A Year of Working for Nevada’s Tribal Communities

Photo: Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, by Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons

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As 2024 comes to a close, it is time to reflect on the accomplishments of the past year and look ahead to the work still to be done. As we enter the new year, I am looking back at some of my work to support Nevada’s Tribal communities.

Last month, my colleagues on the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and I passed an important resolution recognizing November 2024 as Native American Heritage Month. This official recognition formally celebrates the contributions Tribal communities have made both in the State of Nevada and our country as a whole. 

I have heard consistently from Tribal leaders that Tribal law enforcement needs more resources to keep its communities safe. That’s why I introduced my BADGES for Native Communities Act to strengthen Tribal public safety and my Tribal Access to Electronic Evidence Act to provide Tribal courts the same access as their non-Tribal counterparts to electronic evidence. The BADGES for Native Communities Act recently passed out of committee, and I will continue fighting to get it across the finish line.

Improving housing on Tribal lands for Tribal members is another high priority for me. This year, I’ve delivered federal funds, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, and grants from the Federal Home Loan Banks for three Tribal developments providing more than 60 new homes for Tribes in Nevada: the Sacred Visons Subdivision in Wadsworth led by the Pyramid Lake Paiute, the Washoe Tribe’s Stewart Community and in Duck Valley.

I’m always working to deliver critical resources to Tribes in Nevada, and this year we’ve seen so many important investments in Tribal communities come into our state. Working with my Tribal partners, I helped secure $5 million to improve water infrastructure for Tribal communities in Nevada and nearly $30 million for the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Outdoor Recreation Project. I have supported an additional $46.6 million in grant funding to help Tribal communities improve infrastructure, repair roadways, and invest in economic development.

In the new year, I will continue to listen to Tribal leaders and work to help their communities get ahead. I wish all Nevadans a restful holiday season and a happy new year.

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