Tribal leaders in Washington say they are glad the presidential candidates are finally paying to Indian Country before entering office instead of afterwards.

Mel Sheldon, the chairman of the Tulalip Tribes, said President Bush has ignored tribes. He hopes the situation will be different under Sen. Barack Obama (D-Illinois) or Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona).

"Both candidates are listening to native America," Sheldon told The Everett Herald. "It's a really exciting time."

Obama doesn't have as much experience as McCain, the former chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. But a large number of tribal leaders have endorsed Obama, who was the first candidate to visit a reservation.

Ron Allen, the chairman of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, says McCain has a strong record on Indian issues. Allen is an adviser to McCain's campaign.

In terms of self-governance, jurisdictional authority and pursuing self-reliance, McCain will be solid," said Allen, who also serves as secretary of the National Congress of American Indians.

Get the Story:
Pledges by McCain and Obama give tribes hope (The Everett Herald 6/16)

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