by Thomas Burr
The Salt Lake Tribune
09 February 2009
Washington--President
Barack Obama will soon name a senior White House adviser for
tribal issues in a move that elevates the concerns of American
Indians to a higher point than previous administrations.
First
Lady Michelle Obama told employees at the Interior Department on
Monday that American Indians have a "wonderful partner in the
White House right now," and her husband plans to improve that
relationship even more.
"He'll
soon appoint a policy adviser to his senior White House staff to
work with tribes and across the government on these issues such as
sovereignty, health care, education -- all central to the
well-being of Native American families and the prosperity of
tribes all across this country," the first lady said.
President
Obama vowed on the campaign trail that he would name a senior
adviser to work as a liaison for American-Indians affairs, as well
as hold an annual summit at the White House with tribal leaders.
"Few
have been ignored by Washington for as long as American
Indians," Obama wrote last October in an American-Indian news
outlet. "Too often, Washington pays lip service to working
with tribes while taking a one-size-fits-all approach with tribal
communities across the nation."
Previous
administrations have named a liaison in their Intergovernmental
Affairs offices for Native Americans, though observers say this
will be the first such voice at such a high level overseeing
tribal concerns.
A White
House official said Monday filling the position is part of the
"staffing up process," and may be formally announced in
the next two weeks.
The
nation's 562 federally recognized tribes and Alaskan bands have
been waiting to see if Obama would follow through on his campaign
promise, according to George Hardeen, a spokesman for Navajo
Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. And Monday's announcement was
"great news" for those who have been "hoping and
praying" that the position would some day be created.
"For
too long, tribes and their voices have been filtered out and have
not reached the highest levels of government," Hardeen said.
"And tribes have a special government-to-government
relationship with the federal government. Tribal leaders have
always felt that their concerns needed to be heard by the
president of the United States."
The
Navajo Nation claims about 310,000 members in America, of which
8,000 reside in Utah, Hardeen says.
On the
north end of the state, Bruce Parry, chairman of the Northwestern
Band of the Shoshoni Nation, said it will be good to finally have
someone to advocate for American Indians at the highest level of
government.
"It's
one thing to have an assistant secretary in the Interior
Department, but to have someone in the White House who can spend
time and energy working on Indian issues is a great thing,"
Parry said.
The
Northwest Band has nearly 500 members in Utah.
In San
Juan County, Mark Maryboy, a former county commissioner and Navajo
Tribal Council member, says it's been difficult in the past to get
those in the highest levels of government to pay attention to
American-Indian issues.
"Native
Americans are still struggling socially and economically and there
certainly needs to be a voice in the administration to help Native
Americans on and off the reservation with many, many issues,"
Maryboy said. "And I certainly hope that happens in the near
future."
tburr@sltrib.com
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