Letter to President Obama: Native American Apology Act

Feb 26, 2010

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Obama,

On behalf of the Native American Advocacy Program at the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), the only religious lobby on the Hill to maintain a desk devoted to Native American affairs, we write to you today with regard to the Native American Apology Act.

As you know, the Senate included the Native American Apology Act as an amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill, which you signed on December 19, 2009. The Apology Act recognizes the special legal and political relationship between the United States and tribes, and acknowledges years of ill-conceived policies, broken covenants and official depredations by federal government toward Indian tribes. The Apology Act is an historic statement that will help educate the nation’s children about the record of United States mistreatment of Native Americans. It will promote respect for Native American sovereignty and culture for the future.

We are very pleased with the steps you have already taken to build the nation-to-nation relationship between the federal government and tribes, including the tribal nations summit in November and support of tribes in the federal budget. We also recognize that there is a great deal of power in an honest and sincere apology. This apology deserves national recognition and public acknowledgment. To give true hearing to the Apology, we respectfully request that you hold a White House ceremony with tribal leaders to formally issue the apology to Native peoples. We also look forward to additional steps in an action plan that will help to right the past wrongs.

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration.

Sincerely,

Ruth Flower
Legislative Director
202.903.2524
flower@fcnl.org

Inez Steigerwald
Native American Advocacy Program
202.903.2511
inez@fcnl.org