Indian Country

Our tribal communities have always enhanced New Mexico’s rich culture and traditions.  

Issues that affect Indian Country are a top priority for me. As a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, I led the effort to reauthorize the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. I also sponsored the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership (HEARTH) Act, which was signed into law by President Obama in 2012.  The HEARTH Act makes it easier to get a lease on trust land, which helps Native families buy homes and helps attract businesses and jobs to tribal communities.

I proudly cosponsored the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, a bill to prevent violence against women, including Native women, by bolstering law enforcement efforts and providing necessary resources for victims of domestic violence.

I take pride in working with our tribal communities, and will continue to defend and protect tribal sovereignty, and advocate on their behalf on issues such as education, water access, housing, infrastructure, public safety, and cultural preservation.

Latest

  • Udall, Heinrich, Luján Introduce Resolution Recognizing 40th Anniversary of the Indian Child Welfare Act

    WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and Martin Heinrich, along with Representative Ben Ray Luján, introduced a bicameral resolution commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), and recognizing its importance to promoting the stability and security of Tribal communities and families.   Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich Introduce Native American Voting Rights Act

    "Our nation's democracy is founded on the right to vote and the ability of every citizen to participate in that process equally," said Heinrich. "Unfortunately, there are many obstacles in Indian Country that stand in the way of Native Americans’ ability to vote-from language barriers and burdensome voter ID requirements to the locations of polling places for remote and rural communities. I’m proud to support this legislation to provide resources and oversight to overcome those obstacles and ensure equal access to our democracy." Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Address Suicide Crisis in Native Communities

    WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced the bipartisan Native American Suicide Prevention Act, along with U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), to address the growing suicide crisis in Indian Country by ensuring collaboration among states and Tribal organizations to design and implement statewide suicide intervention and prevention programs that work for their communities. The legislation is the Senate companion to H.R. 3473, a bipartisan bill introduced by Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Congressman Tom Cole (R-Okla.), and 27 other House cosponsors. Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich, Luján Announce $667K To Navajo Technical University To Expand Broadband Access For Native Students

    "An upgraded broadband network will be a game changer not only for Navajo Tech, but also for expanded internet access in the entire Crownpoint community. We need to expand broadband connectivity in Indian Country so all of our students and children can compete on an even playing field and learn the skills they need to build 21st century careers," said Heinrich, who is working to advance his bipartisan Tribal Connect Act to improve broadband connectivity in Indian Country. “Broadband access is vital to improving education, tele-health services, and job-training opportunities. As the Ranking Member of the Joint Economic Committee, I am committed to making more forward-looking investments like this to ensure all of our children have the opportunity to learn and succeed.”  Read More

  • Heinrich Opening Statement On Legislation To Protect Chaco Canyon Area

    U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) delivered opening remarks in a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining hearing today on the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act, a bill he introduced with U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M). The bill, which is supported by Navajo Nation, All Pueblo Council of Governors, New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, the Wilderness Society, and Southwest Native Cultures, would ensure the protection of Chaco ruins and the greater landscape surrounding the Chaco Culture National Historical Park by preventing any future leasing or development of minerals owned by the U.S. government that are located within a protected radius around Chaco. Read More

  • Heinrich, Udall Announce $249K Grant To APS For Native American Language Program

    August 10, 2018)- Today U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced that the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) Indian Education Department's Diné Bizaad & A:shiwi Language Program has received a $249,438 grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The funding will support three years of instruction of both the Navajo (Diné) and Zuni (A:shiwi) languages in APS schools at the elementary and middle school levels. Read More