SCAG to consider tribal membership

[question everything]

SCAG to consider tribal membership

Thursday, March 9, 2006

The Press-Enterprise

Southern California Indian tribes could soon become members of a regional planning agency under a proposal approved last week by the association.

The proposal would allow a coalition of Southern California tribes to join the Southern California Association of Governments, which is made up of Riverside and San Bernardino counties and other local governments.

According to the agency, if its members approve the proposal, the group will become the country's largest metropolitan planning organization to include tribes. The association's general assembly will vote on the proposal in May.

If enacted, the proposal would create a tribal government board representing up to 17 tribes and give the board voting positions on several policy committees and one voting spot on the agency's regional council and administration committee. The tribes would not have voting powers in the association's general assembly.

Online at: http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_C_tribes09.4c2dfad.html

[xchrom]

1. what are the advantages of this

for the tribes?

[question everything]

2. Having a say at what roads are built around them

perhaps even about building airports that will benefit (or harm) them

Having a voice on how transportation federal funds are being distributed in the region

[xchrom]

3. thanks for that.

i'm an advocate for the tribes to start exercising rights the way sovereign nations should -- it's complicated i know.

but they should enter into these things with an eye to benefitting the whole tribe{s}.

[question everything]

5. More about SCAG

http://www.scag.ca.gov/

[NVMojo]

4. their existence, their communities are finally being acknowledged

instead of ignored and treated like they are behind an invisible bubble.