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, many tribes are active participants in the energy industry as energy project owners, resource developers, energy efficiency and conservation managers, and as energy consumers; and
WHEREAS, the energy industry is and will be a critical component of our national, regional and local economic development efforts by providing opportunities for workforce and business development, energy and science education, and other measures to increase tribal capacity for jobs and opportunities in the energy industry; and
WHEREAS, the immediate opportunities for capacity building, economic and business development, and sustainability exist through energy efficiency and conservation and weatherization.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NCAI recognizes that energy efficiency is a core component of a sustainable energy program that can reduce both the amount and costs of energy consumption and raise the quality of life in Indian communities, and NCAI strongly supports direct federal funding currently available to States through programs at the Department of Energy be made directly available for increased funding for tribal energy efficiency programs; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NCAI supports and encourages the energy efficiency, conservation and weatherization funding be made available directly to tribes; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be the policy of NCAI until it is withdrawn or modified by subsequent resolution.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.