NR 97-60
June 18, 1997

                    Comptroller Eugene Ludwig To Address 
              National Conference on Banking in Indian Country

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Comptroller of the Currency Eugene A. Ludwig will address
a national conference, "Banking in Indian Country -- Expanding the Horizons,"
on Thursday, July 24, 1997 in Washington D.C.  The conference is being jointly
sponsored by the United States Department of Justice's Office of Tribal
Justice and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).

"I am pleased to co-sponsor this forum with the Office of Tribal Justice to
educate national banks, tribal representatives and others about opportunities
to offer banking services and provide credit to residents of Indian
reservations," said Comptroller Ludwig.  "We are committed to helping Native
Americans gain greater access to a variety of financial products and
services."  

The one-day conference will include sessions on:

-    Operating in Indian Country: tribal sovereignty, trust land status, civil
     jurisdiction, and sovereign immunity;
-    Community Issues:  Community Reinvestment Act, fair lending laws, and
     community development;
-    Home Mortgage Lending in Indian Country;
-    Acquiring and Chartering Tribally-owned Financial Institutions; and
-    Reaching the Nonbanked in Indian Country: micro-enterprise lending,
     customer education, and alternative delivery mechanisms.

The conference will be held at the Renaissance Washington D.C. Hotel, at 999
Ninth Street N.W., Washington, D.C., and will be followed by a reception
featuring table discussions, exhibits and Native American entertainment. 
Conference registration is $75.00 per person.  The conference agenda and a
registration form accompany this release.  For additional information about
the conference or to inquire about exhibiting at the reception, please call
(202) 874-3520, or visit the OCC's website at http://www.occ.treas.gov.

                                     # # #

The OCC charters, regulates and supervises approximately 2,800 national banks and 66 federal
branches and agencies of foreign banks in the U.S., accounting for more than half the
nation's banking assets.  Its mission is to ensure a safe, sound and competitive national
banking system that supports the citizens, communities and economy of the United States. U.S. Department of Justice and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency present a
                                conference on
                                      
             Banking in Indian Country   Expanding the Horizons
              Renaissance Hotel, Washington, DC - July 24, 1997
                                      
                              Tentative Agenda
                                      
8:00           Registration/Continental breakfast

8:30      Opening Remarks    Comptroller Eugene A. Ludwig

9:00   10:00   Session One     Operating in Indian Country
               Addressing:  tribal sovereignty, trust land status, civil jurisdiction, and
               sovereign immunity.

10:15   10:45  A Banker's Perspective

10:45   11:45  Session Two   Community Issues
               Addressing:  Community Reinvestment Act, fair lending laws, and community
               development.

12:00   1:45   Luncheon Speaker    Attorney General Janet Reno (invited)

2:00   3:30         Session Three   Concurrent Panels
                    Panel One -- Home Mortgage Lending in Indian Country 
                    Panel Two -- Acquiring/Chartering Tribally-owned Institutions

3:45   4:15         Chairman Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Senate Indian Affairs Committee (invited)

4:15   5:15         Session Four   Reaching the Nonbanked in Indian Country
               Addressing: micro-enterprise lending, customer education, and alternative
               delivery mechanisms.

5:30   7:30         Reception and Exhibits


  
  REGISTRATION FORM   DOJ/OCC Conference on Banking in Indian Country    July 24,
  1997
        Advance registration deadline is July 11, 1997
                                
  Name and Title:       
  
  Name of Organization:  
  
  Address:  
  
  Telephone:                                                               
            
  
  PAYMENT METHOD   For more information, call (202) 874-3520 or visit
  http://www.occ.treas.gov
  
     Credit Card: Fax this completed form to (202) 874-5678 to register
       by credit card for $75 fee.
  
     [ ] MasterCard [ ] VISA   Acct #             Exp. Date 
  
     Signature:  
  
     Check: Mail this completed form with your $75 check, payable to
       Comptroller of the Currency, to Community Relations Division, MS
       9-14, OCC, 250 E Street, SW, Washington, DC 20219.  
  
  For accommodations, call the Renaissance Hotel, 999 Ninth St., NW,
  Washington, DC at (202) 898-9000.  Room block expires July 3, 1997.