Jodi Rave: Montana tribes lobby Gov. Schweitzer

"Tribal delegations from across Montana spent Tuesday meeting with Gov. Brian Schweitzer as part of the state's annual tribal summit at the Capitol.

The two-way dialogue between the governor and tribal leaders allowed each side to provide updates and voice concerns about state-tribal relations during eight hour-long roundtable discussions with individual tribes.

“A lot of what we do is re-establish the relationships we've been building over the years and we go back over some of the issues we've been discussing,” said Schweitzer, a Democrat who was sworn into office for a second term on Monday.

“In some cases we've signed some contracts and in some cases we're still negotiating contracts,” he said. “In other cases they're forwarding new issues. In every single case, it's government to government. Every nation is separate.”

The state-tribal summit helped leaders air old concerns, ranging from energy development, gaming compacts, water commissions, mineral leases, reservation roads, water settlements, housing and health programs to the state economic stimulus plan."

Get the Story:
Jodi Rave: Schweitzer meets with tribal delegations at summit (The Missoulian 1/7)

Another Story:
Tribal leaders lobby Schweitzer for more support (The Great Falls Tribune 1/7)

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