COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS AVAILABLE TO TRIBAL MEMBERS FOR NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN SYMPOSIUM GREAT FALLS, MT: The Circle of Tribal Advisors (COTA), National Council of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial and Montana Tribal Tourism Alliance (MTTA) announced today that 150 complimentary $25 symposium admission tickets for all "American Indian Nations: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" speakers and sessions are available per day to American Indian tribal members and tribal school and youth groups. The complimentary tickets are underwritten by COTA and the National Council and made available through MTTA. This extraordinary national symposium, to be held on the campus of the University of Great Falls July 1-3, 2005, as part of the final weekend of Explore! The Big Sky, will be the largest gathering of American Indian scholars, professionals and traditionalists in over five decades. Presenters will examine the state of American Indian Nations today. Featured speakers include Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado, Commander John B. Herrington, Dr. Kevin Gover, Chief Oren Lyons, NCAI President Tex Hall, Suzan Shown Harjo, Olympic Gold medalist Billy Mills, Elouise Cobell and many other speakers from more than 35 tribal nations. Symposium sessions will be held from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on Friday and Saturday, July 1 and 2, and from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Sunday, July 3. Complimentary tribal admission tickets may be reserved by calling Carol Franco at 970.791.5382 at least one day ahead. Any remaining complimentary tickets will be available to tribal members at the door on a first come first served basis each morning of the symposium. For more information about complimentary tribal admission tickets, call Carol Franco at 406.791.5382, Sammye Meadows at 970.641.1355 or 970.596.6672, or Dyani Bingham at 406.208.2389. The Circle of Tribal Advisors (COTA), an advisory group to the National Council, is made up of 41 tribal nations from Idaho, Indiana/Ohio, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Virginia, and Washington. Priorities include greater protection for sacred sites and cultural resources, environmental conservation, and Native language revitalization and preservation. The National Council of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial is the grassroots organization authorized by Congress to coordinate the 2003-2006 national commemoration of the 200 th anniversary of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Tribal involvement in the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial is the National Council's number one priority. For more information about the Circle of Tribal Advisors, COTA member tribes, and the National Council of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial, visit www.lewisandclark200.org . Montana Tribal Tourism Alliance (MTTA) is working to advocate for tribal tourism development within Montana's reservation communities. From June 29-July 3, 2005, MTTA will host the Plains Indian Encampment at the Expo Park Fairgrounds for the Explore the Big Sky National Lewis & Clark Signature Event. The encampment will run from 11am - 7pm daily and there is no admission fee. For an agenda, please log on to www.bigskytribes.com . For a symposium schedule and more information about "American Indian Voices: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" and Explore! The Big Sky, log on to www.explorethebigsky.org . |
