Garcia elected NCAI President
Keel, Dixon and Allen also get nod from voters
TULSA OK
Native American Times 11/3/2005
Joe Garcia has been elected as President of the National Congress of American Indians.
Garcia, the Governor of New Mexico's San Juan Pueblo, received the most votes from NCAI delegates Thursday afternoon.
“I feel great. We worked very hard,” Garcia said moments after the results were announced.
Garcia defeated Harold Frazier, Chairman of the South Dakota-based Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, and Osage Nation Principal Chief Jim Gray. Gray is the husband of Native American Times publisher Elizabeth Gray.
“It’s time for Indian Country to get united and get back to work,” Gray said. “We have enormous responsibilities and I wish everyone the best of luck.”
“Like I said before-and I meant it-I wish Joe the best of luck. Now is the time to rally around him and support him,” said Frazier.
"President-elect Garcia will be a great leader for NCAI," said outgoing NCAI President Tex Hall. "He has proven to be a successful Governor for the San Juan Pueblo and I know that will translate into effective, progressive leadership on the national stage that will benefit Indian people for generations. On behalf of NCAI Executive Board and staff, I offer sincere congratulations to Joe Garcia and wish him the best in his new role as leader of this great organization."
Other NCAI election results: Jefferson Keel, Lt. Governor of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, was elected First Vice-President; Juana Majel-Dixon, the Pauma Band of Mission Indians of California was re-elected as Recording Secretary; and W. Ron Allen, Chairman of the Jamestown S'Klallam tribe of Washington was re-elected Treasurer.
Garcia said now is when the hard work really begins.
“We already have some strategies,” Garcia said. ”In the next month Indian Country will have a document that lays out those strategies.”
Link to Report
NTN Article#: 7188
Contents
Last updated on November 04, 2005