Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council

HISTORIC MEETING RESULTS IN NAVAJO NATION AND TRIBES FROM MONTANA AND WYOMING FORMING COUNCIL OF LARGE LAND BASE TRIBAL ORGANIZATION

On Mar. 30-31, 2001, Montana and Wyoming Tribes met with delegates from the Navajo Nation in Billings, MT. to continue the process of formulating the Council of Large Land Base Tribes (Council). Two Tribes from the Great Plains were also present.

The Council is a newly developing organization of sovereign Indian Tribes and Nations formed to advocate for the needs of the Tribal Nations with a large land base (over 100,000 acres) and population.  Current Budgets are inadequate for Tribes in the Council and formulas for dispersing appropriated funds neglect Tribes with Large Land Base.  Approximately, 75% of all land owned by Indian Nations will be represented by the Nations in the Council.

Chairman of the MT/WY Tribal Leaders, Jonathan Windy Boy, stated, “We are at a critical stage in Tribal development. We must unite to bring the unique issues of the Council Tribes to the forefront of the non-Indian, and Indian, worlds. The Tribes met at Navajo in November and we saw the vast disparity between the needs of Council Tribes and other Indian Nations. In particular, those needs relate to the land and population issues we have on our Reservations and local economies. By organizing around our common concerns, we can present those concerns more expediently and more forcefully. The involvement of the Navajo Nation is very important! The participation of the Navajo Nation acknowledges the need for this new organization and offers many more favorable opportunities for all of us.”

A delegation of Tribal Leaders from the MT/WY Tribal Leaders and the Navajo Nation will travel to Aberdeen, SD to meet with the Tribes Leaders from the Great Plains. Tex G. Hall, Chairman, Three Affiliated Tribes is Chairman of the Great Plains Tribes. The meeting will be held at the Aberdeen Ramkota at 1:30, PM, April 12, 2001. The purpose will be to provide additional information regarding the Council to the Great Plains Tribes and to respectfully seek their participation in the Council. The Great Plains Tribes hosted a meeting of the Council in Rapid City, SD in Oct. 2000.

The newly formed Council has established the following objectives:

·       Support and uphold the sovereignty of the Council member Tribes

·       Foster the government-to-government relationship between the Council member Tribes and the United States Government

·       Provide an organized forum for the discussion between Council member Tribes on issues impacting one or more of the Council member Tribes

·       Encourage the development of Council positions on issues impacting Council member Tribes in situations wherein consensus can be reached in the best interests of all Council member Tribes

·       Maximize the consistency of positions on issues impacting Council member tribes in situations wherein the best interests of all Council member Tribes cannot be adequately addressed by the development of a single Council position

·       Provide for coordination of the advocacy efforts of Council member Tribes with federal, state and local governments on issues impacting Council member Tribes

The meeting with the Tribes of the Great Plains is intended to move the Council forward in further organizing and defining common needs, and setting the agenda for proactive participation with Congress and the Administration.