Director's Page

AHRN Director Melinda Gopher with Daughter 

I am Melinda Gopher, I have a personally vested interest in the human rights efforts that cross a broad spectrum of federal and international policy regarding aboriginal and indigenous people.  I am pleased, that of all of the work Loud Thunder has done over the past two decades--human rights are vital work in this organization's mission--and I am wholeheartedly embracing this Directorship of this critical issue.

In addition to monitoring human rights on a local to international level; I am personally vested in advancing the cause of federal recognition.  There are over 225 known tribes and bands within the borders of the United States that are arbitrarily denied their status among the ranks of recognized indigenous nations.

This is a personal initiative that I will be focusing on within the coming years as a person knowledgeable about the legal system, and the political system.  I hope to gently open the doors that will enable our deserved recognition and if that cannot be done, I am prepared to kick those doors in.

In addition to spearheading a national federal recognition bill:  I will be jointly focusing on preparation of a shadow report on the status of non-recognized nations to the United Nations.  The United States record and the failure of its federal recognition policy is deplorable.  I intend to bring this to light.

Gopher was most recently a candidate for the U.S. House in the 2010 Montana Democratic primary.