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, 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 health, safety and welfare of the Indian people, do hereby establish and submit the following resolution; and
WHEREAS, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) was established in 1944 and is the oldest and largest national organization of American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments; and
WHEREAS, the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Home Ownership Act of 2012 (“HEARTH Act”), has been pending in Congress for more than two years and would, if enacted, benefit Indian tribes by authorizing them to lease tribal trust lands without the review or approval of the Interior Secretary under certain circumstances; and
WHEREAS, on May 16, 2012, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the House version of the HEARTH Act, H.R. 205, with 400 yea votes and zero nays; and
WHEREAS, HEARTH Act, H.R. 205 was referred to the U.S. Senate but instead of being considered by the full U.S. Senate, was referred to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs; and
WHEREAS, HEARTH Act, H.R. 205 would benefit tribes and should be considered and passed by the full U.S. Senate without delay.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, NCAI requests that the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs immediately discharge the HEARTH Act, H.R.205 to allow the full U.S. Senate to consider and pass it; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be the policy of NCAI until it is withdrawn or modified by subsequent resolution.
CERTIFICATION
The foregoing resolution was adopted by the General Assembly at the 2012 Mid-Year Session of the National Congress of American Indians, held at The Cornhusker Hotel from June 17-20, 2012 in Lincoln, Nebraska, with a quorum present.