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, Lujan Announce NASA Grant For Navajo Tech Robotics Academy

  Posted on 08/15/18

   Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) announced that Navajo Technical University (NTU) in Crownpoint, N.M. was awarded $324,800 by NASA's Minority University Research and Education Project to develop a robotics academy. Read More

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

  Posted on 08/10/18

  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

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• On 3rd Anniversary of Gold King Mine Spill, Udall, Heinrich, Luján Denounce EPA’s Continued Failure to Compensate Victims

  Posted on 08/05/18

  WASHINGTON - On the 3rd anniversary of the Gold King Mine spill, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján (all D-N.M.) denounced the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s ongoing failure to compensate victims in the Navajo Nation and New Mexico – despite repeated promises to do so from former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. Read More

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• National Tribal Telecommunications Association Thanks Heinrich For Leadership On Rural Broadband

  Posted on 07/24/18

  U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) hosted the National Tribal Telecommunications Association (NTTA) in his Washington, D.C. office. The NTTA is in Washington this week to work on telecommunications issues affecting Indian Country and thanked Senator Heinrich for his leadership on rural broadband. Read More

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• VIDEO: Heinrich Secures Commitment From Interior Department To Keep Bureau of Indian Affairs Navajo Regional Office Open

  Posted on 07/19/18

  During an Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing today to conduct oversight of the Trump Administration's plan to dramatically reorganize the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) secured a commitment to keep the Navajo Regional Office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) open in Gallup, N.M. Read More

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• Udall, Heinrich Announce Major Wins for Young Farmers and Ranchers, Dairies, and Tribes in Farm Bill

  Posted on 06/29/18

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• All Pueblo Council approves resolution in support of protecting national monuments

  Posted on 06/29/18

  The All Pueblo Council of Governors issued a statement Tuesday (June 26) in support of preserving the Río Grande del Norte and Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monuments, providing a united front against any attempts by the Trump Administration to reduce protections. Read More

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• Connecting Tribal Communities to High-Speed Internet

  Posted on 06/14/18

  Broadband investment is critical infrastructure investment. Just like access to water, roads, railways, and electricity in the 21st century, broadband internet access determines which communities grow and thrive. For many rural tribal communities, the lack of access to high-speed broadband internet connections leaves far too many of our children unable to learn and compete on an even playing field. Read More

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• Heinrich, Heller Work To Advance Bipartisan Bill To Improve High-Speed Internet In Indian Country

  Posted on 06/12/18

  U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Dean Heller (R-Nev.) are working to advance their bipartisan legislation to improve access to high-speed internet in rural Tribal communities. Read More

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• Heinrich Says Medicaid Work Requirements For Native Americans Not A State Issue, Tribal Sovereignty Is Clearly A Federal Responsibility

  Posted on 06/06/18

  U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reconsider its proposal to leave the decision to exempt American Indians and Alaskan Natives from work requirements for Medicaid up to the states. Read More

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