ICT EXCLUSIVE: Joe Biden’s last White House Tribal Nations Summit
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Pauly Denetclaw
ICT
Every December since 2022, the U.S. Department of Interior headquarters has overflowed with Indigenous leaders from remote Alaska Native villages in the North Slope Borough to Cape Cod in Massachusetts.
The smooth sound of leather moccasins on Georgian marble in the main lobby, and the rhythmic jingle of regalia are part of the warm atmosphere. The vibrant laughter of tribal leaders fills the space. Others greet old and new friends with a handshake or hug.
For another year, hundreds of Indigenous leaders will participate in the White House Tribal Nations Summit. President Joe Biden will host his administration’s final summit on Dec. 9. It will be a one-day event instead of the usual two. The summit is not mandatory, and in his last administration President-elect Donald J. Trump chose not to host it. These summits were intended to increase nation-to-nation engagement.
“We're one of the three sovereigns mentioned in the Constitution — the federal government, the state governments, and the tribal nations,” Shawnee Tribe Chief Ben Barnes told ICT. “I think it's obligatory that the federal government honors its government-to-government relationship.”
The federal government has treaty and trust responsibilities with tribal nations that it must, by law, honor.
“I am pleased that we are continuing our annual meeting with the White House Tribal Nations Summit, and I hope that this continues in a future administration,” Barnes said.
Former President Bill Clinton hosted two gatherings of tribal leaders, one was described as a conference, during his administration. Then, former President Barack Obama in 2008 created the White House Tribal Nations Conference as an effort to increase nation-to-nation engagement with Indigenous leaders from the 574 federally-recognized tribes.
Under the Biden administration, the conference became a summit. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines summit as “a conference of highest-level officials (such as heads of government).” This was an intentional change to recognize that tribal leaders are the heads of their governments, in the same way that world leaders are. Each federally-recognized tribe is allowed to send one tribal leader to represent the nation and its needs.
“A lot of good things have come out of those summits, and so we would like to see those continued,” Margo Gray, executive director of United Indian Tribes of Oklahoma, said. “We’re glad it’s going to be held. It’s important to keep that communication between federally recognized tribes and each administration that comes in.”
The full schedule for the summit has yet to be released. According to the White House, the summit will feature new announcements and updates on the Biden administration’s work to strengthen tribal sovereignty and self-determination.
It will provide an opportunity for Biden to tout what his administration, in partnership with tribal governments, has done over the last four years. An email will be sent to every tribal leader providing registration details.
Last year, Biden outlined his goals for the upcoming year, and this year’s summit acts as a deadline for those.
Over the last two summits, tribal leaders were able to talk with members of the president’s cabinet, undersecretaries, and administrative staff all in one place which is beneficial for tribal leaders — especially those who can’t afford to make frequent trips to Washington, D.C.
It also gives space for tribal leaders to work with each other. This is the largest gathering of top tribal leaders under one roof.
“Should the summit continue, it would give us time to collaborate and network, not only with the administration, but also among tribal leaders, and making sure that we work towards (addressing) issues,” Menominee Chairwoman Gena Kakkak said.
Oftentimes tribal leaders share knowledge and information with their peers about ways to address key issues.
An uncertain future
One of the biggest questions that will hang over the summit is whether it will be the last one for the next four years. Trump in his last administration didn’t host the annual summit.
“I'm more concerned about the lack of access to folks that work in the administrative positions within the government, because if they don't hear directly from tribal nations, it's hard to get real feedback,” Barnes said. “We'll have to just work even harder to communicate directly with agencies. It's nice when you can go straight to the administration, and have those conversations directly.”
The issues and policies important to Indigenous nations have always been bipartisan, with some of the most conservative members of Congress being the biggest allies.
“We (Menominee Tribe) work with both sides respectfully, and we're open to building a positive relationship with the incoming administration so that we can continue to work on issues that benefit the people,” Kakkak said.
For example, a couple of the important issues for the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin are climate change and public safety.
“We want to continue making sure that we're servicing everyone in our area,” Kakkak said.
Another service that tribal nations bring to rural America is infrastructure.
“We provide tremendous infrastructure to those communities,” Barnes said. “We’d hate to see that diminished by any pivot or change in the administration.”
Economic development continues to be a top issue, and enterprises owned by tribal nations are often the biggest economic drivers in the most rural areas of the country.
“Tribal nations aren't just economic drivers in our rural communities,” Barnes said. “We are also involved in trade at regional, national and international levels. We really need to have those dialogues at the highest levels, which includes the State Department. I would like to see the Trump administration be the first to offer a tribal liaison at State.”
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