NCAI President Brian Cladoosby, Swinomish Tribe:

“A great leader has returned to the Creator. Indian people, like others who have suffered injustice and oppression, have long identified with the struggle for freedom and equality of the South African people. For us, Nelson Mandela has been and will always be an inspiration.

Mandela was relentless in the pursuit of justice, committed to respect for the common humanity we all share and dedicated to the improvement of the lives of his people. May we honor his memory by recommitting ourselves to effort worthy of his example on behalf of all those for whom equality is still a dream."