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As President Elect Barack Obama is set to be inaugurated next month, Native Americans are assessing the political opportunities of his transition. During the campaign, Obama visited Indian reservations where he promised to act on issues important to Native communities. Responding to the election results, the President of the National Congress of American Indians stated that “Indian Country should be encouraged by Mr. Obama’s staunch support of Indian self-determination and his pledge that the federal government must honor its treaty obligations and fully enable tribal self-governance.” The President-elect has already found favor with some tribal leaders by his appointment of Tom Daschle as Health and Human Services Secretary. They expect Daschle to properly fund Indian Health Services. Obama, who enjoyed overwhelming support from the Native American electorate, will also be pressed on a number of issues such as signing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, and possibly pardoning imprisoned American Indian Movement leader Leonard Peltier.

GUEST: Jacqueline Johnson, Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians. For more information, visit www.ncai.org.