Anyone who's attended any National Congress of American Indians events in the last two years knows President Brian Cladoosby is a huge fan of the Seattle Seahawks. He's always talking about the team and boasting of its exploits. But the chairman of the Swinomish Tribe in Washington found himself on the losing end of a big bet this year. Since the Seahawks lost to the New England Patriots at Super Bowl 49, he was forced to wear the rival team's jersey at the opening session last Tuesday. "This is an historic moment, ladies and gentlemen," said Patriots fan Randy Noka, a council member from the Narragansett Tribe who presented the jersey to Cladoosby. "Next year, Randy!" yelled out another Washington leader -- Ron Allen, the chairman of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe. Cladoosby wasn't ready to take defeat lying down, though. "This is burning!" he protested after sporting the jersey.
Temperatures were freezing last week when NCAI was in town but they were even colder in Michigan, home of Secretary Aaron Payment, the chairman of the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians. "It was 31 below before we left to come out here," Payment said. But Michigan cold doesn't appear to mean much to Kevin Washburn, the head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Payment recalled what happened when the assistant secretary visited his state late last year and wanted to get some exercise.
If you attended NCAI's annual conference last October, you might remember Yvette Roubideaux, then-acting director of the Indian Health Service, was recovering from a cold. She was giving tribal leaders elbow-bumps at the time because she didn't want to get anyone sick. But she was all better for the winter meeting. "Don't worry, I won't be coughing all over President Cladoosby," she said last Tuesday.
When Sen. Al Franken (D-Minnesota) is on the stage, you know there's going to be laughter, even at 8:30am on a cold Tuesday morning and even when you're the first speaker on the agenda. But his best moment came when he beamed at becoming a grandfather for the first time.
Joe Garcia of Ohkay Owingeh in New Mexico is known for many things, including his guitar and his grey hair. But is the former two-time NCAI President old enough to be a part of The Greatest Generation? Well, a little lady on the National Mall thought so. When she spotted the ex-Air Force recruit in his veterans hat, she went up to him to thank him for his military service but he was taken aback by her follow-up question. "Excuse me, sir, did you serve in World War II?" the lady asked. "I just kept on walking," Garcia said, unable to come up with a response to the query.
Rep. Mike Honda (D-California) is a familiar face in Indian Country, having spoken at NCAI several times. Before his remarks this year he happened to listen to the update on the Tribal Supreme Court Project.
Wrapup from National Congress of American Indians DC meeting (2/27)
Updates from National Congress of American Indians meet in DC (2/26)
Updates from National Congress of American Indians winter session in DC (2/25)
National Congress of American Indians set for winter conference (2/23)
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