Our view: State, tribal relations take a step forward

Herald editorial board

Among numerous points presented by Gov. Doug Burgum during his hourlong State of the State address Thursday was a 150-second segment that drew two rounds of applause and hinted at progress in the state's relationship with American Indians.

The relationship hasn't been warm, and especially in the months after aggressive Indian-backed protests arose amid the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. It led to what we considered a period of disdain on both sides.

Burgum said so much during a state-tribal conference he attended in January 2018, when he said "it might have been hard to imagine this meeting a year ago." That meeting was the Strengthening Government-to-Government Relationships and Partnerships Conference, held in Bismarck. It drew a packed house, as attendees there heard Burgum pledge a fresh start while recognizing a "complex history."

"One thing that I know that none of us have the ability to do is to change history," Burgum said then. "But we all have the ability to change our future."

Fast-forward a year, and it appears the governor is trying to accomplish that. State leaders last year served on the interim Legislative Tribal Taxation Issues Committee, which was chaired by Burgum. That was a good step in the direction of improved tribal relations.

And during his State of the State address Thursday, Burgum said that after a year of better engagement with the tribes, state government has "expanded opportunities through communication, collaboration and meaningful engagement with each of our important sovereign tribal nations within our borders."

One result: The governor announced legislation - co-sponsored by legislative leadership - that will allow North Dakota governors to enter into separate agreements with individual tribes to administer sales/use taxes and wholesale taxes on alcohol and tobacco.

And another: Burgum plans to cap this warmer relationship by displaying tribal flags in Memorial Hall at the Capitol.

"In the spirit of mutual respect, we are honored to announce that the governor's office today will begin to display the flags of the five tribal nations with whom we share geography," Burgum said.

Burgum said the former - the taxation legislation - sends a strong signal of collaboration between state government and the tribes. That's true, and we're glad to see it. But we believe the latter - the decision to display tribal flags at the Capitol - is a much louder proclamation that the state is interested in true reconciliation.

Why? Because legislation requires work, as well as a majority vote.

Yet displaying flags requires much less effort and could have been done anytime. Good for the governor for making this gesture - one of symbolism as well as respect.

In this new era of reconciliation, much remains to be done, but this is a start. In Friday's Herald, Spirit Lake Nation Chairwoman Myra Pearson said she had recently "kind of boycotted" Bismarck, but she gives credit to Burgum for making strides to collaborate with North Dakota's tribes.

"With (Burgum in office), I think there is going to be a lot of change," she said.

So far, that's true. As Burgum said last year, "we all have the ability to change our future." It just takes someone to take those first steps.