Jo-Ellen Cree, Regional Tribal Operations Officer for the Rocky Mountain Area of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
Jo-Ellen is a 38-year veteran of the agency. Her presentation focused on building stronger relationships with tribal nations and communities throughout the region. She explained that the BIA oversees services to seven reservations and nine tribal nations in the Rocky Mountain Area, with responsibilities that include protecting resources, supporting tribal sovereignty and self-governance, managing land and natural resources, and coordinating programs involving education, law enforcement, health services, economic development, and agriculture.
Jo-Ellen provided an overview of several tribal nations and their populations, including the Blackfeet Tribe, Crow Tribe, Fort Belknap Reservation, Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Tribes, Northern Cheyenne Tribe, Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy's Reservation, and the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians. She discussed reservation sizes, membership numbers, and the growing role of self-determination in tribal governance and services.
The program provided members with a deeper understanding of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, tribal sovereignty, and the demographics and priorities of Montana's tribal nations, while emphasizing collaboration and relationship-building between tribal communities and government agencies.