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 Born and raised on the reservation, Alec has spent most of his adult life involved in with the political aspect of the Tule River Tribe. Mr. Garfield holds the longest tenure for a tribal chairman, serving an astonishing 13 years. He is also an active member of groups and organizations in the Porterville Community. His credits include: Tule River Chairman: 1970-1983 Council member: 1965, 1966, 1969-1985, 1998-2003 Treasure: Inter-Tribal Council of California: 1974 Appointed to Indian Coordinator Task Force by Gov. Jerry Brown: 1974 Board of Directors, Indian Campgrounds, Inc.: 1971-1974 Board of Directors, California Rural Indian Health Board: 1974 California Indian Legal Services - Board of Trustees: 1974 Bureau of Indian Affairs Advisory Board, CCA: 1975-1982 Reservation Development Manager: 1983 Tule River Tribe Tribal Administrator: 1984-1985 Tule River Tribe California Area Vice-President: National Congress of American Indians: 1975 President: California Tribal Chairmen's Association: 1976-1980 Board of Directors: National Tribal Chairman's Association: 1976-1980 Tule River Indian Housing Authority, Board of Trustees: 1986, 1987, 1988 Tule River Tribe Gaming Commission: 1994-1998, Chairman: 1994-1996 Tule River Tribe Water Rights Negotiating Team: 1998-2004, Chairman: 1999-Present Civic Organizations: Kiwanis Club of Porterville (evening club): 1987-1991 President: 1990-1991 United Way of Tulare County, Board Member: 2000-2002 Other Organizations: Tulare County Community Action Agency, Board Member: 1969-1971 Vice Chairman: 1971 Rural Action Groups Inc. Board Member: 1970-1971 Board of Directors, Region II, California Youth Authority, 1984-1985 Emergency Food and Shelter Program - (FEMA), 1987 - 2003; Chairman 2003 Yosemite-Sequoia Resource Conservation & Development Council, 2000-2003 Board Member, First Vice-President 2002-2003 Southeastern Tulare county Intergovernmental Coordinating Committee (STIG) 2002-2003. City of Porterville, and the Tule River Indian Tribe. Chairman 2003 Accomplishments, Recognition, During Tenure of Chairmanship 1970- Beginning July 1 1970, the Tule River Tribal Council, made the decision to make the Tribal Chairman's position a full-time paid administrative position of the tribal organization at $500.00 per month. This was with community support. 1971- Loan of $16,000 for construction of tribal grocery store and gas station through Rural Action Groups, Inc., Visalia, CA. Loan repaid by Tule River Tribal Council. 1972 & 1973- An Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant of approximately $250,000 was obtained with the assistance of the BIA to construct a tribal administrative and community building complex of 10,000 square feet. Tribal staff moved into their new offices mid April 1973. 1974- a Comprehensive Development Plan had been worked on with tribal consultants Environmental Concern, Inc., Spokane, Washington, and tribal employee, Randy Christman as a planner trainee. The plan was adopted on January 24, 1974, and included a wide range of proposals for the improvement of tribal human resources, jobs and economic conditions, natural resources, physical facilities and tribal management. The plan was to be used as a guide for immediate and long-range decisions by the Tule River Tribal Council. 1974- Tribal Constitution and Bylaws Amendment IV & V: Amendment IV - Section I of Article VI - Powers and duties of the Tribal Council shall be amended by adding a new subsection to read as follows: (n) To charter tribal enterprises, corporations, and associations. Amendment V - Section I of Article VI- Powers and duties of the Tribal Council shall be amended by adding a new subsection to read as follows: (o) To join and/or charter tribal housing authorities. 1976- as the Chairman of the Tribe and President of the California Tribal Chairmen's Association, Alex had the unique opportunity to head up a special task force organized by Indian Health Service of Sacramento, CA., to go up and down the state of California, as well as go into Arizona and New Mexico to hold IHS Hearings on the Indian Health Care Improvement Act language and specific dollar amounts to be included in the Bill. As you know, this historic legislation was adopted by Congress in 1976. The expenses were handled by the Sacramento IHS office. This Special Task Force included Bob McSwain, Director of the CPO, IHS. Thelma Brafford of the same office. Tribal Chairmen included were Pete Masten of the Hoopa Valley Tribe, Erin Forrest of X-L Reservation, and Alec Garfield of the Tule River Tribe. 1976- Alec, along with a group of other California Tribal Chairmen, as well as other Chairmen from across the country, were invited to the White House to discuss tribal issues/concerns with President Gerald R. Ford. Pictures were taken with the President to honor the historic occasion for the Tribes and the White House. 1980- President Jimmy Carter signed into law, Senate Bill 1998 on September 4, 1980, conveying 1,240 acres of prime-timberland back to the Tribe, which had been erroneously removed as a part of the reservation in 1928. Tribal Attorney Abby Abinanti and Tribal Chairman Alec Garfield Lobbied and testified on behalf of the Tribe for its return before Senate and Congressional Committees, Washington, D.C. Alec received a letter and commemorative pen on the tribal accomplishments from President Jimmy Carter. 1981- Invited by the presidential Inaugural Committee 1981 to attend the Inaugural Ball in Washington, D.C. in honor of the President and Vice President of the United States, Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. While in Washington, Alec was a guest of Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Clary, PH. D., of the Clary Institute, located along Embassy Row. 1982- The tribe was allocated under P.L. 93-638, the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, a grant which the initial yearly sum of $236.400 began on October 1, 1982 (FY-1983). This after the California BIA office declined our request for funding. The final decision in Washington, D.C. over-ruled the California decision. The tribe has since received several million dollars through 638 contracting to fund tribal programs and priorities since October 1, 1982. In 1988 the tribe did not receive any funding from BIA. This matter was never clarified to the tribal council. Because of technical assistance availability to the tribe from BIA, this never should have occurred. The Tule River Tribe was one of the first tribe's in California to apply for funding under P.L. 93-638, if not the first. Only two tribes out of thirty-five in the Central California Agency, supported Tule River's decision to apply for the set-aside funding. It was felt by those tribes that this would somehow weaken the CCA and its mission to strengthen tribal governments. This is what P.L. 93-638 is supposed to do, strengthen tribal governments by allowing them a budget set-side and also allowing the tribes to prioritize their own BIA programs to better suit the needs of their respective governments. February 2004 |
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