President Barack Obama on November 5 met with Native American tribal leaders at what was dubbed the White House Tribal Nations Conference. The administration invited representatives from the 564 federally recognized tribes, and leaders from almost 400 tribes showed up.

A gathering of this kind has not taken place since 1994. The conference comes at a time when some Native Americans are fighting a legal battle with the federal government over land royalties.

President Obama portrayed himself as someone who knows what it feels like to be an “outsider.” “Few have been more marginalized and ignored by Washington for as long as Native Americans, our first Americans,” he said. “I know what it means to feel ignored and forgotten, and what it means to struggle. So you will not be forgotten as long as I’m in this White House.”

Obama affirmed that Native Americans are justifiably suspicious of the federal government. Citing a history of broken treaties and unfulfilled promises, he stated, “You were told your lands, your religion, your cultures, your languages were not yours to keep.”

Trying to indicate that things will be different under his administration, Obama pointed to how much of his $787-billion stimulus package was directed toward Native Americans. Job-creation efforts received $100 million; assorted college and school projects were given almost $500 million; and the Indian Health Service got $500 million.

The president also brought up his fulfillment of campaign promises to host the summit and to include Native Americans in his administration. Kimberly Teehee, senior adviser for Indian issues, is a Cherokee, and Larry EchoHawk, Assistant Interior Secretary for Indian Affairs, is from the Pawnee tribe.

Obama’s overtures were generally well received. He issued an executive order requiring his Cabinet members to put forth plans on consulting Indian tribes, and he promised to keep Native Americans in mind when implementing education and healthcare programs. President Clinton had put forth a similar order, but little was done to follow through with it, so tribal leaders are hoping for better from Obama.

“We respect you as a man of your word,” declared Jefferson Keel of the National Congress of American Indians. “It’s truly a beginning,” remarked Theresa Two Bulls, the Oglala Sioux Tribe president. “I feel in my heart, there’s going to be many more meetings like this.”

It is understandable that tribal leaders would look forward to more meetings and more federal money, but they would do well to beware government officials bearing gifts. What the federal government subsidizes, it controls just as surely as if it were sending in the cavalry. Native Americans, like any other Americans, will find the greatest degree of liberty when they forget about Uncle Sam’s compliance-inducing bribes.

Photo: AP Images

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Rachel said:

... I like the last paragraph of this article. I agree that we, as Indians need to quit relying on the government for everything. Or expecting the government to keep their promises when we all know that it's not going to happen. We need to quit blaming our current situations on "the white man" and start taking responsibility for our current situations. We should start making our lives better for ourselves instead of waiting for someone else to do it for us.

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November 06, 2009
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Bonnie said:

... native - 1)Born in a particular place or region, 2) Linked to one by birth or by conditions existing at the time and place of one's birth It would appear that ALL people BORN in the United States are, by definition, native Americans. It would also appear that Obama has actually FORGOTTEN native Americans. This may be due to the distinct possibility that he is NOT one himself. No disrespect is meant here for the American Indians, who are fellow native Americans. As Rachel said, and it applies not to just Indians, we need to start making our lives better ourselves and not depend upon others, especially government, to do it for us.

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November 06, 2009
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Luis Magno said:

Columbus was the first American There were no Americans before Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas. Columbus was the first American. American Indians (so-called Native Americans) are neither the only native Americans nor the first Americans. They are the pre-Columbian indigenous peoples of the Americas. They want to use the name "American" and then claim some sort of historical priority under that name as well as indigenous status under that same name. They want to eat their cake and keep it too. That is not civilized and nobody else is buying it.

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November 07, 2009 | url
Votes: -5

Florida Warren said:

... Quote from Luis Magno: "Columbus was the first American There were no Americans before Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas. Columbus was the first American." Correct. More specifically, Columbus (actually Cristoforo Colombo) was the first Genoese-American. My great grandparents came from Genoa to the United States 400 years after Columbus, in 1892, and my grandmother was proud that her parents came from the same city as Columbus. I visited Columbus's (Colombo's) childhood house in Genoa in 2001.

