S. HRG. 115–382 BREAKING NEW GROUND IN AGRIBUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN INDIAN COUNTRY HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION JANUARY 17, 2018 Printed for the use of the Committee on Indian Affairs ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 32–783 PDF WASHINGTON : 2018 VerDate Mar 15 2010 12:51 Nov 27, 2018 Jkt 032783 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 S:\DOCS\32783.TXT JACK COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota, Chairman TOM UDALL, New Mexico, Vice Chairman JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming MARIA CANTWELL, Washington JOHN MCCAIN, Arizona JON TESTER, Montana, LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma HEIDI HEITKAMP, North Dakota STEVE DAINES, Montana CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Nevada MIKE CRAPO, Idaho TINA SMITH, Minnesota JERRY MORAN, Kansas T. MICHAEL ANDREWS, Majority Staff Director and Chief Counsel JENNIFER ROMERO, Minority Staff Director and Chief Counsel (II) VerDate Mar 15 2010 12:51 Nov 27, 2018 Jkt 032783 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\DOCS\32783.TXT JACK C O N T E N T S Page Hearing held on January 17, 2018 ......................................................................... 1 Statement of Senator Cantwell .............................................................................. 23 Statement of Senator Cortez Masto ....................................................................... 31 Statement of Senator Daines .................................................................................. 36 Statement of Senator Hoeven ................................................................................. 1 Statement of Senator Smith ................................................................................... 3 Statement of Senator Tester ................................................................................... 4 Statement of Senator Udall .................................................................................... 2 WITNESSES Berrey, Hon. John L., Chairman, Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma ........................... 8 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 9 Cullo, Diane, Advisor to the Secretary; Director, Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement, U.S. Department of Agriculture ....................................... 4 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 6 Haskie, Lionel, Operations and Maintenance Manager, Navajo Agricultural Products Industry ................................................................................................ 22 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 23 Hipp, Janie Simms, Director, Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative, University of Arkansas School of Law ............................................................... 13 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 14 APPENDIX Anderson, Keith B., Vice-Chairman, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Commu- nity, prepared statement ..................................................................................... 43 Baker, Hon. Harlan, Chairman, The Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy’s Reservation, prepared statement ........................................................................ 125 Begaye, Hon. Russell, President, Navajo Nation, prepared statement ............... 69 Cleveland, Wilfrid, President, Ho-Chunk Nation, prepared statement .............. 87 Ferguson, Camille, Executive Director, American Indian Alaska Native Tour- ism Association, prepared statement .................................................................. 41 Floyd, Hon. James R., Principal Chief, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, prepared statement .............................................................................................................. 123 Gasco-Bentley, Hon. Regina, Tribal Chairperson, Waganakising Odawak, Lit- tle Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indian, prepared statement ....................... 82 Goudy, Hon. JoDe, Chairman, Yakama Nation, prepared statement ................. 123 Iyall, Hon. William P.E., Chairman, Cowlitz Indian Tribe, prepared state- ment ...................................................................................................................... 73 Jackson, Ryan, Chairman of the Hoopa Valley Tribe, prepared statement ....... 65 Keel, Hon. Jefferson, President, Chickasaw Nation, prepared statement .......... 114 Lewis, Cheryl Jackson, Division Director, Nutrition Promotion and Technical Assistance Division, prepared statement ........................................................... 121 Lummi Tribe of Indians (Lummi Nation), prepared statement ........................... 61 Miles, Hon. Mary Jane, Chairman, Nez Perce Tribe, prepared statement ........ 79 Palmer, Carole M., Food Systems Specialist, COPE, prepared statement ......... 107 Payment, Hon. Aaron, Chairman, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indi- ans, prepared statement ...................................................................................... 51 Racine, Ross, Executive Director, Intertribal Agriculture Council, prepared statement .............................................................................................................. 44 Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Tom Udall to Diane Cullo . 130 Riley, Sr. Joshua, Policy Analyst, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, prepared statement .............................................................................................................. 85 Siow, Hon. Virgil, Governor, Pueblo of Laguna, prepared statement ................. 51 (III) VerDate Mar 15 2010 12:51 Nov 27, 2018 Jkt 032783 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\DOCS\32783.TXT JACK IV Page Torres, Hon. Amber, Chairman, Walker River Paiute Tribe, prepared state- ment ...................................................................................................................... 72 Trahan, Hon. Ronald Chairman, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, prepared statement .............................................................................................. 75 United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund (USET SPF), prepared statement .............................................................................................. 53 Valencia, Hon. Robert, Chairman, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, prepared statement .... 110 Watchman, Pete, President, Navajo Nation Soil and Water Conservation Dis- trict, prepared statement ..................................................................................... 127 Weston, Hon. Troy Scott, President, Oglala Sioux Tribe, prepared statement .. 57 Wildcat, Hon. Joseph, President, Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, prepared statement ........................................................................... 90 Yellowbird Stevens, Hon. Brandon, Vice-Chairman, Oneida Nation, prepared statement .............................................................................................................. 109 Zorn, James E., Executive Administrator, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wild- life Commission, prepared statement ................................................................. 81 *ROUNDTABLE—Advancing Native Food Traditions in Indian Country* ..... 133 VerDate Mar 15 2010 12:51 Nov 27, 2018 Jkt 032783 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\DOCS\32783.TXT JACK BREAKING NEW GROUND IN AGRIBUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN INDIAN COUNTRY WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2018 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS, Washington, DC. The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:30 p.m. in room 628, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. John Hoeven, Chairman of the Committee, presiding. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN HOEVEN, U.S. SENATOR FROM NORTH DAKOTA The CHAIRMAN. I call this hearing to order. Good afternoon. Today, the Committee will hold an oversight hearing on Break- ing New Ground in Agribusiness Opportunities in Indian Country. Agribusiness is of particular importance in Indian Country. The National Congress of American Indians has noted that approxi- mately 35 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives live in rural communities, and nearly 40 percent of tribal jobs are depend- ent on agriculture. According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, there are nearly 59,000 Indian farmers and ranchers in the United States with 35,000 farms principally owned and operated by Indian farmers. In my home State of North Dakota, over 83 percent of farms on the Turtle Mountain Reservation are tribally-operated. Agribusiness is critical for Indian Country, and it is a growing industry. According to the most recent USDA Census of Agri- culture, between 2007 and 2012, there was a 9 percent increase in American Indian principal farm operators. That is a good sign. This increase occurred in Indian Country while we saw a national de- crease in principal farmers. This Committee has worked to reduce the regulatory burden in Indian Country and it is time we do the same for the growing in- dustry of Indian agribusiness. We are here today to discuss just that and to examine how tribes and their members can capitalize on opportunities in agribusiness. We have a diverse group of witnesses who are joining us today to review how Congress, the Administration, tribes, and other stakeholders may work together to find common ground and help Native Americans continue to