Indians must 'stand as one,' tribal leaders told
Posted by Ishgooda to Native News Online
National Congress convenes at hotel in Mission Valley
By Chet Barfield STAFF WRITER
November 12, 2002
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/uniontrib/tue/news/news_8n12indian.html
American Indians see themselves at a crucial point in history -- emboldened by
the gains they've made, yet beleaguered on many fronts.
Casinos and other new business ventures are bringing tribes unprecedented
economic successes. But they're also bringing mounting pressure from
opponents who want to tax their assets and rein in their rights of
self-governance.
The main agency they deal with, the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs, is in
disarray, accused of mishandling millions in tribal trust funds. The highest
law in the land, the U.S. Supreme Court, has issued a string of rulings
favoring states' rights over tribal sovereignty.
"This is going to be an incredible year ahead of us," said Juana Majel, a
leader of North County's Pauma Indian band. "This is going to be one of those
times when we have to stand together."
And the place? San Diego.
Tribal leaders from across the nation are in town this week, discussing such
issues as land rights, gambling compacts and sacred sites. They are members
of the nation's oldest and largest Indian organization, the National Congress
of American Indians, which is holding its 59th annual convention at a Mission
Valley hotel.
The five-day convention opened yesterday with ceremonial prayers and a flag
procession honoring American Indian veterans. More than 3,000 delegates are
attending from scores of tribes nationwide.
The Washington-based congress was founded in 1944 to champion Indian causes
in national policies and legislation. On Friday, delegates will enact dozens
of resolutions on topics ranging from tribal economic development to
environmental protection and information technology.
"I don't need to tell you that this is a critical time for tribes as we sort
through the many issues facing Indian country," the group's president, Tex
Hall, told delegates yesterday. "Indian country must stand as one or face
losing everything that keeps our tribes and communities strong."
Hall, a buffalo and cattle rancher, is also chairman of North Dakota's
Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation. He told the group to look forward to five
days of hard work – and a little fun, too.
In addition to enjoying the Southern California weather, attendees can
participate in dozens of workshops. Between sessions, they can roam an
exhibit hall where vendors are selling Indian art, clothing, jewelry and
other products and services.
Tonight, they can attend a concert featuring traditional and contemporary
American Indian musical artists. The concert, co-sponsored by the Native
American Music Association, is open to the public. It begins at 7:30 p.m. at
the Town & Country Hotel. Tickets cost $20 and benefit the Indian congress.
Jacqueline Johnson, executive director of the Indian congress, set the tone
for the convention yesterday, reminding delegates of the high stakes tribes
are facing in these changing times.
"We have no time to waste on disunity," she said. "We cannot, we will not,
watch silently as the hard-earned gains in ground that have been made in
recent decades are lost."
The new GOP-controlled Congress presents new challenges for Indians, Johnson
said.
"New administrations, new congresses, even new court justices come and go,
each time requiring an educational effort to ensure that they understand and
respect the complexities of our history," she said.
The convention also offers tribal leaders an opportunity to publicly question
and privately buttonhole prominent national politicians. Yesterday's speakers
included three Indian-friendly congressmen: Reps. Bob Filner, D-San Diego,
and Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-Colo., vice
chairman of the Senate's Indian Affairs Committee.
Also addressing delegates yesterday were the Bush administration's top Indian
affairs official, Assistant Interior Secretary Neal McCaleb, and a White
House deputy director of intergovernmental affairs.
Some at the convention have come to push for a particular concern, such as
the woman from Washington's Makah tribe who stepped to the audience
microphone repeatedly yesterday seeking pledges of increased funding for
Indian health services.
But with the wide range of issues on the national agenda, most realize it
will be hard to get all they want. The main objective, they say, is to join
their voices into one on the things that matter most.
"Each tribe is sovereign. We can't speak for each other," said Will Micklin,
an Alaska Tlingit and an administrator for the East County's Ewiiaapaayp
Indian band. "This is why it's important for us to come together and find
consensus."
Chet Barfield: (619) 542-4572; chet.barfield@uniontrib.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Native Americans Converge In San Diego
Tribal Leaders Meeting For Week
POSTED: 6:58 p.m. PST November 11, 2002
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/1780317/detail.html
SAN DIEGO -- Hundreds of Native American leaders are meeting in San Diego for
a week, and addressing political and social advancement issues.
Tribal leaders say their primary goals are establishing complete sovereignty
for reservations across the country and cutting their economic reliance on
taxpayer dollars.
They also say there's a misconception that all tribes are wealthy thanks to
tribal casinos. Instead, Native Americans point to a 50 percent unemployment
rate and widespread poverty on smaller reservations.
"And now, with tribes asserting their rights and saying 'We don't want to
live like this anymore, we want to work alongside you and we don't want a
handout, we want a hand up," said Tex G. Hall, president of the American
Indian Congress.
By partnering with corporations, Native American leaders are trying to create
100,000 jobs in the next four years.
Eventually, they hope to create complete economic independence, reducing
reliance on taxpayer dollars.
Copyright 2002 by NBCSandiego.com. All rights reserved.
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