Norton outlines Indian Country priorities

FROM THE ARCHIVE

Facebook Twitter Email
FEBRUARY 23, 2001

A standing ovation greeted Secretary of Interior Gale Norton on Thursday as she outlined her priorities for Indian Country at the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI).

It was her first address to tribal leaders and Norton was well received by the 300 or so who gathered in Washington, DC, for NCAI's winter session. Emphasizing what she called the four C's -- consultation, cooperation, communication, and conservation -- she promised to work with tribal leaders to help solve problems facing Indian Country today.

"I take very seriously my responsibilities as trustee for Indian lands and trust funds, and for federal obligations to the tribes under treaties and laws," said Norton. "I intend to be an advocate for American Indians and Alaska Natives and tribal governments throughout this administration."

Handed a $2.1 billion budget at the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Norton has hit the ground running at the Interior since taking office earlier this month. She said her challenge has been finding which programs need attention and while tribal leaders would likely say all of them deserve priority, Norton yesterday stuck to three: education, law enforcement, and trust reform.

"We must give every Indian child the opportunity to learn the skills necessary for success in the 21st century," said Norton. "As President Bush says: 'We must leave no child behind.'"

Even though Bush has promised nearly $1 billion to fix the nation's crumbling tribal schools, Norton has considerably less this fiscal year to address the problem. Only about $129 million will go to replace six schools needing the most attention although the BIA has identified a total of 20 on its priority list.

These constraints haven't gone unnoticed by Norton. Responding to rumors of a budget cut at the Interior, Norton last week warned employees that "adjustments" may be necessary but that the the Department will still be able to meet its core goals.

With legal pressure mounting on the Interior to fix the historically mismanaged trust fund system, such a task may be easier said than done. Norton yesterday said progress has been made to address 100 years of "errors and omissions" in the system but acknowledged more work lies ahead if the Department intends to fulfill its obligations to Indian Country.

"As the trustee, I clearly recognize the important obligations of the Department to put in place those systems, procedures, and people to fulfill our obligation to the trust beneficiaries, both individual Indians and tribes," said Norton.

Get the Tribal School Priority List:
Tribal Schools on Priority List (Politics 2/16)

Relevant Links:
The National Congress of American Indians - www.ncai.org