Copyright © 2002 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

Neal A. McCaleb, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs (BIA-DOI)

The economy of Arizona's White Mountain Apache Indian tribe is directly linked to the harvest of timber. Sadly, the fires that have swept across Arizona now imperil this economy. A June 27 front-page article that mentioned President Bush's visit to the region left the impression that he did not hear the concerns of the White Mountain Apache.

President Bush spent a half-hour on his tour with Dallas Massey, the White Mountain Apache tribal chairman. At that meeting, the president was briefed on the devastation to the tribe. President Bush responded by pledging federal help. Moreover, Steven Griles, the deputy interior secretary, had spent the previous day in a formal meeting with the Tribal Council working to identify ways the federal government could assist.

The government-to-government relationship between the White Mountain Apache and the United States is strong. President Bush and Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton are committed to strengthening these relationships across our country.

Neal A. McCaleb
Asst. Secretary for Indian Affairs
Department of the Interior
Washington, July 1, 2002