South Dakota governor promises to fill tribal relations secretary

Tuesday, January 25, 2011  

South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard (R) is promising to name someone as his secretary of tribal relations in the next two to three weeks, The Rapid City Journal reports.

Daugaard was going to name someone to lead the Office of Tribal Government Relations office but the person declined, the paper said. However, interest has spiked because Daugaard elevated the position to the Cabinet level. Lt. Gov. Matt Michels was also designated as the point person on Indian issues.

"For us it means that the governor and lieutenant governor ... are taking us seriously with our concerns and the issues on the reservations. They're telling us that they're willing to work to build a relationship," Melaine White Eagle, the founder of First Voices, told the paper.

Get the Story:
Tribal relations job to be filled soon (The Rapid City Journal 1/25)
Group criticizes delay in picking tribal relations commissioner (The Rapid City Journal 1/22)