The Special Trustee for American Indians met with leaders of Indian Country to discuss achievements as well as future plans for the Office of the Special Trustee

WASHINGTON – Special Trustee for American Indians, Vince Logan, met with tribal leaders during the Mid-Year conference of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) in St Paul, Minnesota, on June 28, 2015.

The meeting, which also included Mr. Kevin Washburn, Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs, highlighted the progress made by the Special Trustee’s office in the two decades since its establishment. The meeting also looked ahead to find opportunities for the Department of Interior and Tribal governments to work together to preserve the gains made in trust reform, while moving toward modernization and greater self-determination.

 "It was great to share the progress that the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) has made in all of its endeavors," said Vince Logan, Special Trustee. "The chance for my staff to meet Indian Country leaders proved invaluable."

In the presentation after Logan’s opening remarks, Deb DuMontier, Deputy Special Trustee, led an in-depth session that addressed the structure of OST, its accomplishments, and its goals going forward. The session concluded with Ms. DuMontier and other senior OST leaders fielding questions from the audience and engaging in a productive dialogue with tribal leaders and representatives.

Logan will travel to field offices and other important Indian County conferences throughout the year to continue a fruitful dialog between the office and Indian County, as well as sharing news of OST’s two decades of accomplishment. The Special Trustee’s next scheduled engagement will be at the National Intertribal Tax Alliance Conference, Sept. 16-17, 2015 in Niagara Falls, NY, where he will deliver the keynote address.

"I’m look forward to being out in Indian Country.  People are achieving great things there and we are making a lot of progress," said Logan.