FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 15, 2006

Governor Murkowski Welcomes Dino Rossi

President Thomas attended a "Welcome to Juneau Luncheon" in honor of Dino Rossi, 2004 Washington State Gubernatorial Candidate, at the Governor's mansion on Friday, February 10, 2006. In addition to Governor Murkowski; First Lady, Nancy Murkowski; the State legislative leadership; Tlingit Assemblyman, Randy Wanamaker; and President Thomas had lunch with Dino Rossi.

"It was an honor for me to be invited to this luncheon," said President Thomas, "Dino is a Tlingit & Haida Central Council tribal citizen from Washington who was narrowly defeated in his bid for Governor of the State of Washington a couple of years ago."

Dino openly acknowledges and is proud of his Tlingit heritage and spoke of his ties to Southeast Alaska during his remarks. President Thomas gave him and Governor Murkowski each a gift of a Tlingit and Haida logo vest and shirt respectively as a reminder that Southeast Alaska is the ancestral home of the Tlingit and the Haida people.

"We are proud to see one of our tribal citizens aspire to a higher level of non-Native politics by running for governor of the State of Washington," said President Thomas. "The State of Washington deals with Native American issues on a regular basis and very often what they do there sets the standard for what happens elsewhere in this nation."

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Media Contact:
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