Democrats, Tribal Leaders Unveil Native American Policy Recommendations

WASHINGTON, DC- Today tribal leaders from across the nation joined Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, Senator Byron Dorgan, Ranking Member of the Indian Affairs Committee, Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee Chair Hillary Clinton, and Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) to unveil the 2005 Indian Country Policy Recommendations for the 109th Congress. The policy recommendations focus on five major priorities: 1) Trust Reform, Land and Natural Resources, 2)Health Care, 3)Education, 4)Housing, Infrastructure and Economic Development, and 5)Justice, Law Enforcement and Homeland Security.

“The recommendations contained in this document will serve as a blueprint to steer our work on behalf of Indian Country,” said Senator Reid. “Nobody knows the challenges that Indian tribes face better than you do. Your input and guidance will ensure that we can create the programs and develop legislation that best reflects the needs of Indian Country.”

“I am proud of the work that we have been doing in the Indian Affairs Committee in this Congress and I am extremely grateful for all the time and effort that the people in this room have invested in producing this document,” said Senator Dorgan. “We initiated this collaborative effort so that we could hear directly from Indian Country about the issues of greatest concern and how Congress can better address them.”

Last fall Senate Democrats convened over 150 tribal leaders for the first ever Senate Democratic Native American Forum. The policy discussions held at the Forum established five working groups comprised of tribal leaders and advocates. The recommendations unveiled today are the result of months of collaborative work by many leaders across Indian Country.

For over a century, the United States has acted as trustee of the lands, resources and funds held in trust for Indian tribes, and for individual Indians. The U.S. has organized and administered the trust assets poorly. The recommendations include requiring the Administration to consult with tribes on all decisions impacting their land and natural resources, including use and disposition of tribal and individual Indian water rights.

While the federal government has committed to provide health care to Native Americans, it is failing to fulfill his obligation. The document recommends increasing funding for the Indian Health Service to the level necessary to meet the federal government’s responsibility to provide quality health care to American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN).

When it comes to education, culturally relevant programs and adequate yearly progress are particular areas of concern. Among other things, the recommendations call for amending the No Child Left Behind Act to address problems specific and unique to Indian Country, including the incorporation of culturally based education strategies.

To address the significant need of adequate housing in Indian Country, the tribal leaders recommended that the Senate supports efforts to increase housing funding to AIAN, enact legislation that improves the federal housing programs and support the policy of self determination. In addition, the Senate should ensure that the Department of Housing and Urban Development appropriately implements its Tribal Consultation Policy.

Among the recommendations for justice, law enforcement and homeland security, the tribal leaders called for Congress to provide funding to support a sufficient number of tribal police officers in Native American communities, ensure personnel are provided with adequate equipment for safety and communication, and ensure law enforcement officials have access to important information, such as criminal databases.

To obtain a copy of the complete recommendations, please contact the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee at (202) 224-9048.

Yet another empty gesture; one of the hundreds that come from the Democrats all the time. I honestly don't understand why any American Indian bothers with these clowns anymore. Clinton assured these same tribal leaders that there will be phones installed on every reservation, and every reservation would be connected to the Internet. Most tribes just gave up and formed their own telecommunications companies with funding from casino tribes that have money to invest.

And were it not for Reagan's Indian Gaming Reglatory Act, there wouldn't be that money either. Since President Bush took office, American Indian health care has recieved a 75% increase in funding, yet no one wonders why with all this extra funding services are being cut.

I hate this cheap pandering.

"... recommends increasing funding for the Indian Health Service..."
"...including the incorporation of culturally based education strategies."
"...recommended that the Senate supports efforts to increase housing funding to AIAN."
"...called for Congress to provide funding to support a sufficient number of tribal police officers in Native American communities."
Democrat strategy to buy votes: Throw money at it, inject political correctness, throw money at it, and throw money at it. Soooo typical.

