Post by Okwes on Oct 30, 2006 11:22:47 GMT -5
U.S. House race: Lindeen, Rehberg cite their records on tribal matters
By JODI RAVE, Lee Enterprises - 10/23/06
www.helenair.com/articles/2006/10/23/montana/a041023_1.txt
<http://www.helenair.com/articles/2006/10/23/montana/a041023_1.txt>
As U.S. House candidates vie for Montana's sole seat in Congress,
Montana tribal leaders are asking candidates to be a voice for them in
the nation's capital.
With the Nov. 7 election rapidly approaching, Republican Rep. Denny
Rehberg and Democratic challenger Monica Lindeen are positioning
themselves to represent the Chippewa, Cree, Gros Ventre, Assiniboine,
Sioux, Blackfeet, Pend d'Oreille, Salish, Kootenai, Crow, Northern
Cheyenne and Metis.
Tribes' historical government-to-government relationship with
Washington, D.C., often finds them looking east and to Montana's
congressional delegates.
"If there's one group of people who've figured out how to get to
Washington, D.C., it's tribal members," said Rehberg, who's serving his
third term in office.
While in office, he's supported tribal causes ranging from water rights,
pretrial advocacy and federal recognition to Indian health care.
"I grew up in, around and amongst the issues of Native Americans on the
reservations," he said. His mother was born in Lame Deer on the Northern
Cheyenne Reservation. And his grandfather worked 40 years for the Bureau
of Indian Affairs. And his uncle ran a grocery store on the Crow
Reservation.
<http://adsys.townnews.com/c36149229/creative/helenair.com/montana+big/1\
9033.gif?r=http://www.kleen-king.com/> As a congressman, he's since
learned of tribal concerns around the state.
He's been working to gain federal recognition for Montana's Little Shell
Tribe. And with the help of two other U.S. representatives, he's helped
save and increase funding for three national Indian museums.
"We were successful in stopping the Bush administration from closing the
Museum of the Plains Indian up in Browning," he said.
Rehberg claims water legislation as a highlight of his career.
"What I'm most proud of is having done something big for Montana, and
certainly the tribes are a part of this water," he said. The $200
million Dry Prairie Water Project was designed to help farmers irrigate
their fields with Missouri River water and to supply clean drinking
water to the tribes of Fort Peck. He's working on a similar project that
affects the Rocky Boy's Reservation.
Lindeen, who is also from the Billings area, brings most of her tribal
political experience from the Montana Senate, where she chaired two
prominent education committees Quality Schools Interim and House Select
Education. Her leadership helped move state lawmakers to pass historical
legislation, which promises to have a long term effect on the quality of
education for all Montana students.
As part of her committee work, she also supported the state
constitutional requirement mandating Indian education for all K-12
students. For the first time in Montana's history, members of the 2005
legislative session helped secure some $13 million for developing
culturally relevant curricula, closing the Native student achievement
gap and helping tribal students at risk of not graduating.
"I'm very proud of the work I've done as chair of the Quality Schools
Interim Committee," Lindeen said. "It's just the beginning. There's so
much more that needs to be done."
She believes all state citizens should learn about Montana's "First
Nations" as part of the state's quality education requirements. And she
sees Native people being equally committed to the learning process.
"The focus on family and educating Indian children is wonderful, as it
should be," she said. "It's the future."
Lindeen's travels among tribal communities across Montana have allowed
her to experience "an incredible amount of respect, to me and to
others," she said. Her interactions with Indians have also allowed her
to appreciate Indian humor.
Her campaign activities have given her several opportunities to
participate in meaningful discussions with the Indian nations.
"It all comes back to those same issues they seem to be struggling with
making sure we have that real government-to-government relationship
where the federal government is treating the Indian government equally,"
Lindeen said.
A true government-to-government relationship doesn't exist, she said.
"That attitude needs to change," said the House candidate. "We need to
make sure we're respecting history and culture and at the same time,
respecting and acknowledging the treaties that are put in place, and
looking for ways that truly allow tribes to be self-sufficient by giving
them tools that would really improve their economies.
"We need to make sure we're empowering tribal governments to set forth
basic economic and business principles for entrepreneurs, and that we
are ensuring the federal government is providing incentives for
investments, tax credits and government-backed loans."
And, of course, infrastructure needs to be in place, she said. "How many
tribal nations don't have something as simple as telephone service?
Internet service? Those things are critical to even run a successful
business."
Finally, business goals must be pursued with a healthy mind and body.
"Indian health services are a huge issue," Lindeen said. The statistics
are "just incredible," she said, referring to the fact that prisoners
receive better health care than Indians.
"So now, what do you do?" she said. "You have people making
heart-wrenching decisions about who gets care, who doesn't get care, who
gets an operation, who doesn't.
"What I've been telling people, whether they're Indian or non-Indian,
the smartest, most moral, and at the same time, the most fiscally
responsible policy we could pass in this country, is to ensure every
man, woman and child has access to preventative health care."
