December 4, 2008

Congressman Mike Thompson

231 Cannon House Office Building
District of Columbia 20515-0501
Phone: (202) 225-3311
Fax: (202) 225-4335

Re: Internal tribal disputes and individual Indians’ rights

Dear Congressman Thompson:

It has come to my attention that you are one of the final candidates being considered by
President-elect Obama for the Cabinet position of Secretary of the Interior. I congratulate you on
your consideration for such an important position.

As you know, the Secretary of the Interior plays in important role in Indian Country, and I felt it
was important to ask you where you stand on several important and timely issues affecting
Indian Country.

A recent report by the Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) referenced the fact that
internal tribal disputes “seem to be occurring more and more frequently”. Such disputes have
resulted in the disenrollment, banishment, denial of membership, stripping of voting rights,
and/or denial of health/medical benefits of thousands of Indians.

In response to the growing number of these types of disputes, the GAO felt it was necessary and
appropriate that nominees to the Secretary of Interior be asked how they would address such
issues. While the question posed in the GAO report asks about a nominee’s personal experience
working with tribal leadership in trying to resolve or prevent such disputes, I believe it is also
important to know how you have or would work with individual Indians in trying to resolve or
prevent such disputes.

Therefore, I would like to know where you stand and what you believe your role as Secretary
would be regarding (1) internal tribal disputes and (2) the protection and preservation of
individual Indians’ basic rights in internal disputes. In addition, do you believe that tribal
sovereignty and the protection of basic individual rights are mutually exclusive of each other?

I eagerly await your response to the questions raised above.

Respectfully submitted,