Wampum

Ensuring Tribal Sovereignty and Working to Improve the Lives of Native Americans

[via Triballaw]

Since Wampum is one of the very few blogs that covers Indian issues, I'm posting the entire text of the KE04 message "Ensuring Tribal Sovereignty and Working to Improve the Lives of Native Americans", and I suppose I should annotate it as time allows, since few non-Indian readers will have the context to form judgements on the KE04 message. Put your questions or comments in the comments and I'll work on them as they come up.

Ensuring Tribal Sovereignty and Working to Improve the Lives of Native Americans

John Kerry and John Edwards have a comprehensive agenda to improve the lives of Native Americans. Kerry and Edwards will work every day to promote tribal sovereignty. While there are a number of successes in Indian Country, in these times of economic hardship - worsened by the policies of the Bush administration - John Kerry and John Edwards recognize that the Federal government must partner with tribes to improve access to health care, provide more educational opportunities, and strengthen economic development efforts. The Kerry-Edwards comprehensive agenda includes:

PROMOTING SOVEREIGNTY

• Strengthening the Government-to-Government Relationship. As president, John Kerry will support regular and meaningful consultation and collaboration with Indian tribal governments in the development of regulatory practices that significantly or uniquely affect their communities.

• Trust Reform. John Kerry and John Edwards seek to work with tribes to continue meaningful and accountable trust reform.
  

IMPROVING ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE

• Increase funding for the Indian Health Service. The average life expectancy for Native Americans is 55 years, 17 years less than the national average. But in spite of this need, the per capita expenditure for Native Americans is only one-third of the average annual expenditure for Medicaid assistance. The Indian Health Service is severely under funded, and John Kerry and John Edwards support meaningful increases for this vital means of providing health care to Native communities.

• Expand and Improve Medicaid and CHIP. Because of higher rates of poverty, Native Americans are more likely to be eligible for Medicaid. However, Native Americans are less likely to be enrolled in coverage and often providers don't participate. John Kerry has proposed to strengthen and expand Medicaid to provide a secure safety net that works for Native Americans and all Americans.

• Preventative Care. Kerry-Edwards support preventative care for Indian Country, including initiatives for diabetes and cancer screenings.

• Native American Seniors. Kerry-Edwards will strengthen programs that help seniors including Medicare and Medicaid and help Native American seniors get better access to health care.
  

BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE

• Roads in Indian Country. One of the greatest barriers to economic development is the lack of adequate roads in Indian Country. While states spend $4,000 to $5,000 per mile for road maintenance annually on average, the federal government spends only $500 per mile annually on average, the federal government spends only $500 per mile for roads in Indian Country. John Kerry and John Edwards support increased funding for roads and other infrastructure projects in Indian Country.

• Housing. Forty percent of the homes in tribal communities are overcrowded and need repairs. John Kerry and John Edwards will work to improve homeownership and to build safe, affordable housing in Indian Country.
  

STIMULATING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• Small Businesses. In 1997, there were almost 200,000 Native-owned businesses employing almost 300,000 and generating $34.3 billion in revenue. A Kerry-Edwards administration will help increase loans to Native-owned small businesses through the Small Business Administration (SBA). John Kerry has cosponsored the Native American Small Business Development Act. This legislation would create a permanent Office of Native American Affairs at SBA and would create a new grant program to assist American Indians and Alaska Natives.

• Job Creation. After inheriting an economy that created 23 million jobs over the previous eight years, the Bush administration has presided over a loss of 1.8 million private sector jobs. John Kerry and John Edwards have a plan to create millions of high paying jobs in their first term. Many tribes still suffer from high employment and low outside investment. John Kerry and John Edwards will make Indian Country an important part of their job creation plan.
  

CREATING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

• Education Infrastructure. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) school system is only one of two federally operated school systems. With an estimated over $2 billion backlog for school repairs in these BIA schools, Kerry supports repairing and building new schools for this county's American Indian children.

• Elementary and Secondary Education. Fifty-seven percent of fourth grade American Indian and Alaska Native were reading below basic achievement levels in 2000. A Kerry-Edwards administration will work to improve the reading levels of this country's Native American children, including incorporating culturally relevant curriculum.

• Tribal Colleges. John Kerry supports increased funding for tribal colleges. Kerry has written to President Bush opposition his efforts to limit set-asides for tribal colleges.
  

REDUCING CRIME AND PROMOTING TRIBAL JUSTICE

• Improving Law Enforcement Resources. Many law enforcement agencies in Indian Country are under funded and understaffed. John Kerry and John Edwards support providing resources for law enforcement in Indian Country and promoting state-tribal cooperative agreements to reduce crime.

• Tribal Courts. John Kerry and John Edwards support increased funding for tribal courts.
  

HOMELAND SECURITY

• Protecting our Borders and our Nation. Because of their strategic locations, tribes are in a position to be effective partners in the area of homeland security. The newly created Office of Homeland Security seeks to coordinate federal programs with state and local governments. Missing from the equation are tribal governments. John Kerry will work to ensure that tribal governments take their place along with state and local governments to protect the security of America including advocating specific legislative changes to assure tribal governments have an equal place at the table. He will also create a Native American position in the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that tribal governments are fully represented.
  

PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

• Energy Development. Almost 15 percent of Indian households lack electricity. Because of this and other shortfalls, Kerry and Edwards support the creation and funding of an office at the Department of Energy dedicated to energy issues in Indian Country. An integral part of the Kerry-Edwards energy plan is developing alternative sources of energy, and he seeks to partner with tribal governments to explore the alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power in Indian Country.
  
• Protecting Natural Resources. Indian tribes hold over 50 million acres of land, approximately 2% of the United States. As president, John Kerry will work cooperatively with tribes to ensure that our Nation's natural resources are preserved.
  

APPOINTING NATIVE AMERICANS TO KEY ADMINISTRATION POSITIONS AND TO THE JUDICIARY

• Appointing Native Americans. John Kerry will work to appoint Native Americans to key positions in the Department of the Interior, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Homeland Security, among other agencies. He also will work to appoint Native American judges to the federal judiciary. John Kerry will re-open the doors to the White House and will appoint a Native American to a senior position in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs as his liaison to the Native American community in recognition of the government-to-government relationship.
  

John Kerry is Working for Greater Native American Rights and Opportunities

John Kerry Has Supported Greater Sovereignty & Recognition for Native American Tribes - In the Senate, John Kerry has worked for greater respect of sovereignty and more recognition for Native American Tribes. In his first year in the Senate, Kerry voted repeatedly to protect the rights of the White Earth Band reservation in northern Minnesota. Kerry voted against a bill on land claims that "was opposed by most of the leaders of the White Earth Band of Chippewa Indians." Kerry cosponsored the Wampanoag Indian Claims Settlement Act to help settle land claims in his home state of Massachusetts. When the Bush Administration and the BIA were slow to assist the Nipmuc tribe's claims, Kerry was "helpful, hosting a meeting with Nipmuc tribal members in his Washington office and urging the BIA to expedite its decision." John Kerry has also supported greater rights for the Navajo and Hopi tribes in their land claims in the west and in 1992, Kerry voted for a bill to grant federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe in North Carolina. As President, John Kerry will continue to work on behalf of the rights of sovereignty and recognition for Native American tribes. [NY Times, 12/14/85; 99th Congress, S. 1452; S. 2545; 100th Congress, 1454; Boston Herald, 9/10/01; Roll Call vote 1992, #35]

Kerry Works for More Health Care and Education Funding for Indigenous Americans - John Kerry understands the importance of quality education and health care for Indigenous Americans and that is why he has worked to provide more funding for Native American health and academic programs. Kerry has consistently voted for increased health care including restoring $50 million for Native American health facilities and, as recently as March of 2003, Kerry voted to increase funding for Native America Health Services and to "fulfill the U.S. commitment to provide health care to American Indians and Alaska Natives." In 1995, John Kerry voted against the Republican plan to devastate Native American education programs and voted to increase education funding by $26.7 million. Additionally, John Kerry has worked to support greater funding for family assistance grants and social services by voting to set aside a greater share of funds for Indigenous Americans. As President, John Kerry will improve health care services for Native Americans and will offer every American the same health care plan that is given to the President and Member of Congress. [Senate Roll Call votes 1990, # 64; 1995, #377 & #417; 2003, # 87; Kerry remarks to Mercy Medical Center, Des Moines, IA, 5/16/03]

John Kerry Assists Economic Growth Opportunities for Native American Small Businesses - As the former chairman and current ranking member of the Senate Small Business Committee, John Kerry has worked for greater economic opportunities for Native Americans. Kerry cosponsored the Native American Small Business Development Act. This legislation would create a permanent "Office of Native American Affairs" and would start a grant program, known as Native American Development grants, to assist Native Americans. Additionally, "it would establish two pilot programs to try new means of assisting Native American communities." [108th Congress, S.1123; Congressional Record, 5/22/03]

John Kerry Voted to Fund the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian - John Kerry was a cosponsor of the law which authorized the National Museum of the American Indian as part of the Smithsonian Institution in 1989. Additionally, Kerry cosponsored resolutions recognizing "1992 as the Year of the American Indian" and designating the Month of November "National American Indian Heritage Month." [101st Congress, S. 978; 102nd, S.J.RES.217; 104th, S. Res. 191; 106th, SJRES 216; 107th, SJRES. 118]

John Kerry: On the Record for Native Americans

John Kerry is Wants Greater Economic Opportunities for Native Americans - "Our legislation will ensure that our Native American communities receive the adequate assistance they need to help start and grow small businesses." [Congressional Record, 5/22/03]

Kerry Worked to Speed Decisions by the BIA - When the BIA was slow to assist the Nipmuc tribe's claims, Kerry was "helpful, hosting a meeting with Nipmuc tribal members in his Washington office and urging the BIA to expedite its decision." For the Mashpee Wampanoag, John Kerry, has "tried to persuade the bureau to not to let the process drag any longer." [Boston Herald, 9/10/01; Cape Cod 7/15/02]

John Kerry Supported Better Housing Programs for Native Americans - John Kerry cosponsored the housing assistance reforms to provide better treatment for the "Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act." [105th Congress, S. 2366]

www.johnkerry.com

Slightly reformatted from the original, to suit my æsthetics and MT's.

Posted by EBW at September 9, 2004 09:09 AM | TrackBack