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- By Native News Online Staff
WASHINGTON — Keeping a campaign promise to Indian Country, the White House announced on Wednesday that it will host a 2021 White House Tribal Nations Summit this fall. While the exact date is yet to be announced, the summit will take place during the week of November 8, 2021.
The summit will be held virtually this year. No reason was given for the summit taking place virtually, though the upsurge in Covid-19 cases caused by the Delta variant was likely a key reason.
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The summit replaces the tribal nations conference that was held for eight years during the Obama administration’s two terms in office.
“President Biden and the Administration look forward to hosting a robust and meaningful dialogue with Tribal leaders on key issues, policy initiatives, and goals for Indian Country. This year we have changed the name from a conference to a summit to reflect the federal government’s Nation-to-Nation relationship with Tribal Nations,” a White House letter said.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is deeply committed to honoring our trust and treaty responsibilities to federally recognized Tribes and the Summit provides an opportunity for Tribal leaders to engage directly with officials from the highest levels of the Administration,” the letter said.
During the 2020 presidential campaign, the Biden-Harris Tribal Nations plan included a promise to immediately reinstate the annual White House Tribal Nations Conference, which the Obama-Biden administration created.
The registration will be due on October 22, 2021. For questions about the Summit, email [email protected].
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