[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 112 (Thursday, July 9, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E659-E660]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING MEL TONASKET

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. DAN NEWHOUSE

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 9, 2026

  Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today along with my colleagues 
Representative Michael Baumgartner and Representative Kim Schrier to 
join many in the Pacific Northwest community and Indian country to 
honor Mel Tonasket, a leader and member of the Confederated Tribes of 
the Colville Reservation.
  Mel is retiring this week after more than 55 years of service to his 
tribe, community, and country.
  After serving the Nation in the U.S. Navy, Mel worked for the Bureau 
of Indian Affairs for eight years before being elected in 1970 to the 
Colville Business Council, the governing body of the Confederated 
Tribes of the Colville Reservation. Mel would continue to serve on the 
Colville Business Council as a representative of the district serving 
Omak, Washington, at

[[Page E660]]

various times for the next 55 years, which concludes with his well-
earned retirement.
  Mel helped lead the Colville Tribes and Indian country during one of 
the most consequential periods in modern tribal history. He was pall of 
the generation of Native leaders who sought to reverse the federal 
policy of termination and fought to preserve the rights and future of 
tribal communities. That work helped protect the sovereignty of the 
Colville Tribes and contributed to a broader movement that reshaped 
federal Indian policy.
  Mel's impact extended well beyond his reservation. From 1973 to 1976, 
he served for four years as President of the National Congress of 
American Indians, the largest and oldest national tribal organization 
in the United States. While President, he helped mobilize national 
support for landmark legislation, including the Indian Health Care 
Improvement Act, the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
Act, and the Indian Child Welfare Act. Between breaks serving on the 
Colville Business Council, Mel worked for the Indian Health Service and 
retired from federal service as the CEO of the Colville Service Unit, 
which provides healthcare to citizens of the Colville Tribes.
  Over the course of his career, Mel served in numerous leadership 
roles and has represented Tribal governments in national and 
international forums. Through that leadership, he strengthened the 
voice of tribal nations at the national level and helped secure 
protections and opportunities that continue to benefit Native families 
and communities today.
  It is my honor to join the Colville Tribes, the people of Washington 
State, and all those throughout Indian Country in congratulating Mel 
Tonasket on this remarkable milestone. We wish Mel the best of luck in 
his retirement and hope he can create more memories in this next stage 
of his life.

                          ____________________