First Americans Public Liason

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Barack Obama has said many things about respecting Native Americans in concrete ways during his campaign. I had decided not to hold my breath...it seems like a good thing to say and then ignore without much political fall out. That's why I was plesently surprised when Obama named a First Americans Public Liason to his transition team -- a position representin the need to correpsond nation to nation. His name is Wizipan Garriot, a member of the Rosebud Sioux tribe in South Dakota. Wizi is young (only 28!) but extremely competent (having already worked for Tom Dashle and graduated with a Yale law degree).

While Barack Obama should be celebrated for becoming the first African American President -- he should also be praised for understanding the needs of the American Indian communities -- and respecting tribes as sovereign nations.