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[forwarded by Pat Morris Thanks...]

http://www.abqtrib.com/news/012500_forum.shtml

Indian forum invites candidates to come here

By Dan Mayfield
Tribune reporter
01/25/2000

Presidential candidates Bill Bradley and Sen. John McCain have
committed to appear at a forum in Albuquerque, part of an
American Indian tribal leaders summit, its organizers said.

Leaders from tribal governments, American Indian organizations
and programs have been invited to attend the forum to discuss
issues affecting American Indians and tribal government programs.
The forum, called the American Indian Tribal Leaders Summit and
Presidential Candidates Forum 2000, will be sponsored by the
American Indian Chamber of Commerce on Feb. 24 and 25 at the
Wyndham Hotel Albuquerque.

Vice President Al Gore has provided tentative confirmation to attend,
and Texas Gov. George W. Bush has told the chamber he may appear
with 48 hours notice. Pat Buchanan and other third-party candidates
have also been sent invitations to attend the forum but have not
responded.

"The candidates saw another opportunity to interact with tribes," said
Fidel Moreno, the president of the chamber at a meeting Monday night.
"We sent them some information and pretty soon we got some
specific confirmations."

About 400 American Indian leaders are expected to attend the forum.
All the tribes, their councils and directors from the Bureau of Indian
Affairs
and other American Indian organizations across the country will be
contacted about the forum.

The chamber decided to make the forum invitation-only because it
doesn't want the leaders from tribes, departments and organizations to
be burdened or distracted by extra people at the forum.

"This not a debate. It's a tribal caucus," said Richard Jaramillo, the
chairman of the chamber's board of directors. "We want to understand
the candidate's perspectives on national Indian issues."

On Feb. 24, the leaders will assemble and discuss issues and
concerns of their tribes at a roundtable discussion with a moderator.

The leaders will draft 30 questions to ask the candidates on Feb. 25
at an afternoon session.

The moderators of each roundtable, who have not yet been named,
will ask the candidates the questions.

Some of the major issues to be presented at the roundtable discussions
are education, health care and funding for American Indian organizations.

"What we need to demonstrate is the need and the cost," Moreno said.
"Then we need to ask the candidates how they intend to fund these
programs."

New Mexico is in the center of the 10 states where about 60 percent of
the U.S. American Indian population lives. About 160 tribes are represented
in Albuquerque, making it a perfect place for leaders to converge, Moreno
said.

The two-day event will feature guest speakers, two roundtable discussion
meetings, a reception for the leaders, a general assembly to discuss the
issues, a presidential-candidates luncheon with a keynote speaker and
a banquet.

The candidates' forum is scheduled Feb. 25 from 1-4:30 p.m.

The candidates are expected to arrive in Albuquerque on Thursday, then
leave on Friday night after the event.

The initial idea for the forum came up at a chamber meeting about four
months ago. "I started making phone calls, then other people started
making calls." Moreno said. "All of a sudden it started snowballing."

In December the group chose a date for the forum and voted on a
schedule of events. At the end of last year the chamber received
confirmation from McCain and Bradley.

"Now all we need is funding," Moreno said.

He said the group needs about $30,000 to produce the event, and
has secured funding from some private sources and from chamber
members. Currently the chamber is applying for grants and asking
for donations.

Any money made as a result of the forum will go to a voter-registration
campaign on reservations, Moreno said. "You've heard of Rock the
Vote?" He said, "This is Rock the Rez."
 

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