Carl Venne, the chairman of the Crow Tribe of Montana, delivered the State of Tribal Nations address on Wednesday. Venne told a joint session of the Montana Legislature that tribes are being left behind as the state enjoys economic growth. He called for an expansion of gaming and for more development of tribal natural resources. Venne also touted the power of the Native vote, citing the election of Democrat Jon Tester to the U.S. Senate. "Montana Indians can no longer be taken for granted, because we do get out and vote," he said, the Associated Press reported. Venne serves on the advisory committee to the Montana Meth Project, a private venture. He urged the state to take a more active role in methamphetamine prevention. Get the Story:
State of the Tribal Nations: Speech mixes optimism with struggles (The Great Falls Tribune 2/1)
Crow chief: Tribes being left behind (AP 2/1) Relevant Links:
Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council - http://tlc.wtp.net
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