Rep. Cole touts Native American 'renaissance'

As the only Native American in Congress, Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma) is constantly educating his colleagues about tribes and Indian policy.

Cole, a member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, likes to tell fellow members that they swore to uphold tribal sovereignty when they took their oath of office. The U.S. Constitution recognizes tribes in the same clause as states and foreign nations.

"A tribe is not a genealogical association and it's not a fraternal society," Cole said yesterday in a speech at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. "It's a living, breathing entity that exists organically and its purpose is to improve the lives and protect the identity of its members."

But Cole, whose family has been active in politics for generations, said lawmakers of both parties don't always respect tribal sovereignty. Republicans are almost always concerned about gaming while Democrats try to extend federal oversight of tribes, mainly through labor unions, he said.

Both issues have been heavily debated during Cole's time in Congress. Just this year, he broke with his party to support to federal recognition bills -- one for Native Hawaiians and another for six Virginia tribes. In the past, he has co-sponsored bills to shield tribes from federal labor laws.

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