North Dakota Natives Summit
Native American tribes from North Dakota, and officials from surrounding states, gathered last month for a summit where they talked about issues facing their community, and strategized about the future.
'This summit is similar to old days in the summer, when people would come together, meet and perform; and also for spirituality. These gatherings have taken place from time immemorial,'' said Ken Davis, chairman of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa.Democratic North Dakota Senators Dorgan and Conrad, and Representative Pomeroy all came out to attend the summit, the theme of which was "as long as the grass grows and water flows." Issues important to the community were discussed, as noted in the Indian Country Today newspaper:The United Tribes of North Dakota packaged this year's summit with seven other conferences and the pow wow at the United Tribes Technical College for the first time. The United Tribes has held a summit each of the past 10 years while other conferences had been held in different locations. This year more than 1,000 people came together in one location.
It is especially appropriate that the United Tribes Intertribal Council Summit opened with a discussion on water rights and quantification of water for the reservations. Quantification of water rights has been talked about for many years between states and tribes and with the federal government.The crowd at the summit quietly shared their hope that Senator Dorgan would become chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs if Democrats took back control of the U.S. Senate. Sen. Dorgan currently serves as Vice Chair of the committee. Both Sen. Dorgan and Rep. Pomeroy discussed current legislation affecting the Native American community as a whole.The summit covered more topics than water. Sovereignty, education, health care, current and pending legislation, the Cobell settlement bill and appropriations shared the platform.
Legislation that Dorgan considers important is the reauthorization of the Indian Health Improvement Act and the Cobell settlement bill. Garland said the Bush administration was not interested in the health improvement act and work was under way to figure out how to get that bill out of the Senate and passed this year.Summit participants hope that a change in leadership in Washington may lead to vast changes in policy that affects Natives.Pomeroy said the health bill needed reauthorization because it gives more control to the tribes. He also supports a settlement of the Cobell case.
