Posted by: JaredFurtado on Nov 30, 2011

By: Suzanne Gamboa

Ahead of a meeting Friday between President Barack Obama and hundreds of Native American leaders, the administration unveiled new rules for tribal lands that officials say will expedite home building and energy development.

The proposed changes – the first of its kind in 50 years – would open the door to badly-needed housing development on reservations, and for wind and solar energy projects that tribes have been eager to launch.

The plan gives Obama another boasting point for this week's meeting with leaders of the 565 federally-recognized tribes at the White House.

"We have for three years worked very hard to change the relationship between the administration and the nation's first Americans," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Monday. He said Obama tasked him with changing the federal government's relationship with tribes "in a very complete way."

Obama has been winning high praise among Native Americans. The president has appointed Native Americans to high level positions in his administration, signed laws to improve health care and law enforcement for Native Americans and resolved a long running lawsuit over royalties for minerals on tribal lands. In February, Obama nominated Arvo Mikkanen to serve as a federal judge. If confirmed, he would be the only Native American actively serving on the federal bench.

"We've had more access to federal officials to speak about these important issues in Indian Country," said Mellor Willie, a Navajo tribe member and executive director of the National American Indian Housing Council.

That was the case on the land leasing rules. Willie said the council asked the administration to consider reforming the rules during the transition between the Bush and Obama administrations. He said the Obama administration has held a number of meetings with tribes on the subject and provided draft proposals to leaders as the rules were being rewritten.

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