NCAI statement on passing of Sen. Craig Thomas

Thursday, June 7, 2007  

The late Sen. Craig Thomas (R-Wyoming) with National Congress of American Indians President Joe Garcia at NCAI's 2007 winter session in Washington, D.C. Photo © NSM.

National Congress of American Indians President Joe Garcia released the following statement on the passing of Sen. Craig Thomas, a Republican from Wyoming who was vice chair of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.

At the National Congress of American Indians, we are sadded by the death of the distinguished Senator from Wyoming, Craig Thomas. Senator Thomas served as Vice-Chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and showed his dedication to improving the lives of American Indian people. Senator Thomas recently visited with tribal leaders at our NCAI Executive Council session in February, and also made an extended trip to the Wind River Reservation so that he could better understand the needs of the Indian tribes in his home state. He always took a constructive approach in the hearings and meetings where we worked with him.

We greatly appreciated Senator Thomas' bi-partisan working relationship with Committee Chair Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND). It showed his good will and dedication to the U.S. Senate and the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. The people of the Wyoming were fortunate to have Senator Thomas as their steward in the U.S. Senate.

On behalf of the National Congress of American Indians, I send my deepest sympathies to Senator Thomas' family. May the Great Spirit be with him and his family during this difficult time.

Relevant Links:
National Congress of American Indians - http://www.ncai.org
Sen. Craig Thomas - http://thomas.senate.gov
Senate Indian Affairs Committee - http://indian.senate.gov

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