The National Congress of American Indians kicks off its 2010 winter session in Washington, D.C., today.

Tribal leaders will hear from top Obama administration officials and key members of Congress throughout the week. They'll get updates on a wide range of issues, from the fiscal year 2011 budget to the Cobell trust fund settlement.

The agenda includes the 12th Annual Leadership Awards Banquet this evening. Honorees are: Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-California); Eric B. Broderick, the acting director of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; Elouise Cobell, a member of the Blackfeet Nation of Montana who is the lead plaintiff in the Indian trust fund lawsuit; Joseph P. Kalt and Stephen Cornell of the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development; and Marie Howard, a staffer for the House Natural Resources Committee who is retiring this year.

The conference runs through Wednesday. It takes place at the Westin Washington hotel.

Today's Highlights:
1:40pm - Assistant Secretary Larry Echo Hawk
1:50pm - Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki
2:00pm - Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii)
2:50pm - Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan
3:10pm - Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson
4:00pm - Interior Solicitor Hilary Tompkins and Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli on Cobell settlement
7:00pm - 12th Annual NCAI Leadership Awards Dinner