NEW TOWN – North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong and Lieutenant Governor Michelle Strinden led state agency representatives in a meeting today in New Town.
The meeting involved members of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara (MHA) Nation and together they discussed challenges, opportunities and shared priorities across the relations between North Dakota and its tribes.
“Our goal with these events isn’t just to be here and show that we’re here. Our goal is to find action items … and build up those partnerships and find a way that we can add value,” Armstrong said. “We want to make progress. We want to figure out where we can work together.”
Governor Kelly Armstrong has a commitment to strengthen state-tribal partnerships and visit all five tribal nations in the state during his first year. Wednesday’s visit was his third with tribal nations – visiting Turtle Mountain in July and Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate last month.
MHA Nation Chairman Mark Fox said the Nation accounts for three percent of the total oil production in the United States, and has plans for gas capture, power generation and other projects.
“We’re proud that you took the time to come here, government to government, and to sit down and talk about very important issues that impact all of us,” Fox said. “What we do impacts the state. What the state does impacts us.”
The group visited the Nation’s new NG2 Greenhouse as well as toured the tribe’s emergency operations center, Elbowoods Memorial Health Center’s campus and tribal headquarters.
