Thread by @jbendery

Morning! ☕️

Today, the White House is hosting its 2-day Tribal Nations Summit. This event has the full attention of the White House: Biden is speaking. AG Garland. Interior Sec Deb Haaland. Fauci. Becerra. Cardona. Lots of others.

Livestream here: whitehouse.gov/live/

I'll be watching for news on lots of things: On efforts to address missing + murdered Indigenous women; on Indian boarding schools; on protecting sacred Indigenous sites.

And possibly, even a *hint* of a willingness to release Leonard Peltier from prison. huffpost.com/entry/leonard-…

Interior Sec Haaland is speaking now.

A reminder that in 2020, as a congresswoman, she called for Leonard Peltier's release from prison. nativenewsonline.net/currents/citin…

Who is Leonard Peltier, you may be asking?

He's the Native American activist the FBI put in prison 44 years ago based on lies, threats and zero evidence that he committed a crime.

Why is he still in prison? huffpost.com/entry/leonard-…

Biden announces he's about to sign an executive order addressing "the crisis of violence against Native Americans."

Says it will direct federal officials to work with tribes on improving public safety and advancing justice.

Biden ticks off actions he's taken to help tribes + touts the number of Native Americans serving in significant roles in his admin. It's more than 50.

Says of Jill Biden: "She's visited the Navajo Nation so many times, I'm worried she's not going to come home."

Here's Biden signing the exec order, which also focuses on "addressing the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people."

"I'm proud to sign it. It's long overdue," says Biden.