6 DECEMBER 1, 2013
Smoke Signals
Kennedy attends White House Tribal Nations Conference
By Dean Rhodes
Smnke Siifnult editor
Tribal Council member Cheryle
A. Kennedy attended the fifth an
nual White Ilou.se Tribal Nations
Conference held Wednesday, Nov.
13, at the Department of the Inte
rior in Washington, D.C.
President liarack Obama and 13
Cabinet members joined more than
300 Tribal leaders at the annual
event.
"I am proud to work for a presi
dent who has demonstrated a last
ing and meaningful commitment
to upholding a strong government-to-government
relationship with
Tribal Nations," said Secretary of
the Interior Sally Jewell in her
opening remarks. 'This conference
is an important part of the ongoing
dialogues we need to have as we
work together toward Tribal self
determination and self-governance,
and promoting prosperous and
resilient Tribal nations."
Through speeches and listening
sessions, Obama administration
representatives highlighted the
improving partnership between the
U.S. government and Tribal Na
tions and declared the commitment
to elevating that relationship dur
ing the final three years of Obama's
presidency.
The conference also included a
Town Hall portion, during which
Tribal leaders asked questions
of several members of the White
I louse Council on Native American
Affairs, which was established ear
lier this year.
In the Town Hall's opening state-
1
Cheryl A.
Knndy
ment, Nation
al Congress
of American
Indians Pres
ident Brian
Cladoosby
(Swinomish)
said there
was a need
to establish
a "trust rela
tionship for
the 21st century" and urged the
Council on Native American Af
fairs to regularly convene Cabinet
officials and Tribal leaders at the
White House and throughout In
dian Country.
Other Tribal leaders addressed
the importance of addressing the
Carcieri Supreme Court decision
that affects what Tribal land can
be taken into trust, fully funding
contract support costs and honor
ing the trust responsibility in the
federal budget.
Kennedy said during the Nov. 19
Legislative Action Committee meet
ing that she attended the break
out session on health and made a
presentation before the director of
Indian Health Service, as well as
a representative from the Office of
Management and Budget who is as
signed to Indian Health Service.
"I focused on contract support
costs," Kennedy said, making the
point that the United States owes
Native Tribes for those funds.
"I directed my comments to him
that the United States government
owes this amount and that the
United States needs to pay," Ken-
EDdlecr Bninigo moved
Elder Bingo will be held at 12:30 p.m. the second and fourth Saturday
of the month at the Elders' Activity Center. For more information, contact
Elder Activity Assistant Daniel Ham at 503-879-2233. B
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Annual Tree Lighting CeremonT $
Where: Oak 1'ree at Old Powwow Grounds
When: Dec. 4, 2013
Time: 5:15 p.m.
( ommunity C ialhci in; . Includim.;:
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decorate or donate outdoor z ; ' v A '
lights contact: O
Linda Brandon at the I-AC
503-879-2233 or
Lisa Leno
503-879-1471
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nedy said. "There have been court
decisions; there's been work groups;
there's been directives; there's been
all kinds of work done and we un
derstand that it might be capped.
Since when does the United States
not pay its bills? They do, and we're
an honorable nation because of
that. So, when you reconvene with
your OMB staff, will you carry that
message forward ... that we look
forward to payment and resolving
this whole issue."
In his speech before the Tribal
Nations Conference, Obama also
addressed the issue. "We've heard
loud and clear your frustrations
when it comes to the problem of
being fully reimbursed by the fed
eral government for the contracted
services you provide, so we're going
to keep working with you and Con
gress to find a solution," he said.
Kennedy added that she also
talked with Health and Human
Services Secretary Kathleen Se
belius about contract support cost
payments.
Kennedy, who has served on the
U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services Tribal Advisory
Committee for four years, said her
term is up at the end of the year.
Administration officials in ad
dition to Jewell who attended the
Tribal Nations Conference included
Attorney General Eric Holder,
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vil
sack, Sebelius, Housing Secretary
Shaun Donovan, Transportation
Secretary Anthony Foxx, Energy
Secretary Ernest Moniz, Education
Secretary Arne Duncan, Veterans
Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki,
Environmental Protection Agency
Administrator Gina McCarthy, Act
ing Homeland Security Secretary
Rand Beers, Acting Small Busi
ness Administration Administrator
Jeanne Hulit, Council on Environ
mental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley
and White House Domestic Policy
Council Director Cecilia Munoz.
Jewell announced that the admin
istration has set a goal of placing
more than 500,000 acres into trust
by the end of Obama's term. The Bu
reau of Indian Affairs has processed
more than 1,400 land-into-trust
applications since 2009, accepting
more than 230,000 acres in trust on
behalf of Tribes, she said.
"Restoring land to Tribes is not
only important to achieve self-determination,
but it can also be a
spark for economic development
in Indian Country - generating in
vestment, new jobs and revenues,"
Jewell said.
In his remarks to the Tribal Na
tions Conference, Obama said that
he will visit Indian Country in 2014
for the first time as president.
"We have more Tribal leaders here
than we ever have at any of these
conferences," Obama said. "So it just
keeps on growing each year, which
is wonderful news. You represent
more than 300 Tribal Nations, each
of you with your own extraordinary
heritage, each a vital part of a
shared American family." B
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde's 477 Employment and
Training Program and Land and Culture Department have resources
that can be utilized along with community members who have a pas
sion for gardening or want to learn the art of agriculture.
If you are a Grand Ronde Tribal community member and want to be
a part of the planning, preparation and cultivation of the Tribal garden
and orchard site for next year's planting season, contact Barbara Gib
bons at 800-242-8196, ext. 2135, or e-mail barbara.gibbonsgrandronde.
org.
will be given on this day
Tribal members
fx
please attend
I 'A COVER
. ' W OREGON.
For Questions '
call Lisa Archuleta
503-879-1880
P0
a) the Portland area office
4445 S.W. Barbur Blvd.
Portland OR 97239
riDec. 20,2013
Y 1-4 p.m.
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