Tribal Council shares stories of success and challenges at National Congress of American Indian summit

Hundreds of tribal leaders and Native youth were in Washington, D.C., last week for the winter session of the National Congress of American Indians. Among them, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Chiefs Beverly Cook, Eric Thompson and Michael Conners. The summit, which addresses key areas and issues facing Native American communities, was held from the 10th to the 14th of February, 2019.

SRMT Council attended several panel discussions, roundtables and/or briefings, to name a few, for the National Democratic and Republican Senatorial Committees, the Future of American Indian Gaming, Native Women and Maternal Health Congressional, etc — each focusing on the opportunities for success and advancement of Native peoples, and the priorities for our nation-to-nation relationship.

Open discussions and office visits were held with new U.S. Representatives Deb Haaland (D-NM) and Sharice Davids (D-KS), with SRMT Council in attendance.

Chief Cook said it was a busy week with a lot of important work still needing to be done, “in a sea of all the other tribal nations in attendance, it’s important that our message not get lost.” Chief Conners echoed her sentiments, stating “we need to share our stories, both successes and challenges, to gain support for both Akwesasne and all of Indian Country.”

A good part of Chief Thompson’s focus during the week was centered on border crossing discussions, and awareness for new officials. “Reaffirming our priorities as it relates to our inherent right to freely cross the border has been one of our most consistent messages that we continue to work on with members of Congress. It’s imperative we educate elected officials on who we are, where we’re from and what our rights are,” said Thompson.

The NCAI was established in 1944, with a mission to protect the inherent and legal rights of the Native American. NCAI advocates on behalf of tribal governments and communities, promoting strong tribal-federal government-to-government policies, and promoting a better understanding among the general public regarding American Indian and Alaska Native governments, people and rights.

By: Louis Doug Jacobs