Williston, N.D. (AP) The new leader of North Dakota's oil rich Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation says the tribes need to strive toward self-reliance and end federal dependency.
Chairman Mark Fox made the remarks in an inaugural address Wednesday evening at a celebration in new town. He was joined by tribal, state and federal officials and dignitaries. Fox won a november 4th general election to become the new leader of the tribes.
Fox says the tribes' need to take advantage of the prosperity of the oil boom to re-establish their economy and become a model of development in Indian country.
The tribes' Fort Berthold Indian Reservation produces more than 330,000 barrels of oil per day. That's about one-third of North Dakota's production and almost as much as Oklahoma's daily output.