Kolby KickingWoman
ICT
WASHINGTON — The National Congress of American Indians outlined some of its goals for the upcoming year, including increasing membership and addressed the potential sale of its embassy in Washington, D.C. last week at the organization’s Executive Council Winter Session.
Currently, more than 150 tribes are members and executive director Larry Wright Jr., Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, says NCAI will be conducting a lot of outreach as the year goes on and hopes to add a significant number of tribes to membership.
He cited more than 500 tribes and Native organizations signed on in an amicus brief for the Brackeen v Haaland case that was heard before the Supreme Court last fall.
“That should be the number we aspire to for our membership every single day,” Wright said. “That’s my commitment to you as executive director that we’re going to do that.”
Another item addressed by the organization is the potential sale of its embassy located in Washington, D.C. The embassy was purchased and opened in 2009 and serves as the headquarters for the organization.
However, the building is not compliant with the American with Disabilities Act and Wright said it is “impossible” for the organization to make it so. The act became law in 1990 and in terms of public accommodations, “sets the minimum standards for accessibility for alterations and new construction of facilities,” the ADA National Network website states.
Wright also said meeting space at the embassy is limited and NCAI has outgrown the building.
“So, we want to make sure that as we move forward and continue to grow, we want Indian Country, when you come to D.C., we want you to have an embassy that you can be proud of and that will accommodate many organizations,” Wright said.
NCAI President Fawn Sharp, Quinault, said it’s important to have a physical presence in D.C. and the vision is to have a space for Indian Country and tribal leaders to have access to many of the national Native organizations under one roof.
“They’re more than partner organizations, they’re really family,” Sharp said. “As I said on my remarks, especially yesterday, that the board meeting just really reaffirmed that and so if we could have a place here in D.C., where all of our national organizations are under one roof, and we’re one family and our single brain trusts, our friendship. The emotion that we felt yesterday in meeting with NIHB is just one example of the power of that when we’re all working together. So that’s the mission we have and I can see that happening and it’s very exciting.”
Wright ensured that the organization would remain transparent throughout the process and wants to make sure everyone that needs to be, is involved.
Tribal leaders from across the country traveled to the nation’s capital in late February to attend the conference.
It was the first time the event has been held in person in several years.
It’s a big year for the organization as it rolls into its 80th anniversary. NCAI bills itself as the “oldest, largest, and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization serving the broad interests of tribal governments and communities.”
This conference in particular follows the White House Tribal Nations Summit and allows for those in attendance to hear from the Biden Administration, members of Congress and attend breakout sessions ranging on topics from understanding the federal budget to language preservation to broadband in Indian Country and more.
In past years, a day was usually dedicated for tribal leaders to make Capitol Hill. However, Congress was not in session at the time.
“I know that individuals are frustrated with the fact that Congress is out of session this week and understandably so. The reality is Congress moved very slowly this year and their calendar did not come out until around New Years,” NCAI executive director Larry Wright Jr., Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, said. “It’s unfortunate that we’re unable to do hill visits this week with members of Congress but we encourage tribal leaders to connect with professional staff when they are able to.”
The week started with the 2023 State of Indian Nations address, given annually by the president of the organization.
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Fawn Sharp, Quinault, gave an impassioned speech and called for Indian Country to seize the momentum it has built in recent years and to continue to “just show up.”
“As I look at the long path ahead, I can see clearly that we are ready to walk forward. No matter what challenges we’ll face, we can and will emerge stronger,” Sharp said. “Because our story is so much larger than the traumas we’ve endured. Indian Country is defined — past, present, and future — by our resilience and our potential.”
Although it wasn’t announced during the conference, NCAI Thursday evening that it had gained ownership of the “Crying Indian” anti-pollution public service announcement that first aired on Earth Day in 1971.
The nonprofit that originally commissioned the advertisement, Keep America Beautiful, had long been considering how to retire the ad and announced this week that it’s doing so by transferring ownership of the rights to the National Congress of American Indians.
“Keep America Beautiful wanted to be careful and deliberate about how we transitioned this iconic advertisement/public service announcement to appropriate owners,” Noah Ullman, a spokesperson for the nonprofit, said via email. “We spoke to several Indigenous peoples’ organizations and were pleased to identify the National Congress of American Indians as a potential caretaker.”
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NCAI plans to end the use of the ad and watch for any unauthorized use.
“NCAI is proud to assume the role of monitoring the use of this advertisement and ensure it is only used for historical context; this advertisement was inappropriate then and remains inappropriate today,” said NCAI Executive Director Larry Wright, Jr. “NCAI looks forward to putting this advertisement to bed for good.”
The organization will gather again for its midyear conference this summer at the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel on the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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