By JODI RAVE, Lee Enterprises - 10/23/06
www.helenair.com/articles/2006/10/23/montana/a041023_1.txt
<http://www.helenair.com/articles/2006/10/23/montana/a041023_1.txt>
As U.S. House candidates vie for Montana's sole seat in Congress,
Montana tribal leaders are asking candidates to be a voice for them in
the nation's capital.
With the Nov. 7 election rapidly approaching, Republican Rep. Denny
Rehberg and Democratic challenger Monica Lindeen are positioning
themselves to represent the Chippewa, Cree, Gros Ventre, Assiniboine,
Sioux, Blackfeet, Pend d'Oreille, Salish, Kootenai, Crow, Northern
Cheyenne and Metis.
Tribes' historical government-to-government relationship with
Washington, D.C., often finds them looking east and to Montana's
congressional delegates.
"If there's one group of people who've figured out how to get to
Washington, D.C., it's tribal members," said Rehberg, who's serving his
third term in office.
While in office, he's supported tribal causes ranging from water rights,
pretrial advocacy and federal recognition to Indian health care.
"I grew up in, around and amongst the issues of Native Americans on the
reservations," he said. His mother was born in Lame Deer on the Northern
Cheyenne Reservation. And his grandfather worked 40 years for the Bureau
of Indian Affairs. And his uncle ran a grocery store on the Crow
Reservation.
<http://adsys.townnews.com/c36149229/creative/helenair.com/montana+big/1\
9033.gif?r=http://www.kleen-king.com/> As a congressman, he's since
learned of tribal concerns around the state.
He's been working to gain federal recognition for Montana's Little Shell
Tribe. And with the help of two other U.S. representatives, he's helped
save and increase funding for three national Indian museums.
"We were successful in stopping the Bush administration from closing the
Museum of the Plains Indian up in Browning," he said.
Rehberg claims water legislation as a highlight of his career.
"What I'm most proud of is having done something big for Montana, and
certainly the tribes are a part of this water," he said. The $200
million Dry Prairie Water Project was designed to help farmers irrigate
their fields with Missouri River water and to supply clean drinking
water to the tribes of Fort Peck. He's working on a similar project that
affects the Rocky Boy's Reservation.
Lindeen, who is also from the Billings area, brings most of her tribal
political experience from the Montana Senate, where she chaired two
prominent education committees Quality Schools Interim and House Select
Education. Her leadership helped move state lawmakers to pass historical
legislation, which promises to have a long term effect on the quality of
education for all Montana students.
As part of her committee work, she also supported the state
constitutional requirement mandating Indian education for all K-12
students. For the first time in Montana's history, members of the 2005
legislative session helped secure some $13 million for developing
culturally relevant curricula, closing the Native student achievement
gap and helping tribal students at risk of not graduating.
"I'm very proud of the work I've done as chair of the Quality Schools
Interim Committee," Lindeen said. "It's just the beginning. There's so
much more that needs to be done."
She believes all state citizens should learn about Montana's "First
Nations" as part of the state's quality education requirements. And she
sees Native people being equally committed to the learning process.
"The focus on family and educating Indian children is wonderful, as it
should be," she said. "It's the future."
Lindeen's travels among tribal communities across Montana have allowed
her to experience "an incredible amount of respect, to me and to
others," she said. Her interactions with Indians have also allowed her
to appreciate Indian humor.
Her campaign activities have given her several opportunities to
participate in meaningful discussions with the Indian nations.
"It all comes back to those same issues they seem to be struggling with
making sure we have that real government-to-government relationship
where the federal government is treating the Indian government equally,"
Lindeen said.
A true government-to-government relationship doesn't exist, she said.
"That attitude needs to change," said the House candidate. "We need to
make sure we're respecting history and culture and at the same time,
respecting and acknowledging the treaties that are put in place, and
looking for ways that truly allow tribes to be self-sufficient by giving
them tools that would really improve their economies.
"We need to make sure we're empowering tribal governments to set forth
basic economic and business principles for entrepreneurs, and that we
are ensuring the federal government is providing incentives for
investments, tax credits and government-backed loans."
And, of course, infrastructure needs to be in place, she said. "How many
tribal nations don't have something as simple as telephone service?
Internet service? Those things are critical to even run a successful
business."
Finally, business goals must be pursued with a healthy mind and body.
"Indian health services are a huge issue," Lindeen said. The statistics
are "just incredible," she said, referring to the fact that prisoners
receive better health care than Indians.
"So now, what do you do?" she said. "You have people making
heart-wrenching decisions about who gets care, who doesn't get care, who
gets an operation, who doesn't.
"What I've been telling people, whether they're Indian or non-Indian,
the smartest, most moral, and at the same time, the most fiscally
responsible policy we could pass in this country, is to ensure every
man, woman and child has access to preventative health care."