Tribal Nations Conference (part 2)

As I mentioned in my last two blog posts, on November 5 the White House hosted a nation-to-nation conference with representatives from each of the 564 federally recognized tribes in the United States. This all-day event included participation by the members of Congress, the current administration and the President. It was a great opportunity for dialogue between nations and a symbol of the change in policy the President is committed to in the U.S. government’s relationship with our country’s native citizens.

The event was opened and closed by President Obama, beginning with a speech and interactive session. However, as the President said, "the most important opportunity that you will have today is to interact directly with the department heads, the secretaries who are in charge of implementation on a whole range of these issues." He urged tribal leaders to "present to them your concerns, your specific recommendations. They are here to listen and to learn and to advise." A range of topics were discussed over the course of the day, including our current key legislative opportunities:tribal law and order, and health care. At the White House website, you can watch videos from the different panels:

• Public safety and housing
• Education, health care and labor
• Economic development, natural resources, energy, environment, and agriculture

If you are unable to watch streamed videos on your computer, I highly recommend at least reading the text from Obama's opening statement and interactive session. Here are a couple of choice snippets that relate to some of the issues we work on:

"More than half of all Native Americans and Alaska Natives, especially those in remote areas with limited access to care, rely on the Indian Health Service for their most basic needs. And that's why we invested $500 million under the Recovery Act in strength-ening and modernizing the IHS, and that's why my budget proposes an increase of 13 percent in IHS funding."

"Up to 15 percent of our potential wind energy resources are on Native American land, and the potential for solar energy is even higher. But too often, you face unique hurdles to developing these renewable resources. That's why I'm very proud … [w]e're stream-lining and expediting the permit process for energy development and transmission across tribal lands. We are securing tribal access to financing and investments for new energy projects. And thanks to the Recovery Act, we've established an Energy Auditor Training Program that could prepare Native Americans for the green jobs of the future."

"The shocking and contemptible fact that one in three Native American women will be raped in their lifetimes is an assault on our national conscience that we can no longer ignore. … I strongly support the Tribal Law and Order Act, and I thank Chairman Dorgan and Represen-tative Herseth-Sandlin for their leadership on this issue. And I look forward to Congress passing it so I can sign it into law."

I was really impressed by him when reading his remarks. His words were inspiring and his message felt sincere. I also want to point out, because I certainly noticed it, that when taking questions and comments Obama was careful to call on roughly equal parts men and women. What a guy!

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