N A T I O N A L C O N G R E S S O F A M E R I C A N I N D I A N S

The National Congress of American Indians Resolution #SAC-06-086

TITLE: Support for the Timbisha Shoshone of the Western Shoshone Nation and Other Impacted Indian Nations Petitions for “Affected” Tribe Status in the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository Process

E XE CU T IV E C OMMITTEE

PRESIDENT Joe A. Garcia WHEREAS, we, the members of the National Congress of American Indians Ohkay Owingeh (Pueblo of San Juan) of the United States, invoking the divine blessing of the Creator upon our efforts and

FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT purposes, in order to preserve for ourselves and our descendants the inherent Jefferson Keel Chickasaw Nation sovereign rights of our Indian nations, rights secured under Indian treaties and

RECORDING SECRETARY agreements with the United States, and all other rights and benefits to which we are Juana Majel Pauma-Yuima Band of Mission Indians entitled under the laws and Constitution of the United States, to enlighten the public

TREASURER toward a better understanding of the Indian people, to preserve Indian cultural values, W. Ron Allen Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and otherwise promote the health, safety and welfare of the Indian people, do hereby

establish and submit the following resolution; and RE G ION A L V ICE -PRESIDENTS

ALASKA Mike Williams WHEREAS, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) was Yupiaq

EASTERN OKLAHOMA established in 1944 and is the oldest and largest national organization of American Joe Grayson, Jr. Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments; and Cherokee Nation

GREAT PLAINS Mark Allen Flandreau Santee Sioux WHEREAS, the United States Department of Energy and the current

MIDWEST administration are actively seeking to submit a license for a geologic repository at Robert Chicks Stockbridge-Munsee Yucca Mountain, Nevada; and

NORTHEAST Randy Noka Narragansett WHEREAS, such facility would be, if approved, located within the Timbisha

NORTHWEST Shoshones and other impacted tribes’ land base; and Ernie Stensgar Coeur d’Alene Tribe

PACIFIC WHEREAS, such facility may substantially and adversely affect traditional Cheryl Seidner Wiyot lands of the Timbisha Shoshone and other Indian nations, including federally-defined

ROCKY MOUNTAIN possessory and usage rights of land both within and outside their trust lands; and Raymond Parker Chippewa-Cree Business Committee

SOUTHEAST WHEREAS, the federal government has a trust responsibility that requires it Leon Jacobs Lumbee Tribe to provide resources as defined under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as

SOUTHERN PLAINS Amended to the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe and other impacted Tribes in order to Steve Johnson Absentee Shawnee protect their traditional and federally recognized land base from substantial and

SOUTHWEST adverse harm; and Manuel Heart Ute Mountain Ute Tribe

WESTERN WHEREAS, the United States Department of Interior has the ability and Kathleen Kitcheyan San Carlos Apache responsibility to confer “Affected Tribe” status on the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe and

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR other impacted tribes for purposes of participation in site review, licensing, and other Jacqueline Johnson Tlingit activities as identified in the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, and governing regulations;

and NCAI HEADQUARTERS 1301 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 200 WHEREAS, several tribes have previously submitted petitions for “affected” Washington, DC 20036 202.466.7767 status and their petitions have not been reviewed. 202.466.7797 fax www.ncai.org

NCAI 2006 Annual Session Resolution SAC-06-086

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the NCAI does hereby urge the Secretary of Interior to grant the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe and other impacted tribes that submit petitions for “Affected” Tribe status for purposes of assessment and proceedings associated and directly related to the Yucca Mountain Geologic Repository for Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NCAI write a letter to the Secretary of Interior requesting the disposition of tribal governments that have submitted petitions for “affected” status; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be the policy of NCAI until it is withdrawn or modified by subsequent resolution.

CERTIFICATION

The foregoing resolution was adopted by the General Assembly at the 2006 63rd Annual Session of the National Congress of American Indians, held at the Sacramento Convention Center in Sacramento, California on October 1-6, 2006, with a quorum present.

President ATTEST:

Recording Secretary

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