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Sanders: Tribes, Not Bureaucrats, Should Decide Policy Affecting Native
Americans

Cecily Hilleary

   WASHINGTON - Sen. Bernie Sanders was the last of nine presidential
   candidates to take the stage Tuesday in Iowa on Day Two of the Frank
   LaMere Native American Presidential Forum. His message could be summed
   by a single word: inclusion.

   "At best, you get a seat at the table, but your words and concerns have
   not been heard," Sanders said.

   Tribes have long complained the federal government has failed to honor
   the government-to-government relationship guaranteed by laws and
   treaties, denying tribes the right to meaningful consultation on
   projects that have an impact on tribal land, resources and sacred
   sites.

   The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, for example, has fought for several
   years to block construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, fearing it
   could threaten the water supply. The tribe says the U.S. Army Corps of
   Engineers has ignored its concerns, in violation of federal
   environmental law.

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