Lynne Harlan: USET brings tribes together

Friday, May 9, 2008  

"This week the Eastern Band of Cherokee hosted the tribal consortium which is known as USET, the United South and Eastern Tribes. The Eastern Band along with several other tribes began USET nearly 40 years ago as a means for tribal advocacy in Washington, D.C. The organization has grown over the years but has never lost its focus to make a difference through a strong coalition united in purpose.

The USET tribes meet twice a year in a convention and once annually in Washington to meet with congressional leadership. The annual and semiannual meetings are held for the various committees to discuss how federal legislation and policy are affecting tribal administrations and communities. These committees then make recommendations to the Board of Directors of USET for action. The Board of Directors is made up of the tribal leaders of the member tribes. The resolutions form a means of action for the member tribes.

The committees of USET represent a variety of tribal administrative functions and range from culture and heritage to natural resources to health care. Each committee has an opportunity to share with other tribal groups their challenges and successes and each tribe has a system of support as we each face a variety of problems together."

Get the Story:
Lynne Harlan: Unity among tribes has a long history (The Asheville Citizen-Times 5/9)