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Levings and Obama
The Bismarck Tribune
Posted: Friday, November 6, 2009 2:00 am
During the White House conference on Thursday, Three Affiliated
Tribal Chairman Marcus Levings had this exchange with President
Obama. It came near the end of the president's opening remarks to
tribal leaders. The chairs of all of North Dakota's tribes were at
the meeting.
The exchange between Levings and Obama:
OK, you know, let's see, this gentleman right here with the
headdress.
Honorable President Obama, this is the second time I get a
chance to address you. I've been wearing the war bonnet and I've
been really displeasing these gentle ladies behind me, but this is
yours. In our Hidatsa, Mandan, and Arikara ways you don't give a
gift to a tent, you give it to the individual. You are our
commander-in-chief for the soldiers, I'm a lieutenant in the Army
Reserve. My name is Ee-Ba-Da-Gish, White-Headed Eagle. I am the
chairman of the Three Affiliated Tribes, the Mandan, Hidatsa, and
Arikara. My name is Marcus Dominick Levings. I first met you in
Grand Forks at your VIP room. My mother is Dowah (phonetic) Rezilda
"Brady" Wells. She gave you the red, white, and blue star quilt
...
Yes, it's beautiful.
With all the prayers. She sent this to you as well, so I'll give
it to whatever Secret Service people I need to do that.
(Laughter.)
President Obama, I have two issues for my people, the Mandan,
Hidatsa and Arikara, 11,000 tribal members who live in western
North Dakota on top of the Williston Basin, the Bakken Formation.
We have oil and gas development today, Mr. President. We have an
opportunity to be independent from any means of federal programs,
any type of issues that we had been not needing before the flood of
Elbowoods, North Dakota, in the 1950s. In the spirit of progress,
our elders, our ancestors gave up their bottom land. Ninety percent
of our people live there, Mr. President. And now they're up on high
hilltops, 77-below wind chill factors in winter.
We are the tribe, the Mandan, Hidatsas and Arikaras, who saved
Lewis and Clark. We were the ones who made it so they can go out to
blaze the trail to Portland. Now we come for you to ask for some
help on our energy development, to get the 49-step process
eliminated so our elders, who are dying as we speak, can generate
opportunities to receive royalties on their minerals.
Second, with all this economic development boom that's going on,
Mr. President, in the Williston Basin, and Fort Berthold
Reservation, 1 million acres, we need homes. We are short 1,000
homes, Mr. President, home ownership and rentals as well. So on
behalf of the Tribal Business Council and my elders, I stand humbly
in front of you and ask for your help. Thank you.
Thank you.
A video of President Obama's address and the question and answer session is available. Chairman Levings exchange with the President begins at minute 41:47 on the video.
Click here to view a C-Span video of the conference
