2012 White House Tribal Nations Conference

On December 5, 2012, the White House will host representatives invited from each federally recognized tribe at the 2012 White House Tribal Nations Conference in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, December 5, 2012, from 9:00am to 3:30pm.  The Conference will be held at the Department of the Interior’s Sidney R. Yates Auditorium.  For more details, please see the below frequently asked questions.

Each federally recognized tribe is invited to designate one representative to attend the Conference.  If you have not already done so, please register by 10 p.m. EST on Thursday, November 29, 2012 at http://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov//webform/2012-tribal-nations-conference.  Following the registration deadline, you will receive a confirmation and further instructions.

We hope to see you at the 2012 White House Tribal Nations Conference. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Where will the 2012 Tribal Nations Conference be held?

A: The Conference will be held at the Department of the Interior, with the opening session in the Sidney R. Yates Auditorium and breakout sessions in ancillary meeting rooms.

Q: Why isn’t the conference being held at the White House?

A: We are inviting all 566 federally recognized tribes to send a representative to the Conference, and we needed a location that would ensure we had enough space. The Department of the Interior has graciously offered its main auditorium to use for this important event.

Q: Will the President speak at the conference? Will he interact with the tribal leaders?

A: The President is expected to deliver remarks.

Q: Can Tribal Organizations send a representative to the conference?

A: The purpose of the conference is to further strengthen the government to government relationship between federally recognized tribes and the Obama Administration. Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate organizations at the event.

Q: Can I bring more than one representative?

A: Regretfully, due to space constraints we can only accommodate one representative from each tribe.

Q: Our tribal chairman cannot attend; may we send another elected representative from our tribe?

A. Yes, however only one person per tribe may participate in the Tribal Nations Conference. Tribal leaders who cannot attend any of the events must approve another member of the tribe to represent the tribe on the tribal leader’s behalf. Any requests for exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.  

Q: Does the White House provide for travel or accommodations?

A: No. The White House is unable provide travel or hotel accommodations.

Q: Is there a host or preferred hotel?

A: No, but local tribal organizations may be able to assist with lodging recommendations.

Q: Can I get a White House tour?

A: If you are interested in a White House tour, please write us at IndianCountry@who.eop.govwith your preferred dates for a tour. Please keep in mind that space is limited and we may not be able to accommodate all requests.

Q: Can I register via phone?

A: No, please register here or send a fax to (202) 456-1647 with the name, title, tribe phone number and e-mail address of your tribe’s representative, confirmation will be made by email.

Q: I am a member of the press, can I cover the conference?

A: Please call Shin Inouye at (202) 456-6238 or email Media_affairs@who.eop.gov.

Q: May our tribal delegation meet separately with the President while we are there?

A: Regretfully, due to the volume of inquiries and the time constraints of the President’s schedule, we are unable to consider any meeting requests with the President.

Q: May our tribe present the President with a gift?

A: We understand some tribal leaders may be interested in bringing a gift for the President. We appreciate the generosity, but gifts are not expected nor encouraged. For those who do bring gifts, they will have to be submitted on site through the White House Gift Office. Please note that a gift registration form will need to be completed for each gift before entering the conference venue and gifts will not be accepted without a form attached. The gift registration forms will be provided to you in the morning. Due to security restrictions, gifts will not be permitted in the auditorium, and must be presented to the White House Gift Office staff prior to entering the building. There will not be an opportunity to present gifts directly to the President. If you are planning to bring a gift, please allow for extra time for this process prior to entering the conference.

For any additional questions, please contact us at IndianCountry@who.eop.gov