This should be rich. I'm sure all those indians can't wait to get their free abortions, and I'm sure these Democrats can find someone to teach them how to use condoms. And, I just know the tribes are excited about bestowing marriage rights to indian homosexuals. They can look forward to turning all their firearms as well. Heck, I'll bet there's an organizing movement going on in San Francisco as I write, so they can send trainers to all the reservations.

There was a village up in Alaska that had been after Indian Health Services to just send up a nurse or something to conduct health screenings. The village elders were rather concerned about the number of the tribal members who had passed away over the winter.

IHS sent a team to the village; the supplies they brought were AIDS tests, other VD tests, condoms, flyers for parenting classes, instructional materials for birth control, etc. The village elders looked at the request from the health services people and shook their heads; again noting that they wanted to do health screenings - check blood pressure, a fasting blood sugar test, etc.

The health professionals smiled and assured the elder that change can come to his village. Teens don't attend these classes and just start going wild.

The elders rolled their eyes and spoke among themselves for a bit then their representative turned back and gave the decision - the elders would permit the visit, but there was something that the pros needed to know first - the youngest woman in the village was fifty-two years old.

...address problems specific and unique to Indian Country, including the incorporation of culturally based education strategies.

Okay, now wait just a dad gum minute!!! The Blacks want to go to white schools, the whites have to be bused somewhere's else but we have to cater, pander, cajole, and sympathize (er in their terms STRATEGIZE) with a SPECIFIC CULTURE????? Oh G** this really frosts me. If you don't like where ya freaking live MOVE OUT!!!! They already have their own governments, their own laws, their own courts, their own revenues, their own land, their own MINIERAL RIGHTS!!!!!

Hmm.. This ought to be fun. If you think the culturally based education strategies (which simply means that they'll note where they are and not try to teach the Navajo language to the Sioux, but it does sound high and mighty) are annoying, what about Sherman Indian High School, a federally run high school in Riverside, California.

One of the few boarding schools left in the nation, students who apply and are approved are allowed to attend.. Well, so long as they come from a family who are members of an American Indian tribe. All others, including John Q Public who live on the other side of the freeway from the high school, are not permitted to attend.

Just one of many BIA run schools in this country, including several other boarding schools.

Yep, it's getting close to election time. You can always tell when the Democrats reach out to their Indian brothers and once again offer them the same old crap (promises) they have been handing them for the last 60 or more years.

About 90 percent Indians vote for the Democrats and never take the time to ask themselves, Gee, this is the same promises they gave us last time, and the time before that and etc. etc. I am ashamed for my people for being so stupid. The Republicans are the only ones who have ever come across with anything of substance for them but they are so brainwashed that they can't even see it.

Of course when you see some of the Indian bashing that I've seen on Free Republic at times in the past, I guess you can't blame them for voting for the other guys. It really hurts me to see Indian bashing on F.R. as I am conservative but you can't win more souls over with that kind of thinking.

It is lucky in a way the Indians have discovered the "Casino", as they can finally build themselves up without the Government jumping in. And after all, autonomy is why there were reservations in the first place. That and a safer way of not catching a stray bullet.

That's funny. I'm from Oklahoma so I'm quite familiar with the tribes there. Alaska, I'm not. But, from what I've read and seen, the tribes in Alaska want to be self supporting and don't want the government butting into their affairs, as has happened in the lower 48.

The entire indian situation in American is a disgrace, IMHO, and pandering further to extend dependency on the federal government is not a good plan in any shape or form. This is a disaster waiting to happen and it's going to boil over someday when a solution won't be as easy as it would be had it been addressed earlier.

Typically, the Democrats are positioning themselves for short-term political gain without thinking through their consequences or doing what's best for the country.

Understood, and I agree. The casino money is another symptom of what's going go blowup someday. Democrats have screwed the indians over and over for years, and those poor idiots just keep coming back for more. Smart ones I know take the money and run, laughing all the way to the bank.

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