Tribal leaders meet

The tribal leaders may be from all across the state, but they're here to deal with similar issues, one being tribal land and who has authority over it.

"This was their land first, everybody seems to forget that," said John McCoy, a democratic state representative from Washington and a member of the Tulalip tribes. McCoy spoke to the tribal leaders in Wisconsin about how to deal with what some consider anti-Indian organizations. McCoy said education is the key.

"The tribe's need to do some more work on educating about who they are and what they are," McCoy said.

One of the group's tribal leaders point to is the Citizens Equal Rights Alliance, or CERA.

"We are not anti-Indian," said CERA board member Scott Seaborne. "What we are is we're a group of people that oppose current federal Indian policy."

Seaborne said in his personal opinion, the federal government gives tribes too much authority.

"Indian tribes are treated as sovereign governments and this creates a lot of conflict between Indian tribes, local communities and state governments," Seaborne said.

"I'd say they should get out of the 1950s and into the 2000s," said Oneida chairman Rick Hill. He said tribes are sovereign governments who want good public policy that's good for everyone.

"It's important for us to come together and work together because we gain more by working together than by fighting each other," Hill said.

Tribal leaders hope that spirit of cooperation catches on. They plan to mount a public relations campaign to gain support on Indian issues.