NCAI concerned about DOJ's commitment to tribes
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Filed Under:
Politics
Tribes are concerned about the Department of Justice's commitment to public safety on reservations,
National Congress of American Indians President Joe Garcia said.
Garcia cited testimony last week of Monica Goodling, a former DOJ aide. She said she heard complaints that former U.S. Attorney Thomas Heffelfinger was spending "too much time on Native American issues."
"Unfortunately Ms. Goodling's testimony this week confirms concerns the Native American community has held for some time regarding the DOJ's commitment to the safety of Native Americans," said Garcia.
Heffelfinger wasn't among the eight federal prosecutors who were ousted by the Bush administration last December but he was a target due to his leadership on the Native American Issues Subcommittee. Five of the eight former U.S. Attorneys represented states with significant Indian Country.
"The firing of certain attorneys and the testimony regarding Mr. Heffelfinger paint a glaring picture regarding how the DOJ is handling Indian Country issues. And it is not a pretty one," said Garcia.
Garcia said statistics about the high rate of violent crime and sexual assaults in Indian Country call for significant federal assistance. "We are sitting ducks in our own communities, and the DOJ is worried about one U.S. Attorney spending too much time helping us," he said.
Transcripts:
Goodling
Testifies Before The House Judiciary Committee |
David
Iglesias on U.S. Attorney Firings, Goodling Testimony
Related Stories:
Heffelfinger supports probe into 'broken' DOJ
(5/25)
Ex-DOJ aide cites 'concern'
about Indian focus (5/24)
Fired U.S.
Attorney of New Mexico has Native roots (5/22)
Sen. Tester calls on U.S. Attorney to resign
(05/03)
U.S. Attorney in Montana protected by
Patriot Act (5/2)
Heffelfinger was a
target in U.S. Attorney purge (4/27)
Sen. Coburn tells Gonzales to resign over firings
(4/20)
Attorney firings reviewed at
Senate hearing (4/20)
Senate panel moves
Gonzales testimony to Thursday (4/17)
House committee hits Gonzales with first subpoena
(4/11)
Indian Country crime an issue in
US Attorney firing (4/2)
Opinion: Fired
U.S. Attorney helped Michigan tribes (3/30)
Documents shed light on US Attorney firings
(3/20)
E-mails shed new details on US
Attorney for Arizona (3/14)
Sen.
Domenici hires law firm over US Attorney flap (3/8)
Ousted US Attorneys to testify before House panel
(3/2)
Ousted US Attorney cites
Republican pressure (3/1)
US Attorney
ousted over tribal death penalty cases (2/19)
Hopi woman passed over for interim US Attorney
(2/1)
Hopi woman touted as next US
Attorney for Arizona (1/29)
Mother
Jones: Navajo Nation debates death penalty (1/18)
Bush urged to nominate Hopi woman for U.S.
Attorney (01/05)
Heffelfinger: Tribes
need homeland security funds (6/9)
Indian
gaming law proposal undergoes big changes (02/28)
Tom Heffelfinger to step down as U.S. Attorney
(02/15)
Tribal leaders attend meeting on Red
Lake shootings (02/01)
Red Lake families
meet in private with Heffelfinger (01/31)
California tribes spar over gaming machine
distinctions (01/24)
Louis Jourdain
sentenced to juvenile rehabilitation (01/17)
Gaming proposal moving forward despite
opposition (01/16)
Judge won't allow
access to Jourdain sentencing (12/19)
IGRA amendments tough on many, especially
tribes (12/12)
Judge to decide on access
to Jourdain sentencing (12/02)
Red Lake
shootings case not over despite plea (12/01)
McCain proposes major amendments to IGRA
(11/30)
Louis Jourdain pleads guilty to one
charge (11/30)
DOJ releases proposed
changes to Indian gaming law (10/06)
DOJ
proposes major change in Indian gaming law (09/16)
Heffelfinger praises actions in Red Lake
shooting (08/24)
Senate panel supports
NIGC on Class II rules (04/29)
Federal
prosecutor seeks to change 'national shame' (04/19)
Copyright © Indianz.Com
Subscribe