445 12th Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554
Internet: http://www.fcc.gov
TTY: 1-888-835-5322
This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974).
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 31, 2001 |
News Media contacts: Atif Harden (FCC) at (202) 418-7931 E-mail: gharden@fcc.gov Dustin Logan (NECA) at (402) 592-2111 E-mail: dlogan@neca.org |
SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED FOR INDIAN TELECOM TRAINING INITIATIVE 2001 SEMINAR
ITTI 2001 is a program jointly sponsored by the FCC and the National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA) to bring together government, tribal and private sector groups to focus on the issue of bringing telecommunications service to tribal lands. This is the second year this event has been held. Last year's event attendance was nearly 600 people including representatives from 135 tribes.
Speakers at this year's general sessions include:
- Robert Anderson, President, National Exchange Carrier Association. NECA
administers the FCC's access charge plan and has been a co-sponsor of the ITTI conference
for both years it has been held. NECA is dedicated to ensuring that telephone service is
available and affordable in all parts of the country, including on tribal lands.
- FCC Commissioner Kathleen Q. Abernathy. The FCC is the other co-sponsor of the ITTI
conferences. The FCC is the federal agency charged with ensuring that telephone service is
available and affordable everyone throughout the United States.
- Thomas Sugrue, Chief of the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. The
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau handles the FCC's domestic wireless
telecommunications programs and policies including the licensing, enforcement and
regulatory functions. This office also administers Tribal Land Bidding Credits available to
bidders in spectrum auctions.
- K. Dane Snowden, Chief of the FCC's Consumer Information Bureau. The Consumer
Information Bureau handles all the FCC's outreach to consumers. It is the bureau charged
with outreach to American Indian tribes and native Alaskan villages and is the home of the
FCC's Liaison to Tribal Governments.
- Kelsey Begaye, President, Navajo Nation. President Begaye has been active in Navajo
tribal government since 1976. As President of the Navajo Nation, he follows the two guiding
principles established by the joint Navajo Branch Chiefs in 1999. These are the preservation
of Navajo culture, tradition, and language, and the preservation, protection, and enhancement
of Navajo sovereignty.
- John Blackhawk, Chairman, Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. Chairman Blackhawk has
served the Winnebago Tribe since 1985 and has been chairman since 1991. He was active in
the creation of Ho-Chunk Inc., the business development arm created to increase economic
development for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.
- Tex G. Hall, Chairman of the Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota; President,
Native American National Bank Committee. Chairman Hall is an active advocate for
many Indian issues on both the tribal and federal levels. In addition to his tribal government
work, he currently serves as the Chairman of the Economic Development work group
subcommittee of the Tribal/BIA Budget Advisory Council.
- Susan Masten, Chairwoman of the Yurok Tribe and President the National Congress of
American Indians (NCAI). The National Congress of American Indians was founded in
1944 and is the oldest and largest tribal government organization in the United States.
NCAI's mission is to inform the public and the federal government on tribal self-government,
treaty rights, and a broad range of federal policy issues affecting tribal governments.
- Lance Morgan, President, Ho-Chunk, Inc. Ho-Chunk is the business development arm of
the Winnebago Tribe. It started in 1995 with one employee and now has 230 employees and
annual revenues of $50 million. It has been honored by Harvard University as one of the best
companies in America.
The ITTI scholarship program is assisted by the participation of the NCAI and General Services Employee Association (GSEA). Under NCAI's 501(c)(3) non-profit subsidiary interested parties can make tax-deductible contributions which are used for scholarships for American Indian participants.
At ITTI 2001, the FCC and NECA will bring together their own experts, along with representatives from other federal government agencies, telecommunication companies and emerging technology firms, to inform tribal governments about various facets of telecommunications services and discuss with them how different technologies, regulatory rules, and government programs can be used to benefit tribal communities. The seminar will also identify programs and resources available to tribal residents and governments to assist their efforts and to secure access to, and improve the affordability of, telecommunications services on tribal reservations. Similar to ITTI 2000, this conference will address major telecommunications issues but it will have an added emphasis on networking and establishing concrete goals and objectives.
Once again, the conference will offer an Internet Café which will provide hands-on training for first time and novice Internet users. The Internet Café, with its wireless LAN, will be hosted by TAMSCO with support from Tachyon. In addition, the conference will host an exhibit hall with over 50 exhibitors with representatives from the telecommunications industry and federal government agencies.
For ITTI conference information please call Nancy Plon at (202) 418-2899 or call 888-225-5322, and select option 2 after the recorded message; 717-338-2888; or, e-mail the FCC at ITTI2001@fcc.gov or visit the FCC Indian Initiatives website at: www.fcc.gov/indians/ITTI.
For more information regarding the Indian Initiatives at the FCC, please contact Geoffrey Blackwell, FCC Liaison to Tribal Governments at 202-418-8192.
To register for this event contact NECA-ITTI 2001: at 1-800-351-9033.