On Tuesday, both campaigns announced alliances and support among tribes and tribal leaders.
President Bill Clinton - who met with Montana tribal leaders over the weekend in Billings - is scheduled to go to South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation on Wednesday after speaking in Missoula.
“Senator Obama’s leadership qualities and commitment to issues of importance to Indian Country distinguish him from his opponents,” Fort Peck Chairman A.T. Stafne said.
“Our 12 voting members in the tribal council passed this endorsement resolution unanimously. I was personally impressed with his commitment to a true government-to-government relationship and his promise to appoint a Native American policy adviser in his White House,” Stafne said.
Said Crow Nation Chairman Carl Venne: “Senator Obama understands the challenges facing Native Americans in Montana. His record as a U.S. senator shows that he cares about Indian communities. He respects Indian sovereignty and is a strong advocate for Indian health care and education.”
With Montana’s June 3 primaries on the horizon, President Geri Small of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe announced last Thursday her endorsement of Clinton.
Small, a former National Congress of American Indians regional vice president, has worked with Clinton on NCAI initiatives.
“From that personal experience, I trust her judgment and leadership and am compelled to endorse her,” Small said.
“Hillary has the experience, heart and courage to address the tough issues facing this country,” she said in a statement. “American Indians need a president who understands that the federal government’s obligation to tribes is based on treaty rights and trust responsibility, not charity.”
Clinton said she was honored by the endorsement from Small, who filled a vacancy for the Northern Cheyenne Tribe as president in March.
The Northern Cheyenne typify most tribes in the Great Plains where rural isolation, poverty and social unrest accompany extreme rates of joblessness. Seventy percent of Northern Cheyenne citizens are unemployed. The economic disparity makes the tribe heavily dependent on federal money.
“President Small knows firsthand the gains made in Indian Country, as well as the trials it still faces,” Clinton said in a statement. “As president, I will honor tribal sovereignty and respect the government-to-government relationship between tribes and the federal government. I will reopen the doors of the White House to American Indians.
“I will elevate the director of the Indian Health Service to the assistant secretary level, and I will work with people throughout Indian Country, like President Small, to provide better health care, jobs and education for Indian People,” Clinton said.
|
 |
 |
Add your comment now! Write your comment in the form below.
(Email address is for verification only. If you'd like to email a story, look for the link above)