A two-day summit between DNR and the invited representatives from all 29 federally recognized tribes in Washington State concluded yesterday. Coming out of the summit, Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark issued a Commissioner’s Order pledging to keep the dialog flowing.
““As stewards of 5.6 million acres of state-owned lands, DNR works for trust beneficiaries like schools and counties, but we must also give respect to the tribes and the cultural significance that these lands have for them,” Goldmark said in a news release earlier today.
Goldmark’s official Commissioner’s Order also confirmed that DNR recognizes the tribes’ separate rights and authorities and commits the department to maintain government-to-government relations with them. DNR’s tribal relations program is led by a full-time Tribal Relations Manager, Rodney Cawston, who is a member of the Colville Tribe.
The Summit was hosted by the Nisqually Indian Tribe. Find more information about State-Tribal relations from the Governors Office of Indian Affairs
See photos from the event on DNR’s Flickr page.
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