Just two days after President Obama declared in his final year in office that the state of the Union is strong, President Brian Cladoosby of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) gave the State of Indian Nations address. The verdict? The State of Indian Nations is at moment of both progress and promise.
Just two days after President Obama declared in his final year in office that the state of the Union is strong, President Brian Cladoosby of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) gave the State of Indian Nations address. The verdict? The State of Indian Nations is at moment of both progress and promise.
President Cladoosby emphasized the importance of tribal self-determination as key to success for both Indian Country and the United States. Through self-determination Indian Country has made quite a few strides in four areas of concern that affect all Americans – Native and non-Native – community security, economic equality, health and wellness, and climate change. As tribal governments, individuals, and institutions continue to partner with the Administration and Congress, they are building out a framework for success. Victories include passing the Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act, the Indian Healthcare Improvement Act, the Tribal Law & Order Act, and the Violence Against Women Act all in the past few years.
President Cladoosby also named a few of NCAI’s legislative “asks” for Congress to work on in the coming year – all in the vein of making tribal self-determination the prevailing federal policy in this century. He asked Congress to modernize the trust relationship between the United States and tribes, to reauthorize the Tribal Law and Order Act, and fully fund juvenile justice programs, data collection and preventative services in Indian Country. He asked for Congress to permanently re-authorize the Special Diabetes Program for Indians and provide advanced appropriations for Indian Health Services so that no clinic faces an upset in the funding stream. He called on Congress to ensure that Native students have access to safe schools and culturally competent curricula provided in partnership with tribes and tribal education departments.
Many of these requests hang in the balance with the budget for fiscal year 2017. The National Congress of American Indians released their comprehensive budget request for the FY2017. President Obama is expected to unveil his own budget request on February 9th, which will be the starting document that Congress will use to draft the Senate and House requests. Hopefully both the administration and Congress will heed some of the above calls and allocate monies accordingly.
Both President Cladoosby and Representative Betty McCollum (MN), who gave the congressional response, left us with a task: Make these requests heard. Rep. McCollum encouraged Native communities, individuals and allies, to “adopt a member” to ensure that the needs of Indian Country are known to every member of Congress. President Cladoosby closed saying:
But let’s be honest: Progress will not continue on its own. WE must drive it – in the halls of our governments… in our relationships with our communities… and in voting booths across the country. That is how we honor those who came before us – and those who will follow.
This is the question before us today: Where do we want Indian Country to be in another seven generations. How about seventy generations? What progress will we make to help them achieve their promise? It is up to us. ALL of us. Just as it always has been.
