Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff gave an interview to Indian Country Today after he met with Navajo, Ute, Hopi and Jicarilla Apache leaders on July 7.

Chertoff discussed the Bush administration's border policy, which tribes say has ignored them. DHS is building a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border that blocks the Tigua Tribe of Texas from a sacred site that must be accessed every year. Ned Norris Jr. , the chairman of the Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona, said Chertoff has refused to meet face-to-face to talk about the issue.

In the interview, Chertoff acknowledged he will not formally consult with tribes on a government-to-government basis. "We're perfectly open to engaging with them. And we do engage with them if there's a practical concern, like disturbing a sacred location. ... But we need to be able to do it in a sufficient, informal way, as opposed to getting involved in years of courtroom litigation," he told ICT.

Chertoff also said he has met with Tohono O'odham leaders -- just not Norris. "'We met with their leadership twice. It may have been Norris' predecessor, but we have engaged with them," he said.

Get the Story:
Homeland Security chief meets tribal leaders (Indian Country Today 7/11)
Chertoff: Tohono O'odham chairman got it wrong (Indian Country Today 7/11)
Southwest tribe calls for end of border fence construction (The Washington Times 7/11)

Related Stories:
Tohono O'odham chair upset with Homeland Security (6/23)
Tigua Tribe to join lawsuit over US-Mexico fence (5/28)
Editorial: Fence infringes on Tigua Tribe's rights (5/15)
Border fence blocks Tigua Tribe from sacred site (5/14)
House Resources Committee hearing on border fence (4/28)
Environmental laws waived for fence along border (4/2)
Border fence exempted from NAGPRA, other laws (11/21)
Rider waives NAGPRA, sacred site protections (10/26)