White House Tribal Nations Conference   ...1 of 4 >
Nov. 13, 2013--The Obama Administration held its fifth White House Tribal Nations Conference at the Department of the Interior, drawing leaders from more than 300 tribal nations (there are a total of 566 federally recognized tribal entities around the country).  The leaders heard from cabinet officials, attended breakout sessions, participated in a town hall session with members of the recently established White House Council on Native American Affairs and heard from President Barack Obama.  They raised concerns over sovereignty, land issues, crime, education, health, energy and the harmful effects of the sequester, while administration officials emphasized the theme of partnership and highlighted programs and policies benefitting native Americans.
Members of the White House Council on Native American Affairs (>) take questions from tribal leaders.
In his speech, President Obama stated, "Now, after I became President, I said that given the painful chapters and broken promises in our shared history, I'd make sure this country kept its promises to you.  I promised that tribal nations would have a stronger voice in Washington –- that as long as I was in the White House, it would be your house, too.  And for the past five years, my administration has worked hard to keep that promise –- to build a new relationship with you based on trust and respect. " [transcript]
Members of the Navajo Code Talkers attended the conference as honored guests.
Among the hundreds of tribal leaders attending the conference was Thomas P. O'Rourke, Sr., chairman of the Yurok Tribal Council in Northern California (Klamath area).
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An Evolving Relationship
The relationship between the United States government and tribal nations is one that most Americans do not think or know very much about.  Tribes are sovereign, self-governing nations, and over time the federal government developed a trust responsiblity toward them.  Among its provisions, Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power  to "regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes."  According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, between 1778 and 1871 the U.S. Senate ratified 370 treaties with Indian tribes (1, 2).  The relationship continues to evolve with various statutes and court decisions; for example in 2010 a $3.4 billion settlement was reached in Cobell v. Salazar, a class action suit over mismanagement of trust assets.

Resources

National Congress of American Indians
Bureau of Indian Affairs  |  Department of the Interior - American Indians and Alaska Natives
White House - President Obama and the Native American Community  |  Resources
Cobell v. Salazar Class Action Website

"Indian Entities Recognized and Eligible To Receive Services From the Bureau of Indian Affairs"  Federal Register, Vol. 77, No. 155 (Aug. 10, 2012) [PDF]