The National Congress of American Indians is seeking to raise $12 million to purchase its own building to establish a presence for tribes in Washington, D.C.

Tex Hall, NCAI president, said the idea came about during the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian. He said tribal leaders, in essence, asked "Why don't we have our own building?"

NCAI is eyeing property in an area of downtown DC. The organization currently rents an office.

At its annual conference earlier this month, NCAI kicked off a fundraising campaign for the building. The goal is to raise $1.2 million for a down payment and then raise the rest.

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Special Interests: Indians Build 'Emerging Presence' in Capital (The Washington Post 10/28)
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Relevant Links:
National Congress of American Indians - http://www.ncai.org

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