MADISON – Today, State Representative Alex Joers (D-Middleton) attended the 19th Annual State of the Tribes address. This year’s address was delivered by Sokaogon Chippewa Community Chairman Robert Van Zile. Representative Joers released the following statement:
“I was honored to hear from Chairman Robert Van Zile in today’s State of the Tribes address. As we celebrate our partnership between the state government and the leaders of Wisconsin’s sovereign tribal nations, we must continue to recognize the immeasurable impact they continue to have in our state.
“We must ensure we acknowledge the truths of the past, as well as the ways they are still impacting the present. Wisconsin’s sovereign tribal nations have had an immeasurable impact on the culture, landscape, economy, and history of this state. Today, we renew the partnership between the state government and the governments of Wisconsin’s sovereign tribal nations.
“I am thankful to Governor Evers for his many provisions in the state budget that are dedicated to tribal nations and the investment in clean air, clean water, and our overall environmental protection as Chairman Van Zile spoke about. As a state, we must continue to bring tribal voices to the table and I am proud to recognize those voices today.”
