This was the fifth such conference in as many years. The gathering is an Obama initiative to reach out to tribes and show his administration is listening. It includes break-out sessions with department and agency heads, and a presidential address. Ted Mala, who in past years represented Buckland, says the value is enormous. “We’ve never had a president or an administration pay this much attention to us,” Mala said. “It’s given us access to the secretaries, and for the first time ever we have a voice, in my opinion.” We had a degree of it with other administrations but this one has blown the doors open, and it’s incredible.Get the Story:
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