Tribal Council Notices...

Posted June 30, 2010

Name:                          Joe Durglo

Organization:                Intertribal Timber Council

Destination:                   Coeur D’Alene Casino Resort Hotel

                                    Worley, ID

Dates of Travel:            June 22-24, 2010

Purpose of Trip:            Executive Board and Committee Meeting

On June 22-24 I attended the Intertribal Timber Council Executive Board and Committees held at Coeur D’Alene in Worley ID.  ITC is a nonprofit nation-wide consortium of Indian Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, and individuals dedicated to improving the management of natural resources of importance to Native American communities. The ITC works cooperatively with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), private industry, and academia to explore issues and identify practical strategies and initiatives to promote social, economic and ecological values while protecting and utilizing forests, soil, water, and wildlife. Over 60 tribes and Alaska Native Corporations currently belong to the ITC.

Agenda items included a review of comments and recommendations from the 34^th Annual Timber Symposium recently held in Mescalero, NM, an update on the tribal timber branding and marketing project and a number of legislative items of interest to timber tribes.

 Issues and recommendations are developed as part of the annual timber symposiums workshops, this years workshops were 1. Climate Change: Forest Management Adaption and Mitigation Strategies, 2. Stewardship Contracting under the Tribal Forest Protection Act and Tribal Enterprise Structures and Business Financing Options. The workshop summaries are available on the ITC website at www.itcnet.org.

 Work continues on the Marketing and Branding Project that began late last year, we hope to receive the balance of surveys that were provided to the member Tribes and incorporate comments into the balance of the project. Next steps will include development of a unique and identifiable logo or trademark and marketing strategy and an analysis of potential benefits of creating a unique tribal certification standard.

 ITC continues to track a number of legislative issues including forwarding correspondence on the 2011 appropriations, supporting language that defines renewable biomass as any organic matter that is available on a renewable or recurring basis from non-Federal land or land belonging to an Indian or Indian Tribes that is held in trust rather than a more restrictive definition that would negatively affect Indian forest lands.

In addition ITC has opposed the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act which would establish 23 million acres of wilderness in several states. Proponents of the bill have not contacted affected Tribal governments and wilderness designation could impact Tribes efforts to protect tribal forest lands from fire, disease or infestation off adjacent federal land.

Posted June 1

Council wants it to be clear that should anyone have any criticism of its recent actions to not adopt the state marijuana code, which keeps medicinal marijuana use illegal on the reservation for Tribal members and other Indians, those comments need to be addressed to Council members directly.

Recently, after much discussion, Council ruled to keep in place the current policies that do not recognize the state issued medical marijuana cards. On the reservation for Tribal members and enrolled members of other tribes, the state law for medical marijuana does not apply. Council received detailed input from law enforcement, culture committees, the personnel department and the health department in determining this decision. All of these departments offered their perspectives and insight. However, the decision was ultimately made by Tribal Council.

Travel Reports from Council

Joe Durglo attended the Intertribal Timber Council meetings in Lakeside California. He was part of the ITC Education Committee that determined which students received scholarships. In all 19 college students and 10 high school students, all Indians, received scholarships. During the meeting, there were discussions about working more closely with a veteran empowerment group called Veterans Greens Job. The organization provides green jobs education, transition support and career and enterprise development opportunities for military veterans, empowering and supporting them to lead America’s transition to energy independence, ecological restoration, community renewal and economic prosperity. Their Web site is, http://veteransgreenjobs.org . The Veteran Greens Job group and ITC are discussing how to get information about this program out to Indian Country.

There were also discussions about the wording of testimony to be presented to the Senate Appropriations Committee related to the BIA forestry allocation. Preparation work was completed for the 34th Annual National Indian Timber Symposium April 19-22 that is hosted by the Mescalero Apache Tribe at the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino in Mescalero, New Mexico.

James Steele, Jr., attended the ITMA, or Intertribal Monitoring Association on Indian Trust Funds held in Las Vegas , Nevada . Steele said the lead attorney on the Cobell case, Keith Harper, presented details on the settlement. The main point to emerge was that tribes are generally supportive of the settlement, but there were many unanswered questions. Harper urged all tribes to accept the settlement, but it was clear that reaching that level of acceptance may be a challenge, Steele said. The ITMA was organized in 1990 by tribes determined to actively monitor and have a voice in the activities of the Federal government to ensure fair compensation to tribes for the historical trust funds mismanagement. Today, ITMA is a national tribal consortium consisting of 66 federally recognized tribes, whose purpose and objectives have increased as it follows the trust reform activities of the Federal government and Congress. For more information on the settlement, go to http://www.cobellsettlement.com/. 

Elmo Tribal Council Representative Reuben Mathias and St. Ignatius Tribal Council Representative Charlie Morigeau attended the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development conference in Las Vegas and the American Indian Business Trade Fair. Both said they were impressed to see the caliber of tribally-run businesses that are thriving around the country. This year’s event was dedicated to honoring the thriving women-owned businesses and women entrepreneurs. Many of the successful businesses started out simply as a dream. Mathias said it’s important to see these kinds of business successes that occur in Indian Country.

“We don’t see it often enough,” Mathias said.

Mathias reached out to a team of sisters from the Spokane Indian Tribe and encouraged them to pursue opportunities at the Best Western Resort and Casino. The sisters, Monica Simeon and Marina TurningRobe, own and operate Sister Sky natural beauty projects.

According to their Web site, http://sistersky.com the sisters partnered with a mission to create natural products inspired by the herbal wisdom of their culture.

“Native Americans have rich and meaningful plant traditions respecting nature’s own healing herbs from the earth. The use of plant botanicals has been part of our lives since childhood. Our grandmothers harvested a variety of plants to make teas, ointments and creams,” states their site.

Morigeau also attended the ATNI conference in February. He received information on what new benefits and funding opportunities exist for Native Veterans. He also heard reports on how the Obama Administration is pushing for alternative energy and other energy opportunities for Indian Country.

Also mentioned was an update on the Columbia Basin Treaty and its impact on CSKT waters.

On March 5, Morigeau sat down with the Avista Corp. in Spokane to discuss details with corporate executives on how the established power company operates their own business. The trip was part of a fact-finding mission and exploration of possible partnership possibilities.Mike Kenmille traveled to Vancouver, B.C. to participate in the signing of a long-time-coming MOU that will protect the Flathead River basin. Tribal Council has been working on this agreement for many years. The agreement is between the State of Montana and the province of Vancouver, B.C. As you may have seen in the newspaper coverage already, the agreement will stop any future mining in the Flathead River basin. Kenmille signed the document as an attending witness.

Councilman Kenmille also attended the Columbia River basin treaty meeting in the place of Councilman Steve Lozar. At the meeting, Kenmille agreed CSKT will host the next meeting, which Lozar is developing now.