Next week is a busy one for tribal issues in Washington, D.C., with two major Indian conferences, two Senate hearings and a media seminar taking place in the nation's capitol.

On Monday, the National Congress of American Indians kicks off its annual winter session. A slew of government officials and lawmakers are scheduled to address tribal leaders at the conference, which runs through Wednesday, March 1. For more information, visit http://www.ncai.org.

Also next week, the National American Indian Housing Council holds its annual legislative conference on Wednesday, March 1. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Washington) and Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Arizona) are featured speakers at the one-day event. For more information, see http://naihc.net.

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee is holding two hearings next week. On Tuesday, February 28, the subject will be Indian gaming. On Wednesday, March 1, the subject will bee settlement of Cobell v. Norton in a joint hearing with the House Resources Committee. For live video and links to testimony, visit http://indian.senate.gov.

On March 2-3, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, the lobbying arm of the Quaker religious society, is holding a media symposium on Native issues. The conference is entirely booked, with only a waiting list available for interested persons. See http://www.fcnl.org/nativeam.