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President cheered for support of U.N. declaration previously opposed by United States

WASHINGTON President Barack Obama, speaking at the second White House gathering of the nation"s Indian leaders, said Thursday that his administration had worked all year to improve the lives of American Indians and resolve long-running disputes that had damaged relations between tribes and the federal government.

The president got a standing ovation from hundreds of tribal leaders at the U.S. Interior Department when he announced his support for a United Nations declaration recognizing the rights of indigenous people.

Though legally nonbinding, the declaration carries symbolic weight for its supporters, particularly those in countries where native people were mistreated.

SThe aspirations it affirms including the respect for the institutions and rich cultures of Native peoples are ones we must always seek to fulfill, Obama told the leaders.

The United States was one of four countries that opposed the declaration three years ago at the United Nations, where it was supported by 143 countries; the other opponents were Canada, New Zealand and Australia. According to the Indian Law Resource Center, all four countries have now reversed their positions.

The president noted that, last year, he supported a congressional resolution apologizing to American Indians for the Sbroken promises and grave injustices against the first Americans.

Chickasaw Nation Lt. Gov. Jefferson Keel, who is also president of the National Congress of American Indians, said Indian country had won several important victories since the White House tribal conference last year.

The Indian health care improvement act was approved as part of the health care reform bill; legislation aimed at reducing crime and strengthening the tribal justice system was signed by the president; a settlement was reached in a discrimination case involving American Indians and the U.S. Department of Agriculture; and Congress approved a settlement in the lawsuit over the government"s mismanagement of individual Indian trust accounts.

U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore, a Chickasaw who has been instrumental in moving Indian-related bills through the House, attended the conference on Thursday and said, SFrom a Native American standpoint, this has been a really good year.

Chad Smith, principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, said Obama had lived up to his promise to give Indians input into decisions made by all of the government agencies.

SHe sent clear marching orders to the agencies to have meaningful consultations and that has occurred. We"re at the table, Smith said.

SIt"s actually been very healthy.

The president said he hoped Sthat we are seeing a turning point in the relationship between our nations.

SThe truth is, for a long time, Native Americans were implicitly told that they had a choice to make. By virtue of the long-standing failure to tackle wrenching problems in Indian country, it seemed as though you had to either abandon your heritage or accept a lesser lot in life that there was no way to be a successful part of America and a proud Native American.

SBut we know this is a false choice. To accept it is to believe that we can"t and won"t do better.

And I don"t accept that. I know there is not a single person in this room who accepts that either, Obama said.



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