FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tim Becker
Timothy.Becker@portlandoregon.gov
The City of Portland’s Office of Government Relations is welcoming invited tribal officials from around the Northwest to build partnerships, strengthen collaborations and enhance diplomacy between the City of Portland and tribal nations in the region. The 2nd Annual Tribal Nations Summit will also include a day-long training session for more than 200 city employees who will learn about engaging in effective tribal relations.
“Our newly established Tribal Relations Program is doing an exemplary job of connecting the City of Portland with our tribal government partners,” Mayor Wheeler said. “This Summit continues our commitment to nurturing and deepening that connection, so we can listen and learn from tribal leaders about how we can more effectively work together.”
The City of Portland committed to honoring and respecting tribal treaty rights, federal-tribal trust responsibilities and traditional native spiritual beliefs in 2012, when City Council unanimously passed a resolution that directs the City to develop policies and procedures that support and affirm its commitment to consultation with tribal government partners. Commissioner Amanda Fritz co-authored the resolution.
“The resolution we passed in 2012 declared the City’s commitment to formalize government-to-government relationships with tribal partners and laid the groundwork for our Tribal Relations Program,” Commissioner Fritz said. “I am proud that seven years later, we are staying true to that legislation and taking the work to the next level. I look forward to participating in the Tribal Summit.”
“At this moment in time it is more important than ever that Tribal Nations are at the table having conversations about the long-term sustainability of all of our communities,” State Representative Tawna Sanchez said. “From time immemorial the Pacific NW region has sustained the lives of generations of families, maintaining that ability is something we have to work at together.”
The two-day Summit will include tours of the city’s work to help restore and protect important cultural resources, and a formal acknowledgement during a City Council session. This year’s Summit will include a day of in-depth dialogues on a variety of topics with City electeds and Bureau leadership to explore opportunities for collaborations on:
- Climate Action
- Natural & Cultural Resources
- First Foods
- Law Enforcement
- Emergency Preparedness
- Inadvertent Discovery
- Housing & Economic Development
- Tribal Consultation Best Practices
Media is invited to attend.
Tribal Delegation Tour of Portland’s Crystal Springs Watershed Restoration Project
Thursday, Nov. 7, 10 – 11 a.m. at Westmoreland Park
City Council Acknowledgement of Tribal Delegates and Tribal Relations Report to Council
Thursday, Nov. 7, 2-3- p.m. at City Hall Council Chambers
Closing Ceremony and Gift Exchange
Friday, Nov. 8, 4:30 p.m. at City Hall Council Chambers
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