[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 45 (Monday, November 13, 2000)]
[Page 2806]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Signing the Executive Order on Consultation and 
Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments

 November 6, 2000

     Today I am pleased to sign a revised Executive order on 
consultation with Indian tribal governments. This Executive order, 
itself based on consultation, will renew my administration's commitment 
to tribal sovereignty and our government-to-government relationship.
     The first Americans hold a unique place in our history. Long before 
others came to our shores, the first Americans had established self-
governing societies. Among their societies, democracy flourished long 
before the founding of our Nation. Our Nation entered into treaties with 
Indian nations, which acknowledged their right to self-government and 
protected their lands. The Constitution affirms the United States' 
government-to-government relationship with Indian tribes both in the 
Commerce Clause, which establishes that ``the Congress shall have the 
Power To . . . regulate commerce . . . with the Indian Tribes,'' and in 
the Supremacy Clause, which ratifies the Indian treaties that the United 
States entered into prior to 1787.
     Indian nations and tribes ceded lands, water, and mineral rights in 
exchange for peace, security, health care, and education. The Federal 
Government did not always live up to its end of the bargain. That was 
wrong, and I have worked hard to change that by recognizing the 
importance of tribal sovereignty and government-to-government relations. 
When I became the first President since James Monroe to invite the 
leaders of every tribe to the White House in April 1994, I vowed to 
honor and respect tribal sovereignty. At that historic meeting, I issued 
a memorandum directing all Federal agencies to consult with Indian 
tribes before making decisions on matters affecting American Indian and 
Alaska Native peoples.
     Today, there is nothing more important in Federal-tribal relations 
than fostering true government-to-government relations to empower 
American Indians and Alaska Natives to improve their own lives, the 
lives of their children, and the generations to come. We must continue 
to engage in a partnership, so that the first Americans can reach their 
full potential. So, in our Nation's relations with Indian tribes, our 
first principle must be to respect the right of American Indians and 
Alaska Natives to self-determination. We must respect Native Americans' 
rights to choose for themselves their own way of life on their own lands 
according to their time honored cultures and traditions. We must also 
acknowledge that American Indians and Alaska Natives must have access to 
new technology and commerce to promote economic opportunity in their 
homelands.
     Today, I reaffirm our commitment to tribal sovereignty, self-
determination, and self-government by issuing this revised Executive 
order on consultation and coordination with Indian tribal governments. 
This Executive order builds on prior actions and strengthens our 
government-to-government relationship with Indian tribes. It will ensure 
that all Executive departments and agencies consult with Indian tribes 
and respect tribal sovereignty as they develop policy on issues that 
impact Indian communities.