Sagebrush Hill Group LLC, a Navajo professional services company, in partnership with the United States Energy Association (USEA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) invited tribal representative, federal and state representative and industry stakeholders to the Indian Energy Minerals Forum webinar series, a series of 6 collaborative sessions scheduled from May 2021 through July 2021. The forums addressed Indian energy minerals –the mainstay for many energy tribes and their economies —and the outlook and potential to contribute resources to global carbon reductions now being proposed at the federal level.

This episode focused on the unique relationship Indian Tribes have with the United States Government, beginning with treaty relationships between tribes and the War Department. These treaties defined certain obligations and responsibilities through an “inter-governmental relationship” between the government and tribes. The federal government as now referenced has “trust” responsibilities to tribes that tribes contend is not adequate. As an example, the Crow Nation’s CJ Stewart discussed their coal resources, the Crow Nation's only significant revenue producing resource, declining from 7MM tons per year to 1MM per year in production. Numerous plans to compensate for this have been proposed but to no avail. 

Another topic of emphasis of this webinar was upholding treaty obligations. The Osage Nation’s Margo Gray shared similar examples of limited support from the Trustee and the significant barriers Indian country faces with respect to energy development. Both tribes alluded to the concept of needing to work together (tribes and the federal agencies) to address energy development, job creation, revenue production and addressing environmental challenges.