Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

AP Photo / Pablo Martinez Monsivais
Members of the audience raise their hands in hopes of asking President Barack Obama a question during the White House Tribal Nations Conference, Thursday, at the Interior Department of Interior in Washington.

By John E. Mulligan
Journal Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Narragansett Indian Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas is at the grand auditorium of the Interior Department Thursday with representatives of more than 500 Native American tribes for a meeting with President Obama.

"This is very important, very historic that the president is taking time out to sit with Native Americans, the indigenous people of this country," Thomas said.

Not so many years ago, Thomas said, it would have been hard to imagine himself at a gathering with the chief executive.

"I do believe in the president's position of change. To use his words, 'Yes, we can,'" Thomas said.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar began the daylong program with an opening address.

"President Obama respects the inherent sovereignty" of Native Americans, Salazar said to applause and cheers from tribal leaders, gathered in a hall decorated with the flags of many tribes.

Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch, who was not present at the hearing, sent written testimony. If Congress is inclined to restore the Interior secretary's power to take land into trust for tribes recognized after 1934, Lynch requested that Congress consider that Rhode Island and many other states have resolved previous claims in good faith, and those claims should be honored.

Video: Watch the White House Tribal Nations Conference live, via whitehouse.gov

(The original version of this story was published at 9:23 a.m.)

 Tags  Narragansett Indian Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas Washington DC

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