WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Carl J. Artman will appear on the afternoon of Monday, November 12, 2007, at the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) 64th Annual Convention, where he will address delegates at the Second General Assembly and attend NCAI’s session for tribal leaders on the Indian Affairs Modernization Initiative scheduled for that evening. The event will take place in Denver, Colo., at the Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center. The NCAI convention is the largest annual meeting of tribal representatives in the country.
In his address to the Second General Assembly, the Assistant Secretary will discuss Indian Affairs’ role in working with tribes to address the impact of climate change on their communities, including the federal response to the Southern California wildland fire emergency; his approval of proposed regulations to implement a system of Tribal Energy Resource Agreements as called for by the Energy Policy Act of 2005; the Department’s Safe Indian Communities Initiative; the Indian Affairs Modernization Initiative; and the reduction in the backlog of Indian probate cases.
In addition, the Assistant Secretary will present the report of the National Native American Summit on Economic Development, which was held last May. The report contains recommendations for improving tribal economies, such as the need to create or reform existing tribal governing documents and laws that are better suited to meeting the needs of tribal communities.
| WHO: | Carl J. Artman, Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior. |
| WHAT: | Assistant Secretary Artman will speak at the Second General Assembly of the National Congress of American Indians 64th Annual Convention. He will also attend the NCAI session for tribal leaders on the Indian Affairs Modernization Initiative. |
| WHEN: | Monday, November 12, 2007 (all times are local time): 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.: Assistant Secretary Artman will address the convention's Second General Assembly in the Centennial Room. 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.: Assistant Secretary Artman will discuss the Indian Affairs Modernization Initiative in Mineral Hall B & C. |
| WHERE: | Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center, 650 15th Street, Denver, Colo. 80202. Phone: (303) 436-1234. |
| CREDENTIALS: | This invitation is extended to working media representatives, who are required to display sanctioned media credentials for admittance to the event. |