ULIN Leadership Conference – September 29-October 1, 2008, Washington, DC

CONFERENCE THEMES AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS: The purpose of the conference is for Indigenous Nation Representatives to deliberate and develop working strategies for implementing the major provisions of the United League of Indigenous Nations Treaty.

DAY ONE will explore the impacts of climate change on Indigenous Nations of the Pacific Rim. Representation of Indigenous nations will bring their concerns and insights to the table for discussion. Opportunities for changes in US policy responses to climate change will be presented and explored. The panel will address these concerns and strategize on how to represent these before the UN convention.

DAY TWO will explore how Indigenous nations can protect and exert control over their cultural property, traditional knowledge and customs that underlie cultural property rights and protections in UN conventions. Over the past twenty years, international commerce in goods produced and created by Indigenous peoples are being recognized as protected property under their own cultural values and customs, subject primarily to the laws of their own Indigenous nations. Nation-states around the world have adopted regimes under the rubric of “Intellectual Property Law,” such as the Copyright of intellectual products, Patents for inventions and Trademark laws over creative products by artists and writers. The United League members have created a political alliance across the Pacific Rim in order to assert a united position regarding their rights and protections of cultural property. The conference will feature Indigenous experts regarding the history of these issues and seek to develop recommendations for developing a concerted action by Indigenous nations to assert their rights over such cultural properties.

DAY THREE of the conference will focus on the subject of economic and trade relations among Indigenous peoples and nations. During the United League meeting in Edmonton, Alberta, June 18-21, 2008, a proposal to establish an International Finance Corporation for Indigenous Nations was discussed. ULIN Secretary Parker reported his work in the US Senate to draft a legislative proposal that called for the creation of an “Indian Development Finance Corporation” (IDFC), modeled after the World Bank. A corporation designed to practice “development finance” targeted at creating an economic infrastructure on Indian reservations similar to the World Banks is being explored. Since 1988, many US Tribes have gained significant success in the Tribal Gaming business and may take an interest in participating as investors in the work of a Pacific Rim Financial Institution specializing in economic infrastructure development with Indigenous nations.

Economic and Trade Relations ULIN Conference, June 18-21, 2008, Edmonton

(Content coming soon)

NCAI Conference, June 3-4, 2008, Reno, Nevada

ULIN Board members and representatives of Signatory Nations participated in a two day meeting that took place in conjunction with the National Congress of American Indians Mid-Year conference in Reno, Nevada. Chief Jaret Cardinal served as chair as the members greeted new members representing the Muckleshoot tribe of Washington State and Grade Ronde tribe of Oregon. Chairman Cardinal outlined plans to the NCAI meeting of tribal delegates for an Economic and Trade Relations conference on June 18-21 in Edmonton and a day for Cultural Exchanges at the Sucker Creek First Nation north of Edmonton. Attorney Valerie Phillips from University of Tulsa School of Law presented her research on the rights of political representation of Indigenous Nations before the UN and other International Bodies. Chairman Mike Williams, Akiak Village of Alaska, reported on his meeting with representatives of President Evo Morales of Bolivia. President Morales has expressed strong support for the creation of the United League and his intentions to express his views on the United League Treaty before the UN General Assembly at it next meeting scheduled to begin on September 15th.

Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians Spring Conference, Chehalis Washington

The fifty-four member tribes of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians convened their annual Spring Conference hosted by the Chehalis Tribes at their newly opened Great Wolf Lodge south of Olympia, Washington. During this conference, the United League was invited to report on our progress in reaching out to tribal nations in New Zealand and plans for contacting tribes in the US. During this ATNI meeting, two of the member tribes came forward with authority to sign the treaty, Muckleshoot Tribe located in Auburn, Washington and the Grande Ronde Tribe near Portland, Oregon. A signing ceremony was conducted at the time with the assistance of elders of the Chehalis and Colville tribes.