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FEBRUARY 6, 2001

Casting a shadow of doubt over the positions of several tribal leaders, a majority of Indian Country residents have significant reservations about President George W. Bush's most controversial Cabinet members according to a new survey.

In a survey published by Indian Country Today this week, 61 percent of American Indians said Gale Norton will be "harmful" to tribes as Secretary of Interior. Only 7 percent said Norton, confirmed by a 75-24 vote, would be "very effective" while 32 percent said she would maintain the status quo.

With regards to Attorney General John Ashcroft, confirmed by a 58-42 vote after a highly charged Senate debate, confidences were even lower. Targeted by civil rights groups, abortion rights supporters, and gun control advocates, 77 percent of survey respondents said Ashcroft would be "harmful" to Indian Country.

In the case of Norton, the views expressed in the poll fly in the face of those made by a number of Indian leaders. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo), the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs who will be appearing on the nationally broadcast radio program Native America Calling tomorrow, has been Norton's biggest champion on Indian issues.

"She is very knowledgeable in Indian law and she will bring that knowledge and experience of working with the tribes to the department," said Campbell in his introductory statement of Norton before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. "I am confident that she will continue that work."

Norton has also received support from the tribal councils of the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Tribes of Colorado. The tribes have worked with Norton on a number of issues, especially the settlement of their water rights through the controversial and costly Animas-LaPlata project.

But a number of other leaders supported Norton without having a working relationship with her. Ray Halbritter, representative Oneida Nation of New York, wrote a letter to Senator Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska), the Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and offered endorsement on behalf of his tribe.

Writing as President of the United South and Eastern Tribes (USET), representing 24 tribes from Maine to Florida, Keller George also offered his support even though he said he has not had "first hand" experience with Norton.

Overall, respondents of the Indian Country Today survey had a mixed but unsatisfactory opinion of the entire Bush Cabinet. Some 40 percent said the Cabinet would be "very bad" for Indian Country while 30 percent said it would be "somewhat bad."

ICT did not report how many respondents participated in the survey. The paper is owned by a economic development corporation of the Oneida Nation.

Relevant Links:
Indian Country Today - www.indiancountry.com
Native America Calling - www.nativecalling.org
The Department of Interior - www.doi.gov
United Southern and Eastern Tribes - usetinc.org
The Oneida Nation - www.oneida-nation.net
Stop Gale Norton - www.biologicaldiversity.org/swcbd/
stop-norton/index.html
Say No to Norton - www.saynotonorton.org

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