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FEBRUARY 22, 2001

I want to start by saying how pleased I am to address you here at the National Congress of American Indians' Executive Council Winter Session.

It's an honor and a privilege to meet you, and I look forward to working with you in the days and years ahead.

Being new to this job, I intend to listen more than talk. So at this point in our relationship, I ask for your patience.

I don't have all the answers to your questions, but over time, I believe we can find answers by working together.

I have taken to heart the mission of the Bureau of Indian Affairs "to promote the quality of life, to promote economic opportunity, and to protect and improve the trust assets of American Indians, Indian tribes, and Alaska Natives.

President Reagan made it his goal to "restore tribal governments to their rightful place among the governments of this nation, and to enable tribal governments, along with state and local governments, to resume control over their own affairs."

Last week, I met with the Interior Department's employees telling them that it is our job to be good stewards and that we should navigate the four C's: consultation, cooperation, communication -- all in the service of conservation.

I propose to employ consultation, cooperation, and communication in my relationships with all tribal leaders, and tribal governments as well -- in pursuit of creative problem solving, and improving Indian self-determination and self-governance.

I take very seriously my responsibilities as the Trustee for Indian lands and trust funds, and for Federal obligations to the tribes under treaties and laws. To meet that responsibility, we at the Department must be certain that the requisite management skills are in place. I intend to be an advocate for American Indians and Alaska Natives and tribal governments throughout this Administration.

As Attorney General back home in Colorado, I had many positive experiences dealing with Indian issues. For example, I successfully negotiated two of the first Indian gaming compacts between the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes and the state of Colorado.

My office also played a large role in the ongoing negotiations over the scope and funding of the Animas-LaPlata project in Colorado. This project helped me to better understand the needs of the tribes, states, and federal authorities and to better assist in resolving economic, environmental, and political issues among these governments.

I have also successfully dealt with issues relating to oil and gas development on and near the reservations in Colorado. Through my experiences with the Southern Ute and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribes and others, I came to better understand the challenges associated with both conservation and development on trust lands.

My first weeks at Interior have been a real learning experience. In fact, the same day I took the oath of office, I found myself confronted with the fiscal year 2002 budget. Nearly one-quarter of Interior's funding assists Indian nations, communities, and individuals. While this is a significant amount of money, setting priorities for the Department in Indian Country is a monumental task. One of my challenges will be to learn which programs best serve Indian Country with the understanding that all programs require our attention and support.

One of the priorities that President Bush addressed during his campaign was education, including Indian education and school facilities.

There is no more important priority than our children, who are our future. And a good education is key to a brighter future for America's children, families, and communities.

We must give every Indian child the opportunity to learn the skills necessary for success in the 21st Century -- as President Bush says, "We must leave no child behind."

I do not have to tell you how dismal Indian school facilities are today. The life expectancy of many of these buildings has been exceed by decades an din some cases, a century. Although Congress appropriated funding to make a significant start in addressing this problem in fiscal year 2001, there is much more we can do.

President Bush and I will continue working with Congress to eliminate the backlog of school repairs.

We will also immediately provide the funds needed to replace six schools. Schools with the most urgent needs will be given priority in the funding requests.

in addition, the Bureau of Indian Affairs will work with the National Trust and Historic Preservation and tribal governments to make needed capital improvements while preserving the historic character of many of the Indian schools.

I was amazed when I learned that the BIA is responsible for 185 elementary and secondary schools serving approximately 50,000 students throughout 23 states. About one-third of these schools are operated directly by BIA while the other two-thirds are operated under contact or grants to Indian tribal entities. This is an enormous responsibility for any federal agency.

Over one hundred and twenty participants -- including educators from BIA-funded schools, outside Indian education organizations and staff members from the BIA Office of Indian Education -- recently met and agreed on five goals:

1. all children will read independently by the third grade
2. seventy percent of the Indian student population will be proficient/advanced in reading and math
3. individual student attendance rates will be 90 percent of better
4. students will demonstrate knowledge of their tribal language and culture, and
5. there will be increased enrollment, retention, placement, and graduation rates at the post-secondary level

I want to assure you of my commitment to the goal of improving the quality of life in Indian communities and providing direct services to assist tribes in strengthening public safety within Indian Country.

A safe community with a sufficient number of law enforcement officers who are property trained and equipped is the basic foundation for the overall effectiveness of tribal governments. To that end, I will work with tribal governments in their law enforcement efforts and further pledge my full cooperation and assistance in this matter.

Finally, I would like to comment on a matter of very high priority for me and for my Department and that is the matter of Indian trust reform and the importance of providing needed services to Indian trust beneficiaries.

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. This is an enormous undertaking in correcting the errors and omissions of the last 100 years.

Nonetheless, much progress has been made, including the financial accounting system within the Office of Trust Funds Management, which became fully operational early last year. A majority of other identified milestones have been reached; however, much remains to be done, including several very critical elements.

These include completing the BIA Trust Asset and Account Management System (TAAMS). This is a much needed and long-neglected automated system that will track the land ownership and trust management of 55 million acres of land held in trust or restricted status by tens of thousands of Indian landowners and tribes.

The implementation of this system is prefaced upon the cleanup of trust historical data dating back over a hundred years and the reduction of the probate backlog that has occurred with the increasing fractionation of trust allotments.

The amendments to the Indian Land Consolidation Act enacted by the 106th Congress will permit greater efficiency in leasing of these lands. These particular projects present huge challenges, but I have no doubt that they can be concluded satisfactorily.

There are many other issues of interest to this organization, my Department, and tribal leaders. In my short time at the Interior, I have already heard concerns about Indian gaming, the federal acknowledgment process, and Indian land and water settlements, to name but a few.

We will meet these challenges openly and will seek your guidance in these important issues. It is my heartfelt desire that through NCAI, you and I will begin and continue a process of consultation, cooperation, and communication -- one that will conserve tribal governments, strengthen Indian people, and improve the education of American Indian children and youth.

Thank you again for inviting me to join you here today. I look forward to getting to know you better and working with you in the days and years ahead.

Get the Story:
Norton outlines Indian Country priorities (Politics 2/23)