IEN meets with Obama Transition Team

Obama-Biden Transition Team Meeting on Energy, Environment, and Natural Resource
By IEN
Tom Goldtooth attended a face-to-face meeting with members of the Obama Transition Team on Energy, Environment and Natural Resources, along with other Native and non-Native groups working on environmental justice. This meeting took place on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 in Washington, DC. Attending the meeting was Jon Waterhouse, Alaska Region Director, Yukon Rive Inter-Tribal Watershed Council, and by teleconference call, was Gail Small, Executive Director, of Native Action, based on the Northern Cheyenne reservation in Montana. Tom and Jon provided a limited verbal briefing ranging from recommendations to elevate the USEPA American Indian Environmental Office to the USEPA Administer's Office level; restore funding levels of the USEPA (Tribal) General Assistance Program; to appoint Native Americans to high level posts within the Administration and federal agencies; recommending the Obama Economic Stimulus package includes provisions for Tribes and Native organizations; and the special issues of Alaska Natives.
Full length version:
http://www.ienearth.org/docs/IENSubmittedtoEJElementsofObamaTransition/index.html
This includes a letter of recommendation by Carrie Dann of the Western Shoshone Defense Project (WSDP), and comments submitted by Evon Peter, Alaska-Native Movement and Shawna Larson, Environmental Justice Coordinator, Alaska Community Action on Toxics.