Indian Affairs

Jon grew up just down the road from Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation in North Central Montana, and he believes that the U.S. Government must uphold its treaty and trust responsibilities to Indian Country.

As a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, Jon has worked closely with Tribal nations to expand resources at the Indian Health Service, increase investments in Tribal schools, and secure resources and expand jurisdiction for Tribal Law Enforcement agencies.

Jon has led the charge in the fight against the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis by working hand in hand with Tribal advocates to pass his two bipartisan bills—Savanna’s Act and Not Invisible Act—into law. These laws will bolster data collection and information sharing between Tribes and law enforcement agencies and strengthening violent crime prevention efforts in Indian Country, and Jon continues to aggressively hold agencies like the Department of Interior and the Department of Justice accountable on public safety issues in Tribal communities.

Jon has a long history of advocating for strengthening Tribal sovereignty and self-determination, and he is making sure that Tribal leaders have the tools they need to increase opportunity and boost local economies.

Jon regularly visits each Montana Indian Reservation, sits down with Tribal leaders and families, and brings their concerns straight back to the Senate.

Working hand-in-hand with Tribes across Montana, Jon secured record investments to improve aging infrastructure on Tribal lands—including upgrades to reservation’s high-speed internet, water systems, health facilities, and public transportation. Jon’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act also completed all authorized Indian water rights settlements.

Whether the debate is about health care, education, or infrastructure, Jon is always pushing to empower Native voices and make sure they have a seat at the table.

Tester Statement on Badger-Two Medicine Settlement
After years of work with the Blackfeet Tribe to protect Badger-Two Medicine and cancel controversial oil and gas leases on the sacred land, U.S. Senator Jon Tester issued the following statement in response to today’s settlement that buys an out-of-state...
Tester Secures More Than $458,000 To Strengthen Blackfeet Tribe’s Energy Grid
Funding to improve grid reliability and decrease the frequency and duration of electrical outages on the Reservation comes from Senator’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law U.S. Senator Jon Tester today secured $458,123 to strengthen the Blackfeet Tribe’s energy grid and decrease the frequency...
Working to Combat the Opioid Crisis, Tester Urges FDA to Include Input from Rural Communities on Safer At-Home D...
Senator leads letter prompting discussions with rural, Tribal communities to develop safe disposal policies for prescription opioids As part of his continued effort to combat the opioid crisis in Montana’s rural communities, U.S. Senator Jon Tester is leading a letter...