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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2002

Unity in Indian Country has been a common theme throughout the 59th annual session of the National Congress of American Indians being held this week in San Diego, California.

But for many attendees, politics is local. Given a chance to make their issues known before the largest inter-tribal organization, Indian leaders quickly take advantage.

Take Dottie Welch, an elder from the Makah Nation of Washington. After pressing the NCAI leadership to make health care a bigger priority, she scolded Assistant Secretary Neal McCaleb into silence.

"I realize I'm putting you on the spot here," she said on Monday. McCaleb declined to commit to her suggestion that he declare health care a federal trust responsibility -- he said that sort of statement, if any, would have to come from the Indian Health Service.

For tribes in Maine, the single biggest issue is intrusion on their sovereign rights, said Passamaquoddy Gov. Rick Doyle. Along with the Penobscot Nation, the Passamaquoddys have been engaged in a long battle with the state over water quality in Indian Country.

"The state is still trying to assert jurisdiction, to erode sovereignty further," he said.

Doyle urged NCAI to pressure Environmental Protection Agency chief Christie Whitman to intervene and help resolve the dispute. He also asked McCaleb to get involved and affirm a tribal right to regulate water resources.

Across the country in Nevada, the issue was kitty litter. A Chicago-based company wants to operate a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week clay mine next to the Reno-Sparks Reservation.

Chairman Arlan Melendez wanted McCaleb's help but in another way. He urged the Bush administration not to get involved in a legal battle over mine permits denied by a local county.

In nearby California, Russell Welsh of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, said jurisdiction was a big concern. He called for the repeal of Public Law 280, a termination-era law that granted the state control over Indians in criminal cases.

"The tribes in California have suffered too much police brutality," he said.

As the week winds up, there will be other local issues that NCAI and federal officials will be asked to address. Today, Dr. Charles Grim, interim director of the IHS, and Michael Liu, a Department of Housing and Urban Development official in charge of Indian housing, get their chance before the general assembly.

Oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has become a national concern but Alaska Natives have urged NCAI not to take a position. Tomorrow, there will be an update on development that could bring riches to Inupiat Eskimos or damage to the Gwich'in Nation.

Relevant Links:
National Congress of American Indians - http://www.ncai.org

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Trust extinguishment bill criticized (11/13)
Cobell plans subject of debate (11/13)
Tribes reacting to GOP control (11/12)