“First Americans” being the absurdly PC name for American Indians.

(Politico) — President Obama’s campaign fundraiser at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel this afternoon was with the Native American Leadership Council, and in remarks to the group, he characterized the fight for fairness that he outlined in the State of the Union address as a “turning point” for tribal relations.

“And I want you guys to be full partners in that fight because I believe that one day we?re going to be able to look back on these years and say this was a turning point in nation-to-nation relations; that this was turning point when the nations all across the country recognized that they were full partners, treated with dignity and respect and consultation; that this wasn?t just a side note on a White House agenda, but this was part and parcel of our broader agenda to make sure that everybody has opportunity,” Obama said, according to a White House transcript.

The president spoke about building a strong middle class within the Native American population, the “first Americans,” and ensuring it is “not simply a ward but is able to marshal the resources to create its own agenda and its own destiny and its own economic development and its own businesses.

“We want new businesses and new opportunities to take root on the reservation,” he said. “We want to stop repeating the mistakes of the past and begin building a better future — one that honors old traditions and also welcomes every single Native American into the American Dream.”