PRESS RELEASE

Little Shell Tribal Members website fully endorses Conrad Burns for US Senator

Denver, Co (LittleShellTribe.com) Oct 27, 2006 – The Little Shell Tribal Members Website has fully endorsed Conrad Burns as the US Senator from Montana. Conrad has shown full support in our century long quest to regain our sovereignty and for government to government relations with the United States in our quest for Federal Recognition. He has taken the time to talk to individual Tribal members over the years on our concerns with our Federal Recognition, Civil Rights, and other matters and has given his personal support in return. Visiting with all 7 Native American Reservations in the State of Montana and with our Tribe on an official basis, he has been instrumental in bring back funds and projects to Montana that Native Americans need from the Federal Government. He has also pledged to move forward any legislation in the US Senate that will allow for full government to government federal recognition of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana Tribe.

When individual tribal members tried to approach Liberal Democrat John Tester on our own as tribal members, we were rebuffed by his office and were told that in essence we were not “important enough” to discuss our tribal concerns by the phone or in person with Mr. Tester. When the Little Shell Tribal Council Vice Chairman James Parker Shield asked Mr. Tester if he’d support legislation to bypass Bureau of Indian Affairs red tape in the recognition process, Tester replied that he hadn’t read the proposal, and couldn’t commit to supporting it. Could not commit to supporting our Sovereignty and right to government to government relations with the US Government?? Who is John Tester kidding? This is a slap to the Little Shell Tribe and to Individual Tribal Members everywhere.

Because John Tester pays only Lip Service to Native Americans without providing any real assistance or support we here at the Little Shell Tribal Website will give our wholehearted and total endorsement for the United States Senate race for Montana to Conrad Burns. We give this endorsement because we feel that Conrad Burns is the only candidate who represents us and will actually fight and forward any legislation introduced in the Senate to give a Federal Recognition of Government to Government relations to the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana. Whereas John Tester has proven that he would only “Suck Up” to Native Americans to gain votes and that he would not represent us as Native Americans or Montanan’s in general in the US Senate but would only represent a partisan political doctrine.

The Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana is made up of approximately 4,300 members, mostly in Great Falls and surrounding areas along with scattered members around the United States. The Tribe gained Government to Government Relations with the State of Montana in the year 2000, this same year, the Department of Interior issued a positive finding and a preliminary recognition. Since then little progress has been made due to bureaucratic obstacles. A bill submitted to the House of Representatives by Republican Denny Rehberg in August 2006 is a beginning for Legislative path to recognition for the tribe.

The Little Shell Tribal Members Website was founded on October 22, 2002 by individual tribal members seeking a way for other tribal members to get their word out to the world. The website is privately owned and not affiliated in any way with the official government of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Its pages have been donated to the cause of the Little Shell Tribe. Affiliated Websites include littleshelltribalmembers.com an experimental tribal member blogging domain, and with littleshelltribe.org a non-profit domain that allows non-profits free web space if they have been endorsed by the Little Shell Tribal Council.

For further information about this endorsement, please contact the Webmaster of the LittleShellTribe.com website in the evenings: Bob Rudeseal Tel: 303-756-4497 e-mail: WebMaster@LittleShellTribe.com.

#####