Tribal Groups Urge Congress to Halt Bill That Threatens Sacred Sites
The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act would speed up permitting for major projects and could impact Indigenous sovereignty over culturally significant land.
Tribal organizations are urging legislators to halt the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA), a bill that would speed up the permitting and review processes of major infrastructure projects and could severely undermine tribal sovereignty over sacred and culturally significant sites.
The United States Senate advanced the controversial bill for further debate on November 8 amid mounting criticism from Indigenous groups and historic preservation advocates, largely due to the act's narrowing of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.
The law mandates federal agencies to weigh the impact of projects on historic properties, oftentimes with required tribal consultation, though BAAJA removes tribal nations from much of the review process. The bill text also curtails several other environmental acts, such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the Clean Water Act, and pushes for shorter review timelines, the loosening of protections of sacred lands, and less federal oversight.
