WASHINGTON The Farm Bill is one of the oldest federal funding bills. Nearly a century ago, the first iteration of it was written and passed by Congress in 1933, just a decade after Native Americans became recognized citizens on their own lands.
The first Native American woman to serve as general counsel of the U.S. Department of Agriculture will leave her position at the end of next month, according to a report in our Tribal Business News affiliate. An announcement by the Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) reported that Janie Simms Hipp (Chickasaw) will depart from her position at USDA effective July 31 to head up a new financial services organization that will fund Native farmers and ranchers.