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 NEWS  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 For  Immediate  Release:  News  Media  Contact:  March  5,  2003  Rosemary  Kimball  at  (202)  418-  0511 
 e-  mail:  rkimball@  fcc.  gov 


 FCC  and  Tribes  Continue  Important  Dialogue  on  Improving  Access  to  Telecom  Services  in  Indian  Country 
 Commission  and  Tribal  Leaders  Hold  Day-  Long  Meeting 
 Washington,  DC  --  On  February  28,  2003,  Chairman  Michael  K.  Powell  welcomed  a  high-  level  delegation  of  tribal  leaders  from  the  National  Congress  of 
 American  Indians  and  the  National  Tribal  Telecommunications  Association.  The  tribal  leaders  met  with  Chairman  Powell  to  discuss  ways  to  improve  access  to 
 telecommunications  products  and  services  throughout  Indian  Country.  Commissioners  Kathleen  Q.  Abernathy,  Michael  J.  Copps  and  Jonathan  S.  Adelstein,  and  several 
 bureau  chiefs  also  participated  in  the  meeting. 
 The  day-  long  meeting  was  hosted  by  the  Consumer  &  Governmental  Affairs  Bureau  (CGB),  the  Commission’s  point  of  contact  for  Indian  Country.  The  meeting 
 renewed  the  ongoing  dialogue  between  the  tribal  representatives  and  the  FCC,  designed  to  foster  a  strong  working  relationship  and  to  ensure  open  lines  of 
 communication.  Tribal  leaders  and  representatives  from  the  Fort  Mojave  Tribal  Council,  the  Gila  River  Indian  Community,  the  Salt  River-  Pima  Maricopa  Indian  Community,  and 
 the  Cheyenne  River  Sioux  tribe  attended  the  meetings.  Representatives  of  the  National  Congress  of  American  Indians’  Telecommunications  Subcommittee  and  other  tribal 
 organizations  also  participated. 
 At  the  conclusion  of  the  meeting,  Chairman  Powell  said,  “The  FCC  welcomed  this  opportunity  to  strengthen  the  government-  to-  government  trust  relationship  that 
 exists  between  the  federal  government  and  Indian  tribal  governments.  It  was  an  extraordinary  honor  and  opportunity  to  continue  our  dialogue  and  share  ideas  about 
 advancing  our  common  goals.  We  at  the  FCC  are  firmly  committed  to  ensuring  access  to  telecommunications  services  in  Indian  Country  and  we  look  forward  to  exploring 
 opportunities  for  greater  access  and  continuing  these  productive  discussions  in  the  future.” 


 Jacqueline  Johnson,  Executive  Director  of  the  National  Congress  of  American  Indians,  said:  “NCAI  is  extremely  pleased  by  the  FCC’s  commitment  to  improve  its 
 government  relationship  with  tribes.  We  look  forward  to  working  together  with  the  FCC  to  better  address  the  telecommunications  needs  of  Indian  country.” 
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 The  meeting  was  part  of  the  FCC’s  broader  Indian  Telecommunications  Initiatives  (ITI),  a  comprehensive  program  that  seeks  to  promote  understanding, 
 cooperation  and  trust  among  American  Indian  and  Alaska  Native  tribes  and  tribal  organizations;  the  FCC  and  other  governmental  agencies;  and  the  telecommunications 
 industry.  Through  ITI,  the  FCC  seeks  to  foster  partnerships  to  target  specific  concerns,  identify  potential  solutions  and  bring  affordable,  quality  telecommunications  services  to 
 Native  American  and  Alaska  Native  communities. 
 -  FCC  - 
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