The California Valley Miwok Tribe (located at 10601 N. Escondido PL, Stockton, CA, as listed in the Federal Register of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, BIA/DOI), a federally recognized tribe eligible to receive and distribute contracted services from the federal government – on Saturday, February 12th, 2011, received their first correspondence from the White House since the Department of the Interior’s re-affirmation of the Tribe, its membership and its established form of government. The Tribe and all branches of the federal government have since been working diligently together to strengthen and move forward in the government-to-government relationship that was just re-established, based upon the fundamental principles of federal Indian law.
Sovereignty knows no bounds, sovereignty is sovereignty – whether it be the tribe with the largest enrolled membership or the tribe whom has the greatest land mass held in trust status – the sovereign rights of all tribes large or small are equal under the laws of this great nation. That the voice of this little tribe whom was recently delivered a just decision based on the fundamentals of established federal Indian law (re-affirming their status and government-to-government relationship), was also heard by the most revered office of the country, that someone in the White House took the time to personally address this letter in their own handwriting (not by some pre-typed script) and then to have it signed by true humanitarians and pillars of Justice – the President of the United States Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama – gives comfort to the Tribe that under this administration, even the smallest of voices can be heard by the highest office in the land.
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