By Tom Sheehan
Tribune Capitol Bureau
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
MADISON - A dozen state agencies will be required to consult with
tribal representatives on state programs and initiatives affecting tribes
under policies signed Tuesday by Gov. Jim Doyle.
Doyle gathered with tribal leaders at the executive residence in
Madison to announce the state-tribal consultation policies, which also lay
out steps to resolve differences that might arise over policy questions.
The documents are intended to help correct past problems and improve
state-tribal relations, Doyle said.
The state in the past has done a "terrible job of interacting with the
tribes and understanding their most basic functions," Doyle said.
The ceremony marked formal recognition of an executive order Doyle
signed last year. Doyle approved separate polices with each of the 11
federally recognized tribes in Wisconsin, said Scott Larrivee, a spokesman
for the state Department of Administration.
Details are different for each agency but each policy is intended to
enhance communication, Larrivee said. The state Department of Health and
Family Services policy, for example, requires an annual meeting between the
department secretary and leaders of each tribe.
Tribal leaders also could request additional meetings under the
policy, and ad hoc committees could be set up to sort out difficult issues.
Agencies with consultation policies signed by the governor include
Revenue, Financial Institutions, Administration, Agriculture, Commerce,
Corrections, Tourism, Workforce Development, Natural Resources, Health and
Family Services, Housing and Economic Development Authority and the Office
of Justice Assistance.
Some state agencies already had a working relationship with tribes,
and the state Department of Transportation already approved a consultation
agreement, said Melanie Fonder, a spokeswoman for the governor. Tribal
representatives were not required to sign the policies, Larrivee said.