| Native
Leaders Meet in Cottonwood
Regional and local native leaders will focus on tribal issues at the Sovereignty, Spirituality, and Diplomacy Symposium on May 12, 2007. The free one-day conference begins at 9:30 a.m. and will end at 4:30 p.m. at Spirit Center at the Monastery of St. Gertrude in Cottonwood, Idaho. Attendance is limited to 100 and pre-registration is required. To make a reservation contact Lyle Wirtanen at the Historical Museum at St. Gertrude, (208) 962-2051 or director1@connectwireless.us. 
Robert Miller, Associate Professor at Portland's Lewis and Clark Law School and a member of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, will be the featured presenter. Local presenters include Nez Perce elder and spiritual leader of the Nimíipuu Longhouse, Horace Axtell. KLEW-TV's Margo Aragon will act as Master of Ceremonies. The Historical Museum at St. Gertrude and the Nimíipuu Longhouse are serving as co-presenters. The symposium is part of the Diplomacy Symposium Project, a series of panel presentations and discussions surrounding the importance of diplomatic relations between the Federal Government, State and Local governments and American Indian Tribes. The Kansas Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission is the lead organization and has managed the overall Diplomacy Symposium Project. This Diplomacy Symposium Project seeks to broaden the circle of interest beyond Corps of Discovery enthusiasts and give voice to important but under-represented perspectives. This series of symposia offer a forum to examine and compare the diplomatic cultural practices of the new United States and those of the Indian nations met by the Corps of Discovery. The presentations have focused on three areas of American Indian diplomatic relations beginning with the diplomatic policies that were in place prior to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The second set of panel presentations have focused on Federal, State and Local governments' American Indian policies and diplomatic relationships in the past 200 years. The final presentations focus on changes that are anticipated in the future for American Indian policies of Federal, State and Local governments. Symposia topics have included presentations on American Indian Gaming issues; Land into Trust, American Indian Health Care, Tribal Sovereignty, American Indian Removal and Assimilation policies. The many goals of the Discovery Symposia Project include increasing public awareness of the importance of diplomatic relationships with American Indian tribal governments, encouraging statewide participation in the Commemorative activities, and finally, providing a forum for American Indians to share their heritage in their own words by participating in the panel discussions. A silent auction will feature videos, books, and beaded items. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Nimíipuu Longhouse Project. |
 |
|
