Here. An excerpt:
Tribal leaders learned on July 2 that Interior is withholding a major “Labor Force Report” due to what the agency calls “methodology inconsistencies.” The problem was partially explained in a letter from Acting Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Donald Laverdure to tribal leaders. It says federally recognized tribes were asked in 2010 to participate in a web-based survey on population and employment statistics in order to provide the Department the information it needed to issue a report on tribal job and labor statistics. It does not indicate if every tribe participated.
The survey, which has roots going back to 1982, is important because it is supposed to depict the labor and employment landscape across a wide range of tribes facing a multitude of economic situations. Ideally, those tribes that are most poverty-stricken are identified so that they can receive help, while others with strong economies can offer insights on possible remedies and best practices. Tribes could use the data to make strong arguments to the U.S. Congress and Obama administration for targeted assistance that could make the most impact.
The report would also track the impact of the more than $3 billion the Obama administration provided to tribes under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 in an attempt to bolster tribal economies. That the administration hasn’t rushed to quantify this—especially in an election year—is a warning sign to some tribal observers that perhaps the money didn’t help the tribes that were struggling most.
Turtle Talk 