Newsflash

Native GIS Issues and the National Democratic and Republican Platform

Voters from and for Native American GIS  shops - Tribal consultants, cartographers, GIS analysts, students, coordinators, managers, planners - those of you who continue making maps despite lean budgets, big projects to meet big needs in the community, and who lack resources - You are important and your vote needed! We have an opportunity to identify (like federal funding for one) what is required to continue creating policy-changing cartographic products.

Yesterday, I received an email with a 4-page Native Vote pdf written by Native Vote Washington. The document refers to specific pages of the Democratic (html) and Republican (pdf) national platforms on different Native issues -  which agenda will ultimately affect your work. The brief comparison outlines each party's stance on treaties, sovereignty, trust responsibility, housing, education, and economic development.

The email included an excellent summary written by Alan Parker, faculty member of Tribal Government Studies at Evergreen State College and Director of the Northwest Indian Applied Research Institute. It was sent to Theresa Sheldon, Co-Chair of Washington State GOTV (Get Out The Vote). Thank you Alan for permission to post your summary below:

“Theresa; This is an outstanding work product and very timely. I hope that you share it with the National Congress of American (Indians), NIGA and other national Indian organizations. I assume that the Republican statement is still, at least technically, up for grabs.”

“I assess the Republican statement as superior on the issues of Federal Bureaucracy, which indirectly supports Tribal Sovereignty, and the direct role of tribal governments. Their statement on Crime is more pointed and effective as is the point on Unions. It speaks directly to the issue of union intervention undermining tribal control of reservation enterprises as supported by the NLRB in the San Manuel case. Of course, the Bush Administration supported this overreach by the NLRB.”

“The Democratic statements on Sovereignty and Trust Responsibility are much superior, embracing the key Principle underlying the rights of tribal sovereignty and linking Trust Responsibility to treaty based land exchanges and broad commitments. The Democratic Party included two key provisions from the Obama Campaign position that the Republican platform neglects, committing to an annual summit between the President and tribal leadership and creating a White House position on Native Policy issues…”

Developing specific recommendations for the transition team, listing our technology concerns and need for planning, and "land / water / environmental management policy issues” was Alan’s additional recommendation to the Indigenous Mapping Network. The notice is again echoed below.

An online forum was created today (presently offline for security etc. tweaks through the weekend). Next week, you can comment, share your GIS / map, contribute to the dream list, respond and help bring up some of the other issues pressing your needs and that of GIS in Indian country. Some quick checks: diminishing funds for getting the job done, support for GIS conference attendance or training, purchasing software, upgrading obsolete hardware, tools and service for building up tribal databases, etc etc. What’s on your must-have list? Which organizations should we link up to and merge activities with?

“The next big meeting of tribal leadership will be at the NCAI meeting, Oct. 19-24 in Phoenix. I recommend that you work with a group from your field to participate in the NCAI meetings to develop more specific recommendations for after the election. Assuming / hoping Obama / Biden win, they will create a transition team right away and attention should be focused on land / water / environ management policy issues to present to the Transition team. Hope this helps. Alan“