 President Barack Obama addresses a crowd of Indians representing 400 tribes during a Tribal Nations Conference held in Washington, D.C. attended by Big Pine Tribal Chair Dave Moose, and Bishop Paiute Tribe Treasurer and Executive Secretary Jasmine Andreas. Photos submitted by Dave Moose By Mike Bodine
Register Staff
11-19-2009 As part of National American Indian Month, local tribal representatives traveled to Washington, D.C. for a little face time with President Barack Obama, and to attend a summit conference with federal department heads and tribal leaders.
The local contingent came back from its array of political tête-a-têtes pleased with the progress made on Native American issues and impressed by the sincerity and interest shown by top U.S. officials.
Obama is the first U.S. president to meet with all local, state and federal Indian officials and the first to ever set up what will be a liaison or relationship with tribes to better understand and address tribal issues in a timely manner.
“I want to be clear about this: Today’s summit is not lip service,” Obama said at the Tribal Nations Conference and Interactive Discussion with Tribal Leaders. “Today’s sessions are part of a lasting conversation that’s crucial to our shared future.”
Joe Kennedy, chair of the Timbisha-Shoshone tribe of Death Valley, Israel Naylor, chairman of Fort Independence Tribe, Dave Moose, Big Pine tribal chairman, and Jasmine Andreas, treasurer for the Bishop Paiute Tribe, along with other staff members went to the nation’s capitol the first week of November.
Local tribal members joined the other 400 of 567 federally recognized tribes at the event, which included the grand opening of the National League of American Indians in D.C.
This is the first such embassy representing Native Americans in the capitol. As Moose said, the embassy is so important to have within D.C. itself. The people working at the Indian embassy will know the ins and outs of Washington, and who to talk to, as well as knowing the issues facing Natives.
Both Moose and Andreas said they were impressed by Obama’s knowledge of Indian issues.
“He really nailed the Indian issues,” Andreas said of the president, “and he knows what needs to be done.”
She said that Obama seems to have “a solid understanding” like no other president in the past.
“He realizes we were the first people here, and he seems dedicated to both improving services and upholding our rights, including the trust agreements,” Moose said of Obama.
“Few have been more marginalized and ignored by Washington for as long as Native Americans – our first Americans,” Obama said at the conference.
While all Native Americans have individual concerns and problems specific to their situation, there are some issues that all Indians face, Moose said.
A housing shortage, Native-specific health problems like an increase in diabetes and heart disease, drug and alcohol abuse, economic and land base issues are all a problem for Natives.
Obama has Native Americans on his cabinet who work directly with Indian affairs. And by Indian affairs, Andreas said, Obama knows that it means more than just the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Department of the Interior, but so many other programs and departments.
Andreas said she had the privilege of attending a Health and Human Services Tribal leader roundtable with administration department heads and staff. Kim Teehee of the Cherokee nation is Obama’s Native American policy advisor, and Jodi Gillette of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is also on his staff.
Andreas and other leaders also met with Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and other program heads talking about other Indian issues like rural development, nutrition and the Forest Service.
She said she made plenty of contacts, and her staff got to meet with local congressional representative Buck McKeon.
Obama has also given his staff 90 days to set up a solid, effective liaison or Native American consultant between local tribes and the White House.
Andreas said this sort of liaison at the federal level has been “a vague concept” brought up by several past administrations. But, she said Obama’s plan looks to be “something meaningful.”
Andreas and Moose both said they came back with a real glimmer of hope that Obama may really be a friend to Natives.
“I know that you may be skeptical that this time will be different,” Obama said, “You have every right to be and nobody would have blamed you if you didn’t come today. But you did. And I know what an extraordinary leap of faith that is on your part.”
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