Oregon Public Broadcasting

Tribal leaders from the Northwest are gearing up for a national conference on Native American issues at the White House next month.

Representatives of tribes from across the nation will meet with President Obama. Northwest tribes have their own list of issues to discuss.  Doug Nadvornick reports.

Coeur d'Alene Tribal Chairman Chief Allan says he and his counterparts are looking to expand their land holdings.

They're lobbying the federal government to make it easier for them to convert non-tribal land into trust land they own.

Chief Allan: “What tribes are doing is buying up a lot of their home lands and converting it back into the reservations so they have a land base.”

Allan says Native leaders want the government to get faster at processing trust applications.

He says they'll also ask for more money for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and, in particular, tribal health programs.

During the presidential campaign, President Obama promised to hold yearly summits with tribal leaders. Allen says Native leaders are pleased with Obama so far.

Chief Allan: “And he held his promise of meeting with us and this is going to be a yearly thing, so I think we're on the right track.”

The Tribal Nations Conference will take place November fifth.