North Dakota lawmakers, tribal leaders and other government officials gathered in Bismarck on Thursday to discuss legislative goals for American Indians during the upcoming session.

Thursday's gathering is part of a series of policy summits that aim to create dialogue between lawmakers and tribal leaders in North Dakota, Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming.

"We hope that we'll evoke some new discussions and hope to put to rest some of the old discussions we haven't been able to resolve," said former state Sen. Dennis Bercier, D-Belcourt.

The discussions include adequate funding for education, high unemployment rates on reservations and traffic safety, among others.

Bercier said he hoped Thursday's summit will "springboard" these issues into the 2009 legislative session.

House Minority Leader Rep. Merle Boucher, D-Rolette, said lawmakers have done a lot of "posturing" and not enough action for tribal nations.

"We talk about these things, yet it seems like we're very slow to make a lot of progress," Boucher said. "This has been going on for many years."

For example, he said the state claims to have a 3 percent unemployment rate, while unemployment in some tribal communities is as high as 60 percent.

Still, Boucher said it will take a two-way dialogue between lawmakers and tribal leaders to make that progress.

"Please don't come to the table with your hat in your hand," Boucher said, addressing the summit. "Come to us as citizens of North Dakota."

Marcus Wells Jr., chairman of the Three Affiliated Tribes, said the relationship between tribes and local governments are getting better year by year.

Still, Wells said more needs to be done.

He said traffic on N.D. Highway 23 near the Three Affiliated Tribes is becoming more dangerous as semi-trucks come to the region because of the oil boom.

Wells said two people from the Three Affiliated Tribes have been killed and many others injured in collisions with semi-trucks.

"It's a really congested situation," he said. "We need a four-lane, essentially."

Montana state Rep. Shannon Augare, D-Browning, called the summit a "historical first."

Augare said two more meetings are scheduled in South Dakota and Wyoming this month, where state lawmakers and tribal leaders there will develop a list of legislative goals.

The first summit was held in Great Falls, Mont., in March.

(Reach reporter Brian Duggan at brian.duggan@;bismarcktribune.com.)