Reznet

Excerpts From State of Indian Nations Address

By Adam McMullin

WASHINGTON—In his final State of Indian Nations address as National Congress of American Indians president, Joe A. Garcia reached out to President Obama's administration and federal agencies in hopes of a more improved nation-to-nation relationship.

Garcia praised President Obama's knowledge of treaty obligations to Indian nations and his vision for government parity in his new administration.

"We embrace the promised White House summit between tribal leaders and the Obama administration," Garcia told about 200 audience members in the National Museum of the American Indian's Rasmuson Theater. "The President has given us good reason to believe he will include Indian Nations as he talks about a new spirit of hope and change."

Garcia highlighted Indian Country's successes of 2008: NCAI helped lead the White House to a stronger anti-meth campaign; helped gain the President's signature on legislation honoring Native Code Talkers from World Wars I and II; made improvements in tribal courts; advanced our agenda for children; found ways to use environmental initiatives to help tribes boost their economies while preserving Mother Earth; and Native Americans made history on Election Day by participating in the democratic process in record numbers.

Excerpts from NCAI President Garcia's address follow:

Our Hope for the New Administration

"When the President says that Indian Nations are a priority for his new Administration, I take him at his word. I look forward to new respect for tribal sovereignty, and a new focus on the importance of nation-to-nation relationships.

I look forward to Indian Country's greater inclusion and greater respect in this new vision for America and there is still much work to be done. So today I present our agenda in four areas:

• We seek a place at the table for Indian Nations in the economic recovery of this great nation;

• We seek transformational improvements to health care;

• We call for a fundamental, federal commitment to public safety; and

• We seek a new federal priority for the education of the children of Indian Nations."

Economic Recovery

"The first priority of our agenda is ensuring that the Indian Nations are included in the economic recovery.

The economic downturn is having a dramatic effect on the ability of tribal governments, like other governments, to administer basic functions. We call upon Congress and the new Administration to fully support Indian Nations in the American Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Plan for investment in tribal government infrastructure."

"Congress is set to pass this week the American Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Plan, a bill that would include funds for tribes to build roads, schools, health care facilities and other infrastructure needs vital to life in Indian Country.

We ask only for what we have been promised in treaty and in law: support for the basic services that other Americans expect on a daily basis: education, and health care, and keeping our streets and homes safe."

Health Care

"One of the oldest treaties between the federal government and Indian Nations makes provision for providing health care. When the federal government fails to do their part, Native people have nowhere else to turn.

Ten years ago, Congress allowed the authorization for the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to expire.

For ten years, the federal government has failed not only to do the right thing, they have failed to uphold their obligation. The result is that Native people are suffering.

Reauthorization of this law would address the most basic elements of health care: doctors and nurses, mental health professionals, addiction counselors, and the medical equipment, facilities, even buildings required to provide even the most fundamental services.

It is heartbreaking to imagine that our leaders in Washington do not care, so I must believe that they do not know."

Public Safety

"There is no simple reason for crime, just as there is no simple solution. But there are things that can be done to make daily life safer for Native people, to get crime rates under control, and there are things we can do to help keep young people from falling into criminal activity in the first place.

Public safety is the top budget priority for Indian Country and congressional appropriations should reflect that as well. We simply need more resources for officers and equipment.

Today we have released the Indian Country FY 2010 budget request which includes specific recommendations for public safety as well as the entire federal budget.

But there is something else Washington can do: Congress should take a hard look at the complicated and sometimes conflicting jurisdictional issues that make it difficult not only to prosecute crime but also to prevent it.

We are committed to working closely with the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to find and implement fundamental changes to make this happen, and I call for the Administration's commitment to that action."

Education

"Finally, I want to talk about education. I urge the new Administration to make it a priority to support greater academic success and educational growth for the children of the Indian Nations.

Native students are in crisis. American Indian and Alaska Native children continue to fall behind their peers. According to the recent National Indian Education Study, American Indian and Alaska Native students scored significantly lower than their peers in reading and math in both fourth and eighth grades.

Since 2005, Native students have been the only students to show no significant progress in either subject.

Ninety percent of Indian children are enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools, but ten percent attend schools in their tribal communities.

These schools are supported solely by federal funds through the Bureau of Indian Education and have been overlooked and neglected for decades, most severely so in recent years.

And now our Native youth face some of the highest high school dropout rates in the country.

An investment in better schools will have a ripple effect on well-being and economic strength throughout Indian communities."

The address will be available for online viewing for 30 days at the NCAI Web site.

Adam McMullin is communications director of the National Congress of American Indians. Founded in 1944, NCAI is the oldest, largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization in the country. NCAI advocates on behalf of tribal governments, promoting strong tribal-federal government-to-government policies, and promoting a better understanding among the general public regarding American Indian and Alaska Native governments, people and rights.