2010 State of the Indian Nations presented
Message to feds: Jobs needed
By Rob Capriccioso
WASHINGTON – Jobs are the order of
the day; so said Jefferson Keel, president of the
National Congress of
American Indians, who recently delivered the eighth State of the
Indian Nations address, highlighting several pathways to strengthen
tribal sovereignty.
To a room full of Native faces Jan. 29 at the National Press Club in downtown Washington, the Chickasaw Nation citizen listed several priorities for Indian country in the coming year.
“I am pleased to report that the state of Indian nations is strong – and we are growing stronger every day. At the same time, we have much work to do, and now is the time to take action.
“Our great hope is that the next year will be, like this past year, one of achievement, and the culmination of much work, which has extended over years and, in some cases, decades.”
Keel shared the importance of tribal sovereignty, the challenges to it – namely unemployment – and ways to strengthen it. More funds and support for tribal economic development were a common thread throughout his talk.
Upon Keel’s delivery of the address, NCAI highlighted his solutions in a document titled, “Seven Transformative Actions for the Obama Administration to Create Jobs and Bring Change to Tribal Nation Communities.”
The document calls on the administration to reduce Interior’s land transaction backlog; enforce equal financial footing for tribes as governments; reform crime prevention on reservations; ensure equitable distribution of funds to tribal governments; support tribal youth wellness; improve interagency coordination to address tribal infrastructure and natural resources; and take administrative action to address the Supreme Court’s Carcieri decision.
At a hearing of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Jan. 28, Keel testified that Congress must provide more direct federal investments to tribes for economic development, tax incentives and fixes to existing programs.
Donald Laverdure, deputy assistant secretary of Indian affairs at Interior, testified at the hearing that some reservations face unemployment rates of up to 80 percent.
Reflecting on Keel’s address, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., released a statement saying Congress’ economic development efforts “must include policies to address the staggering rates of unemployment among Native Americans. ...”
Likewise, many Congress members have said they strongly support tribal job growth.
A full transcript of Keel’s address is online.
To a room full of Native faces Jan. 29 at the National Press Club in downtown Washington, the Chickasaw Nation citizen listed several priorities for Indian country in the coming year.
“I am pleased to report that the state of Indian nations is strong – and we are growing stronger every day. At the same time, we have much work to do, and now is the time to take action.
“Our great hope is that the next year will be, like this past year, one of achievement, and the culmination of much work, which has extended over years and, in some cases, decades.”
Keel shared the importance of tribal sovereignty, the challenges to it – namely unemployment – and ways to strengthen it. More funds and support for tribal economic development were a common thread throughout his talk.
Upon Keel’s delivery of the address, NCAI highlighted his solutions in a document titled, “Seven Transformative Actions for the Obama Administration to Create Jobs and Bring Change to Tribal Nation Communities.”
The document calls on the administration to reduce Interior’s land transaction backlog; enforce equal financial footing for tribes as governments; reform crime prevention on reservations; ensure equitable distribution of funds to tribal governments; support tribal youth wellness; improve interagency coordination to address tribal infrastructure and natural resources; and take administrative action to address the Supreme Court’s Carcieri decision.
At a hearing of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Jan. 28, Keel testified that Congress must provide more direct federal investments to tribes for economic development, tax incentives and fixes to existing programs.
Donald Laverdure, deputy assistant secretary of Indian affairs at Interior, testified at the hearing that some reservations face unemployment rates of up to 80 percent.
Reflecting on Keel’s address, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., released a statement saying Congress’ economic development efforts “must include policies to address the staggering rates of unemployment among Native Americans. ...”
Likewise, many Congress members have said they strongly support tribal job growth.
A full transcript of Keel’s address is online.
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