WHEREAS, we, the members of the National Congress of American Indians of the United States, invoking the divine blessing of the Creator upon our efforts and purposes, in order to preserve for ourselves and our descendants the inherent sovereign rights of our Indian nations, all rights secured under Indian treaties and agreements with the United States, and all other rights and benefits to which we are entitled under the laws and Constitution of the United States, to enlighten the public toward a better understanding of the Indian people, to preserve Indian cultural values, and otherwise promote the welfare of the Indian people, do hereby establish and submit the following resolution:

WHEREAS, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is the oldest and largest national organization established in 1944 and comprised of representatives of and advocates for national, regional, and local Tribal concerns; and

WHEREAS, the health, safety, welfare, education, economic and employment opportunity, and preservation of cultural and natural resources are primary goals and objectives of NCAI.

WHEREAS, individual tribal members and residents of Indian reservations throughout the United States own and operate motor vehicles, purchase automotive fuels, and pay federal and state gasoline taxes; and

WHEREAS, federal gas tax collections are used to fund the Indian Reservation Roads Program under the Federal Lands Highways Program; and

WHEREAS, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century authorizes $275 million annually to improve approximately 50,000 miles of Indian reservation roads, of which half are state, county, or other local roads; and

WHEREAS, funding for the IRR Program is inadequate to fully address the estimated $7.2 billion backlog of construction need by the IRR System; and

WHEREAS, no state transportation agency in the United States currently reserves state gas tax collections specifically for improvement of Indian Reservation Roads; and

WHEREAS, the National Congress of American Indians is aware that the Washington State Department of Transportation has developed a proposal (Decision Package) to fund a new program for tribal transportation planning within the State of Washington; and

WHEREAS, the proposed Washington State Tribal Transportation Planning Program will facilitate ongoing tribal participation in regional and metropolitan transportation planning processes, development of the Washington Transportation Plan, and leveraging transportation funding from other federal and state transportation programs; and

WHEREAS, the Program will fund a full-time tribal liaison within WSDOT who will administer a grant program distributing $50,000/tribe annually for transportation planning; and

WHEREAS, the Program will facilitate compliance by the State of Washington with TEA-21 requirements to "consider the concerns of Indian tribal governments," to coordinate with tribes on transportation plans, programs and activities, and develop long-range transportation plans and transportation improvement programs in consultation with Indian tribal governments;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NCAI does hereby give its full support to the proposed WSDOT Tribal Transportation Planning Program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NCAI does hereby encourage the Washington State Department of Transportation, the Washington State Transportation Commission, the Washington State Legislature, and the Governor of the State of Washington to approve and implement the proposed Tribal Transportation Planning Program for the FY 2001-2003 Biennium; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NCAI does hereby commend the State of Washington for its innovative and unprecedented approach to Tribal transportation planning on behalf of Indian Tribal Governments; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NCAI does hereby request the State of Idaho, the State of Oregon, the State of Montana, the State of California, and the State of Alaska to undertake similar innovative programs for tribal transportation planning within their states

The foregoing resolution was adopted at the 2000 Mid-Year Session of the National Congress of American Indians, held at the Centennial Hall, in Juneau, Alaska on June 25-28, 2000 with a quorum present.

_______________________________

Susan Masten, President

Juana Majel, Recording Secretary

Adopted by the General Assembly during the 2000 Mid-Year Session of the National Congress of American Indians, held at the Centennial Hall, in Juneau, Alaska on June 25-28, 2000.