Embassy of Tribal Nations
The Embassy of Tribal Nations is an embassy located in Washington, D.C.[1] that provides a center of operations to the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI).[citation needed] It was established on November 3, 2009[2] and allowed the NCAI and other tribal groups an opportunity to meet in a designated location.[3] The existence of the Embassy in the United States capital allows international relations between tribes and the U.S. government to be conducted close to each other.[citation needed]
History
The National Congress of American Indians had been planning to create a headquarters to conduct all political and financial business since as early as the eighties.[4][5] Before the Embassy of Tribal Nations was established, the NCAI rented a building.[6] The estate in Washington, D.C. is three stories and was built in the 19th century.[6] NCAI members began raising money with assistance from tribes in the 2000s, and bought the 17,000 square foot, $8.5 million property in April 2009.[4][7] The space was remodeled to fit the needs of its new residents, and adorned with traditional Indian artwork and relics.[4]
Donors
David Anderson, founder of the "Famous Dave" restaurants and former head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, donated $50,000 to the cause in 2006.[8]
Opening
The grand opening on November 3, 2009 brought in large numbers of Natives to honor the launch of the new resource, celebrating with food and traditional dances.[4] President Jefferson Keel of the NCAI revealed his thoughts in a press release that day: "For the first time since settlement, tribal nations will have a permanent home in Washington, D.C. where they can more effectively assert their sovereign status and facilitate a much stronger nation-to-nation relationship with the federal government."[6]
Notable guests
Fort Hall Business Council Chairman Alonzo Coby, along with twenty-eight other tribal leaders, was present at the event.[6] Two days later, Coby met with President Obama at the Tribal Nations conference, serving as an ambassador for the Shoshone-Bannock tribes.[6]
Today
One of the buildings is used by other Native American groups, the Native American Rights Fund and the Native American Contractors Association.[4] The Embassy serves as a tangible manifestation of a connection between the United States government and Native Americans, and the NCAI updates their website regularly to keep the public aware of their happenings.[9]
Impact
The Embassy also serves as a landmark to Indigenous people and groups, as the official website states "People from across the nation-from Cabinet officials to school children, college students and leaders of national foundations-visit the Embassy each year and leave with a deepened and renewed understanding of our nation-to-nation relationship and the unique contribution tribal nations make to America and the world."[10]
References
- ^ Sabzalian, Leilani (3 July 2019). "The tensions between Indigenous sovereignty and multicultural citizenship education: Toward an anticolonial approach to civic education". Theory & Research in Social Education. 47 (3): 311–346. doi:10.1080/00933104.2019.1639572. S2CID 201415367.
- ^ "Tribal Leaders From Across Indian Country to Gather in Washington to Open Embassy of Tribal Nations" (Press release). National Congress of American Indians. 30 October 2009. ProQuest 451233372.
- ^ Naples, Nancy A.; Méndez, Jennifer Bickham (2014). Border Politics: Social Movements, Collective Identities, and Globalization. ISBN 978-1-4798-0679-9. OCLC 893439520.[page needed]
- ^ a b c d e Capriccioso, Rob (18 November 2009). "Tribal embassy opens to great fanfare". Indian Country Today. pp. 1, 3. ProQuest 362660365.
- ^ Kunesh, Patrice H. (Fall 2009). "Constant Governments: Tribal Resilience and Regeneration in Changing Times". Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy. 19 (1). SSRN 1565124.
- ^ a b c d e Wahtomy, Roselynn (5 November 2009). "NCAI Tribal Embassy opens". Sho-Ban News. p. A1. ProQuest 367483486.
- ^ "NCAI Purchases Building for Tribal Embassy in DC". The Circle. Minneapolis. 1 June 2009. p. 2. ProQuest 196598060.
- ^ "'Famous' Dave donates stock for tribal embassy project; Leaders want to create a Washington D.C. home". Native American Times. Tulsa, Oklahoma. 13 January 2006. p. 5. ProQuest 367553705.
- ^ Wiremu, Fiona; Gillies, Annemarie; Mika, Jason; Smith, Graham; Ngawati, Maria (July 30, 2021). "Persisting Inequalities and the Potential for Intervention Through 'New; Governance Models" (PDF).
- ^ "Embassy of Tribal Nations | NCAI". www.ncai.org. Retrieved 2023-07-30.