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NOVEMBER 15, 2000

Speaking to tribal leaders at the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) on Tuesday, Kevin Gover recalled with pride, honor, and humor his three years as head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

"When I took this job, I told you that we would make a thousand little changes to make the Bureau of Indian Affairs better. I am pleased to report that I sat down with the senior staff recently, and we came up with exactly 1,123 little changes," said Gover.

"Unfortunately, I will be unable to list all of these changes here today. It turns out that Ron Allen has demanded a recount," he jokingly added, referring to the Vice President of the NCAI and the outspoken chairman of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe of Washington.

More seriously, Gover listed, among other improvements, an increase of nearly a half a billion dollars to the BIA budget, better funding for schools and law enforcement, and continued support of tribal gaming. He also noted changes in the way the Bureau manages its trust responsibilities, one of the major issues facing tribes today.

But the road to success wasn't easy, said Gover. He took office amid a time when many in Indian Country felt anti-tribal sentiments were rampant in Congress and The White House.

"After the 1994 elections, I was very concerned that we were entering a new era of danger for tribal governments, because the political atmosphere in Washington was as toxic as I have seen in my lifetime," said Gover. "My fears grew deeper as we saw a series of attacks on tribal tax immunities, tribal sovereign immunity, Indian gaming, and the BIA and IHS budgets."

"Then, a remarkable thing began to happen. We began to win those fights on the Hill," recalled Gover.

Gover attributed part of the turnabout to President Bill Clinton. He said Clinton has been a strong advocate for Native Americans, giving tribes a "powerful" voice.

He also said that tribes all over the country have themselves become more powerful. He paid respect to several tribal leaders who have passed on, like Wendell Chino (Mescalero Apache), Helen Peterson (Oglala Lakota), and Joe De La Cruz (Quinault Nation), calling them the "modern Indian warrior chiefs."

But he noted that political power and financial success has sometimes come with a price, pitting tribes against one another.

"Most disturbingly, we have begun to see the use of Indian political power against one another. Several times in the current Congress, we have seen tribes propose limitations on other tribes that harm tribal sovereignty and the federal-tribal relationship," said Gover. "Greed is still greed whether it is red or white."

Gover will step down from the Bureau before the new administration takes over.

Read a copy of Gover's Speech:
Remarks of Kevin Gover, Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs, National Congress of American Indians, St. Paul, Minnesota (11/14)

Related Stories:
Clinton renews tribal commitment (Tribal Law 11/7)
Indian Country loses leaders (The Talking Circle 7/17)