FHBC Vice Chairman Ladd Edmo and Gaylen Edmo represent the
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes.
From TRIBAL PUBLIC AFFAIRS
MOSCOW — Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Vice Chairman Ladd Edmo attended the University of Idaho’s Presidential meeting with American Indian Tribes on October 8 in Moscow.
The University of Idaho (UI) has an active Memorandum of Understanding with ten tribes in the northwest, including the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, and holds a bi-annual meeting with Tribal leaders and the President of UI, to discuss strategies to improve the quality of higher education services and to develop new opportunities for tribal members. The seven tribes who attended included the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Nez Perce Tribe, Kootenai Tribe, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, and the Kalispel Tribe.
UI President Chuck Staben welcomed all tribal leaders and representatives and thanked everyone for making it to Moscow for the meeting. Reports were given from the UI colleges and programs, including the Native American Law, from the College of Law, by Dylan Hedden-Nicely. Nicely introduced an upcoming Treaty Seminar on the Fort Bridger Treaty, and invited all to attend, on Nov 2, in Boise. Discussion occurred on the SBT’s request to develop more Indian law classes as a part of professional development in Boise, including federal Indian law, state and tribal relations, and tribal sovereignty classes for state policy makers, state agencies and others who might be interested in learning more about tribes.
University of Idaho meeting participants.
After the programs reported, each tribe provided their own report on their tribal educational activities. Shoshone-Bannock Tribes reported on the recent efforts to reduce college tuition for enrolled tribal members of Idaho tribes, who are attending Idaho colleges and universities and the upcoming legislation need to approve funding. UI President Staben indicated that financial cost was an issue. Nevertheless, Yolanda Bisbee reported that several tribes did offer support. UI President indicated that they did have a Governmental Affairs representative who would offer support during the Spring Legislative Session.
A Tribal Leaders Panel was later in the afternoon at the UI Idaho Commons before a crowd of UI students. Tribal leaders and representatives were asked a variety of questions to share with tribal students. The first question was what is the biggest source of misunderstandings that people have when it comes to the Tribes? Responses ranged from misunderstandings about taxes, substance abuse, differences in tribes, shared experiences by everyone, and that fact that Indian people are still alive. The last question asked of tribal representatives was what is the significance of Indigenous Day for each individual tribe? The majority responded with the fact that Indian people have survived and are thriving and that we are resilient, the overall statement from the leaders was “it is a good day to be Indigenous.”
Vice Chairman Edmo also met with Shoshone-Bannock Tribal students, including Sam Matsaw, Jessica Matsaw and Gaylen Edmo, as the group visited the location for a future tribal student community sweat lodge in Moscow. For information related to the MOU and the programs offered at the University of Idaho, visit the school online at https://www.uidaho.edu/president/direct-reports/tribal-relations or call the Office of Tribal Relations at 208-885-6558.