Milwaukee to become center of Indian Country June 13 - 16


Milwaukee – June 9, 2011 - The nation’s oldest, largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native advocacy organization, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), will hold its Mid Year Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at the Frontier Airlines Center.  In addition to the four day conference, NCAI will hold a press conference to outline the potential impact of the Native Vote on the 2012 elections. NCAI anticipates that close to a thousand conference attendees will make Milwaukee the center of Indian Country from June 13 - 16th 2011.

This year’s NCAI Mid Year Conference and Marketplace, themed “Native Resources: Tribal Cultures & the Economy”, focuses on natural resource issues, economic development and tribal cultures, and will bring together leaders from tribal governments and organizations, top United States Government Officials, and members of the organization to participate in assemblies, meetings, federal government consultations, and events.

Highlights of the four-day conference include the following featured speakers:

·         Former Senator Byron Dorgan, Chairman, U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee (D – ND)

·         Larry Echo Hawk, Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior

·         Kimberly Teehee, Senior Policy Advisor for Native American Affairs, White House

·         James L. Santelle, U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Wisconsin

·         Rebecca Kleefisch, Lieutenant Governor, Wisconsin

·         Tom Barrett, Mayor, Milwaukee

·         Lewis Taylor, Chairman, St. Croix Chippewa Indians of WI and President, Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council

·         Jefferson Keel, President, National Congress of American Indians

On Tuesday June 14, 2011 at noon, NCAI will hold a press conference to outline the potential impact of the Native Vote on the 2012 elections, specifically focusing on crucial swing states in the Mid West, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

Native American arts and crafts will also be featured in a free marketplace open to the public between 9am and 5pm June 14-15.

Sponsors of the conference include:  Forest County Potawatomi , Ho-Chunk Nation, Ho-Chunk Gaming Corporation, Pokagon Band of Potawatomi , University of Phoenix, Seminole Tribe of Florida, Ho-Chunk Distribution Center/Da-Xu Coffee, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, and the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe.



About The National Congress of American Indians:  
Founded in 1944, the National Congress of American Indians is the oldest, largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization in the country. NCAI advocates on behalf of tribal governments and communities, promoting strong tribal-federal government-to-government policies, and promoting a better understanding among the general public regarding American Indian and Alaska Native governments, people and rights. For more information visit www.ncai.org