Obama hosts US native conference (It is the first time in US history that ...)

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Obama hosts US native conference

BBC Thursday, 5 November 2009

 

US President Barack Obama is to receive hundreds of representatives from

American Indian tribes at a White House conference on native issues.

 

The White House Tribal Nations Conference brings together one delegate from each

of the 564 federally recognised American Indian tribes.

 

It is the first time in US history that they will all meet a sitting president.

 

The event is part of Mr Obama's efforts to build bridges with American Indian

and Alaska Native communities.

 

The agenda is to cover a variety of issues, from centuries-old broken treaty

promises to more modern issues such as health care, crime and poverty.

 

It was unclear whether the president would use the event to address the past

wrongs committed against the tribes by the US federal government, the BBC's

Imtiaz Tyab reports from Washington.

 

Since taking office a year ago, the Obama administration has allocated $3bn

(£1.8bn) in stimulus funding to American Indian programmes.

 

There are about two million Native Americans in the United States and one

million in Canada.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8344449.stm