John Oliveira, a special agent for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, says helping out the victims of Hurricane Katrina requires a "massive effort," The Billings Gazette reported.

Oliveira, a member of the Choctaw Nation, is one of hundreds of Interior Department employees who responded to the crisis. The BIA sent workers to help tribes in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi who were affected by Katrina. Some tribes suffered damage while others hosted evacuees who fled their homes.

Oliveira, the former commander of the BIA's national special response team, worked at a shelter the Mississippi Choctaw Reservation. The tribe's Bogue Homa community saw the most damage from the storm.

National tribal organizations are raising money to help the tribes affected by Katrina. Donations for the National Congress of American Indians fund can be sent to the National Congress of American Indians 1301 Connecticut Ave, NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036.

Donations for the National Indian Gaming Association fund may be sent to the Spirit of Sovereignty Foundation, attn: Hurricane Katrina Fund, 224 Second St. S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003.

Get the Story:
Crisis worker returns from New Orleans (The Billings Gazette 9/15)

Relevant Links:
National Indian Gaming Association - http://www.indiangaming.org
National Congress of American Indians - http://www.ncai.org

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