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FEBRUARY 15, 2020
11
ed at ATNI Winter Convention
in Indian Country, especially our
missing and murdered women.”
In August, the Department of
the Interior launched a series of
work sessions in Indigenous com-
munities across the United States
called “Reclaiming Our Native
Communities.” This resulted in a
Nov. 26 proclamation that estab-
lished a Department of the Interior
and Department of Justice joint
task force nicknamed “"Operation
Lady Justice.” Its intent is to work
with Tribal leaders to develop new
protocols on how to handle cases of
missing and murdered women in
Indian Country, re-examine data
gaps and create a “cold case” team
to look into unsolved cases.
“Assistant Secretary Sweeney
wanted me to convey that all of
these sessions helped her to under-
stand the critical need for secure
holding facilities on Tribal lands
and more trauma-informed train-
ing,” Cruz said.
Other Monday activities included
a natural resources panel, National
Congress of American Indians re-
port and White House intergovern-
mental affairs presentation.
On Tuesday, Jan. 28, Portland
Mayor Ted Wheeler gave opening
remarks to start the day.
“It’s my fourth year at ATNI
and I look forward to continuing
to cultivate meaningful govern-
ment-to-government relationships,”
he said. “It is critical for our mutual
success. Our city can serve as a
valuable ally to Native communi-
ties, and we can never forget the
adverse policies that impacted
Native peoples, and we must work
to reverse those.”
Wheeler highlighted the city’s
Tribal Relations program and liai-
son Laura John (Blackfeet/Seneca),
who began her job more than two
years ago to help develop Tribal
relationships.
In November 2019, the city host-
ed its second annual Tribal Na-
tions Summit. The event date
was chosen in conjunction with
November being Native American
Heritage Month. Leaders from
Bureau of Indian Affairs Regional Director Bryan Mercier speaks on the second day of the annual Affiliated Tribes of
Northwest Indians Winter Convention on Tuesday, Jan. 28. Mercier is a Grand Ronde Tribal member.
seven Northwest Tribes, including
Grand Ronde, attended the two-day
summit, along with hundreds of
city employees.
“Our Tribal work is widespread
and we are deeply committed to this
work,” Wheeler said. “And we back
our words with actions.”
Bureau of Indian Affairs Regional
Director and Grand Ronde Tribal
member Bryan Mercier gave a
brief presentation about what has
happened since he was appointed
to the position in late 2018.
This summer, he is hoping to
expand BIA services by opening a
Vancouver, Wash., office.
“I’ve been losing people because
of the commute
to Portland,” he
said. “To recruit
and retain people,
and offer services
to those who live
in the Vancouver
area, I need an of-
fice there.”
Mercier also
touched on the
upcoming pres-
idential budget,
fee-to-trust dis-
cussions, BIA car-
ryover funds, real
estate services, and
environmental and
cultural resource
management.
“Our forestry
program is one of
the largest in the country and we
are very active in fire manage-
ment,” he said.
Other Tuesday activities included
an update from the Bonneville Pow-
er Administration, the National
Indian Child Welfare Association
and on Tribal solar power efforts.
On Wednesday, Jan. 29, Mercier
took the podium again as moder-
ator for the Hatfield Fellowship
program panel.
The Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde established the Mark
O. Hatfield Fellowship in 1998 as
a tribute to honor his accomplish-
ments as an Oregon governor and
U.S. senator. Each year, Spirit
Mountain Community Fund spon-
sors a Native American to serve
as the Hatfield Fellow and intern
in a congressional office for eight
months.
Placement of the fellow tradition-
ally rotates through the Oregon
congressional delegation to en-
hance the mutual understanding
between leadership in Washington,
D.C., and Indian Country.
“This program has been extraor-
dinarily successful and a number
of fellows have helped pass legis-
lation that is beneficial to Indian
Country,” Mercier said. “We want
to get the word out to recruit the
next cadre of young professionals
to fill this role. Also, this program
should exist in other states with
other Tribes.”
Past fellows who participated in
the panel discussion also included
Direlle Calica (Warm Springs),
Shana Radford (Nez Perce), Mary
Bodine (Warm Springs), Bodie
Shaw (Warm Springs), Robert
Ahern (Warm Springs) and Traven
Spirit Mountain Community Fund Director Michael Cherry,
center, and Program Coordinator Angela Sears introduce
the Hatfield Fellowship panel on the third day of the annual
Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians Winter Convention on
Wednesday, Jan. 29.
Joseph (Koyokon Athabaskan/
Gros-Ventre).
Spirit Mountain Community
Fund Executive Director Michael
Cherry and Grants Coordinator
Angela Sears also attended and
staffed a booth in the convention
area.
Mercier queried the panelists on
topics such as their biggest accom-
plishments while working in the
Capitol, most rewarding aspects
of being a fellow and what was
memorable.
Answers ranged from helping to
pass legislation that directly affect-
ed Indian Country, attending the
State of the Union address, opening
day at the Museum of the American
Indian and serving on Capitol Hill
immediately after the 9-11 terrorist
attacks.
“It was a unique experience to
be on the hill right after 9-11,”
Shaw said. “You had the creation
of Homeland Security, the anthrax
scare and a very somber State of the
Union. I was told I didn’t have to do
the fellowship that year because of
everything going on, but I am very
appreciative that I did.”
Other topics discussed on
Wednesday included Census 2020
information, a natural resources
summit, a report from Native
American Political Director The-
resa Sheldon (Tulalip) and the
opportunity to attend a Portland
Trail Blazers game.
The convention wrapped up on
Thursday, Jan. 30, with resolu-
tions that will be forwarded to the
National Congress of American In-
dians for consideration. In addition,
Tribal Council Secretary Jon A.
George was elected to ATNI’s Exec-
utive Board as third vice president,
becoming the only Oregon Tribal
delegate on the board.
The NCAI conference will be held
at the Oregon Convention Center in
Portland from Nov. 8-13, 2020. 