*Pages 1--2 from  Microsoft Word - 31625*
 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:  September  25,  2003  Rosemary  Kimball  at  (202)  418-  0511 
 e-  mail:  rosemary.  kimball@  fcc.  gov 


 CGB  CHIEF  LAUDS  GOVERNMENT-  TO-  GOVERNMENT  COOPERATION  AT  CONFERENCE  OF  AFFILIATED  TRIBES  OF  NORTHWEST  INDIANS 


 Urges  Audience  to  Join  with  FCC  to  Increase  67.9%  Telephone  Penetration  Rate 
 Noting  that  “the  partnership  between  the  FCC  and  Affiliated  Tribes  of  Northwest  Indians  (ATNI)  .  .  .  holds  a  bright  promise  for  the  future,”  K.  Dane  Snowden,  chief  of  the 


 FCC’s  Consumer  &  Governmental  Affairs  Bureau,  pledged  that  the  two  organizations  would  “work  together  to  ensure  that  American  Indians  enjoy  the  benefits  of  the 
 telecommunications  revolution.” 
 Snowden  made  these  remarks  in  a  speech  delivered  on  September  23  in  Pendelton,  OR,  at  the  50  th  Annual  Conference  of  the  ATNI.  Established  by  Tribal 


 leaders  in  1953,  ATNI  is  a  non-  profit  organization  that  represents  54  tribes  from  primarily  Oregon,  Washington,  Idaho,  with  additional  member  Tribes  in  Alaska, 
 Montana,  Nevada,  and  Northern  California. 
 He  urged  continued  cooperation  to  increase  telephone  subscribership  in  Indian  Country.  Snowden  noted  that  the  2000  census  estimated  that  67.9%  of  all  American 


 Indian  households  living  on  American  Indian  Reservations  and  Off-  Reservation  Trust  Lands  had  telephone  service.  The  comparable  figure  ten  years  earlier  was  46.  6%.  He 
 said  that,  “while  some  progress  has  been  made,  much  remains  to  be  done.”  He  urged  his  audience  to  join  with  the  FCC  to  “collectively  redouble  our  efforts”. 


 Snowden  said,  “The  FCC  is  committed  to  [the  FCC-  Indian]  .  .  .  partnership,  as  recognized  in  our  June  2000  Policy  Statement  reaffirming  the  Commission’s  recognition 
 of  tribal  sovereignty  and  the  trust  relationship.  As  that  Policy  Statement  establishes,  we  value  a  government-  to-  government  relationship  with  federally  recognized  Indian  tribes 
 and  consultation  is  our  principal  means  of  identifying  and  resolving  issues  relevant  to  Indian  Country.” 


 He  outlined  the  work  of  the  FCC’s  Indian  Telecommunications  Initiatives  (ITI),  which  encompasses  all  of  the  FCC’s  outreach  efforts  in  Indian  Country  and  involves 
 meetings,  tours,  conferences,  rulemakings,  and  other  activities.  While  the  ITI  is  administered  by  the  Consumer  &  Governmental  Affairs  Bureau,  Snowden  noted  that 
 FCC  Chairman  Michael  K.  Powell  and  the  other  commissioners  have  participated  frequently  in  the  ITI  and  have  fully  supported  its  goals. 
1
 The  ITI  program  is  designed  to  build  partnerships  to  target  specific  concerns,  identify  potential  solutions,  and  bring  affordable,  quality  telecommunications  services  to 
 Indian  Country.  Snowden  outlined  the  ITI’s  goals:  to  increase  the  telephone  penetration  rate  among  tribal  communities;  to  facilitate  the  deployment  of  telecommunications 
 infrastructure  in  Indian  Country  necessary  to  provide  telecommunications  services;  and  to  inform  tribes  and  tribal  consumers  about  financial  support  available  through  federal 
 government  programs,  including  Universal  Service  Fund  programs. 
 As  part  of  its  efforts  to  ensure  that  Tribes  are  fully  informed  about  their  telecom  options,  Snowden  mentioned  that  the  FCC  has  developed  specific  publications  directed 
 to  Native  American  issues.  “Our  ITI  booklet,  brochure,  and  fact  sheet  are  some  of  the  publications  that  were  created  specifically  for  the  American  tribes”,  he  said.  He  also 
 mentioned  the  FCC’s  Web  page  dedicated  to  Indian  issues,  including  information  about  spectrum  auctions  and  environmental  impact  issues,  at  www.  fcc.  gov/  indians. 


 For  information  on  this  and  other  topics  of  interest  to  consumers,  visit  our  Web  site  at  www.  fcc.  gov/  cgb 
 To  receive  information  on  this  and  other  FCC  consumer  topics  through  the  Commission’s  electronic  subscriber  service,  click  on 
 www.  fcc.  gov/  cgb/  emailservice.  html. 
 -  FCC  - 
2