"I know that the administration is very aware of the unique sovereign status of the Indian nations across the United States. Putting in Ryan Zinke as the Secretary of Interior, I do know he is aware of it,"
Collins pointed out it is vital to make sure the issues of the tribal nations are "front and center" in the US federal government list of priorities.
"Whether it’s in the Bureau of Interior, all the land issues or in our budget, whether it’s education, healthcare, infrastructure [to make sure] that their issues aren’t somehow lost," Collins said. "So, it’s a making sure as I’ve said to them, those of us in Washington understand their priorities and we can then represent them for money and on the issues important to them."
At the end of January, the US Senate Energy Committee voted 16-6 in favor of Zinke becoming the next US interior secretary.
The United States has 566 federally recognized Indian Nations, 229 of which are located in Alaska and the rest in 33 other US states.