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November 07, 2009
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Roman Khukiyatov said:

... "On the Russian streets bears go...." "Russian drink only vodka!" All is stereotypes. And there is a desire to destroy definitively? It is possible after all to communicate with Russian directly! The Russian social network "vKonakte" (in contakt) will help you with it.It is very similar on facebook, but this site has a set of pluses! Registration is very simple and free. Simply pass under the reference http://vk.com/reg37729878, further all will be clear to you. Many thanks, and it not a spam =)

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November 07, 2009 | url
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Luis Magno said:

Cristóbal Colón was a Spanish Admiral of Scottish descent Christopher Columbus was born Pietro Scotto in Genoa, the eldest son of a Scottish merchant family. Pietro's family moved to Portugal when Pietro was five or six years old. In Portugal he was known as Pedro Colom. Pietro Scotto became Pietro Colombo when he worked for the Italian pirate Vincenzo Colombo. He became Cristóbal Colón in Spain and was known universally as Cristóbal Colón, Spanish Admiral of the Ocean Sea, and the uniquely original discoverer of the Columbias, the New World. In the English-speaking world Cristóbal Colón came to be known as Christopher Columbus. "The 15th century explorer who opened up the American continents to Europe was actually called Pedro Scotto - not Christopher Columbus - and his family originally hailed from Scotland, a Spanish historian has claimed. " See http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new...ristopher- Columbus-was-actually-a-Scotsman-called-Pedro-Scotto-historian-says.html The historical research by Enseñat finally puts most speculation about Columbus's family and ethnic origins to rest and exposes the pathetic nature of the long-running Italian government-sanctioned forgeries with respect to those Genoese origins. Ironically, the Italian and Italian American claims to Columbus's Genoese origins are enormously strengthened by Enseñat's historical revelations since those claims no longer partially rest on forged documents. So all is well that ends well.

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November 07, 2009 | url
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Daniella (Little) Newton said:

Obama says Native American's not forgotten As a Full blooded Seminole Indian I'm sorry to say I don't believe that President Obama is a man of his word. President Obama is like any other "White man" making promises he is unable to keep or will keep. Instead on concentrating on our problems he's tooooo busy making appreances on late night tv, and making sure his picture is on the front cover of every newspaper available. President Obama is in such a rush for change that he's not thinking about the consequences of his actions. Case in point: closing down the prion in Gitmo without thinking of where he's going to place the prisoners, Withdrawing troops from Iraq, by moving them to Afghanistan, and after ten months finally meeting with the generals for three hours only to not have an idea on what he wants to do on the request for additional troops, state he plans on not raising taxes on the middle class only to tax the companies all americans deal with, then on top of that forcing americans to purchase health care they can't afford then forcing them to pay a fine if the healthcare insurance hasn't been purchased. Where in the Constitution does it state the President has that kind of power? Then if that's not bad enough, the government is already expecting to get x-amount of billons of dollars from the fines the American people are going to be paying by not purchasing the healthcare insurance. So what's wrong with this picture and then President Obama has the nerve to say Native American's won't be forgotten. It's okay for this half white/half black man to claim he knows what its like to be forgotten. Sorry to say being black and being an Indian are literally two different races. When President Obama can explain how families can live on $320 a month even in this economy maybe I'll believe in this change. Until then, he's just another "white man" making promises he can't keep.

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November 08, 2009
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Emil J Milano said:

Founder Personally, I wouldn't believe a word he has to say. We are just startin a series on the plight of Native American and how the Federal Government has never kept their word or their Treaties. Why should that change now. Many reservations are situtated on lands rich in minieral deposits and they will what you to move to "better" locations. Nothing is free my Brothers. We have a number of members that are half Native Indian. I use that term merely because I know of no other and ask you to forgive me if I am out of line. Our site caters to the latests news items, our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, The Jewish Nation and it's people. We are a none denomonational site and our doors are open to all except, anti-semites, racist and personal attacks. Know this, there are many that are behind you and support you. Blessings.

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November 08, 2009 | url
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Emil J Milano said:

	... I'm sorry about the typos but I have been sitting at the computer since 11am and it is now 4:13 am.
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November 08, 2009 | url
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Kate Fry said:

IT'S ABOUT TIME!!! Speaking as a native american and someone who loves Obama it's about time that we as a people are not forgotten. I think that it's ridiculous how the land was taken right out from under as and then the government says we have no right to fight for the land we have been 'allowed'. They should be lucky we aren't trying to fight for ALL the land that wsa stolen from us. Like honestly, how retarded can people be? THanks Mr. Obama and I love you love you. If this is what he does ALONE as a President - I will be as happy as ever!!!!!!

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November 12, 2009
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