The Navajo Nation will be represented by Vice President Rex Lee Jim at the White House Tribal Nations Conference next week.

Jim will be among hundreds of tribal leaders at the annual event, which takes place December 5 at the main Interior Department building in Washington, D.C. He's going in place of President Ben Shelly, who has a prior engagement on the reservation.

One of the tribe's top priorities is the Stafford Act amendments that will allow tribes to submit disaster declarations to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Currently tribes must go through their respective state governments.

The Obama administration supports the proposal.

Get the Story:
Tribal leaders prepare for White House tribal summit (The Navajo Times 11/29)

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