June 2016Crow Tribe - Act Enforceability June 2016
Act Passage April 2016Blackfeet Nation - Act Passage April 2016
Act Ratification Signing April 2017Blackfeet Nation - Act Ratification Signing April 2017		  
 
Technical Assistance Projects:
  • Annually funding several Tribal projects ranging in value from a few thousand up to $200,000 per project; awarded via Funding Opportunities as Grants, Self-Determination Contracts, or Self-Governance Agreements
 
Indian Self-Determination Contracts and Tribal Self-Governance Agreements (93-638 Contracting):
  • Approximately 20 contracts/agreements with 11 Tribes for the Planning, Design, and Construction and the Operation, Maintenance, and Replacement (OM&R) of Tribal Rural Water Projects, Indian Water Rights Settlements, and Technical Assistance Projects.
1/15/25