Morris Thompson, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, announced today that four American Indian tribal councils in the Great Lakes Area have been awarded contracts totaling over $90,000 under the Tribal Government Development Program of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in order that their governments can be made more effective.
The four tribal councils are Red Cliff Tribal Council, Bayfield, Wisc., $22, 000; Bad River Tribal Council, Ashland, Wisc., $24,850; Bay Mills Executive Council, Brimley, Mich., $25,000; and St. Croix Chippewa Council, Webster, Wisc., $18,850.
"A strong tribal government is the basis of Indian self-determination," Thompson indicated. ''Through contracting procedures tribes are given money to accomplish goals the y themselves set. These can include training in parliamentary procedure for tribal council members, development of ordinances for the Indian reservation governed by the tribal council, development of a constitution for a tribe, development of budgetary processes by the tribal government, and so forth,"
