The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) strongly opposes the use of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to disapprove the 2025 Monument Management Plan for the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. NCAI urges Congress to vote "no" on H.J. Res. 151 and S.J. Res. 109, which would overturn the Grand Staircase-Escalante Resource Management Plan and eliminate critical protections for Tribal Nations’ cultural resources, sacred places, and ancestral homelands.

“The Grand Staircase-Escalante landscape is inseparable from the histories, cultures, and lifeways of the Tribal Nations who have inhabited this land since time immemorial,” said NCAI President Mark Macarro. “This plan was developed through years of public input, scientific research, and meaningful Tribal consultation. Overturning it through the Congressional Review Act would disregard Tribal engagement, weaken protections for sacred places, and create unnecessary uncertainty for Tribal Nations and surrounding communities.”

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, first designated in 1996, protects nearly 1.9 million acres in southern Utah. The landscape includes places of immense religious, spiritual, historic, and cultural significance, including ancestral footprints, petroglyphs, springs, plants, animals, and other resources central to Tribal Nations’ ways of life.

The 2025 Monument Management Plan includes important resource management directives that support the protection of Tribal cultural resources and sacred places, including the consideration of Indigenous Knowledge. NCAI is deeply concerned that the legislation now before Congress would eliminate these protections without the same level of consultation and engagement that shaped the plan.

Federal planning documents such as the Grand Staircase-Escalante Resource Management Plan provide transparency, trust, and informed decision-making for Tribal Nations with sovereign interests in protecting irreplaceable cultural landscapes. NCAI strongly opposes the continued misuse of the CRA to undo years of Tribal engagement and federal planning processes.

Using the CRA to overturn resource management plans also sets a dangerous precedent. Until recently, resource management plans had not been treated as rules subject to CRA review. This approach creates legal uncertainty, undermines informed land-use decisions, and places ancestral lands, cultural sites, and sacred resources at greater risk of looting, vandalism, and degradation.

NCAI calls on Congress to uphold Tribal consultation, protect sacred and culturally significant landscapes, and reject H.J. Res. 151 and S.J. Res. 109.


NCAI Statement Opposing Congressional Review Act Efforts to Overturn the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Management Plan

 — As the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), Tribal Nations, and advocates observe Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR) Awareness Day, we are reminded that this crisis is not abstract — it is personal. Behind every recommendation are families still searching for answers and communities working to keep their people safe.

The work to prevent tragedy and keep our women, children, and relatives safe is further strengthened by the leadership of the NCAI Violence Against Women (VAW) Task Force, which has consistently elevated the priorities of Tribal Nations in addressing violence against Native women and communities. The Task Force has played a critical role in ensuring that federal policies are informed by those closest to the issue and grounded in the realities facing Tribal communities. Their work reinforces a fundamental truth: Effective solutions must be shaped and led by the voices of victims, survivors, and families.

NCAI underscores the critical importance of the Not Invisible Act Commission (The Commission), the Not One More: Findings & Recommendations of the Not Invisible Act Commission (Not One More Report), and the response reports from the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of the Interior (DOI), and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) as foundational efforts to address the ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP).

The work of The Commission reflects the voices of Tribal leaders, survivors, and families who have long called for action — not more studies, but real solutions. Together, they provide a roadmap to improve coordination, strengthen data systems, enhance victim services, and respect Tribal sovereignty in protecting our communities.

Shannon Holsey, NCAI VAW Task Force Co-Chair and President of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians, expressed her thoughts on the importance of this day of observance: “Today is a powerful reaffirmation of why the Violence Against Women Task Force exists — to center the voices of Native women, survivors, Tribal leaders, and advocates, and to ensure that safety for our women and families remains a national priority grounded in Tribal sovereignty. The Task Force’s work, including the recommendations advanced through the Not Invisible Act, reflects years of Tribal expertise, lived experience, and survivor‑led advocacy.”

She added, “These recommendations were not meant to sit on a shelf. They require full implementation, sustained coordination across federal agencies, and accountability at every level of government. The federal government has a responsibility to follow through — to move beyond acknowledgment and toward action — so that the commitments made to protect Native women and communities result in measurable, lasting change.”

Last year, the DOJ removed the “Not One More Report” from the DOJ website, eliminating access to this critical resource. Public access to these materials is essential. When they are removed or made difficult to find on government websites, it creates real barriers for those working on the ground to implement solutions and to hold the government accountable. This action raises serious concerns about transparency and signals a step backward at a time when sustained commitment is needed most. For Tribal Nations, this kind of erasure cuts deeper as it risks undermining the trust built through consultation and shared work.

Carmen O’Leary, NCAI VAW Task Force Co-Chair and Director of the Native Women’s Society of the Great Plains, stated, “The efforts to bring about the Not One More Report were time- and resource-consuming. Choosing commissioners was thoughtful work and brought together a group that included multiple disciplines and many Tribal Nations. The report analyzed the emotional accounts of many to identify the gaps in policy, law, and procedures that have led to the deaths and injustices suffered in Indian Country and beyond. Ignoring the final product of this work enables the injustices to continue and wastes the precious time and resources expended to shape the recommendations, to resolve problems, and create safety.”

#SEA-25-081: Supporting a Whole-of-Government Implementation of the “Not One More” / Not Invisible Act Commission Recommendations to Address Missing & Murdered Indigenous Peoples and Human Trafficking

 — adopted by the NCAI General Assembly at its 82nd Annual Convention — Tribal Nations expressed their unified voice: The federal government must restore these resources and fully implement the recommendations. This is not just a policy request; it is a call to honor the time, testimony, and lived experiences that shaped these efforts. When the voices of victims, survivors, and families are centered, the path forward becomes clearer, more effective, and more just.

Not One More Report and related responses

 from DOJ, DOI, and DHHS publicly available to ensure Tribal leaders, families, and advocates can continue to access these tools, push for progress, and hold the federal government accountable. This is the first time in over a year that these three documents have been presented together on a publicly accessible website.

NCAI calls for the immediate restoration and preservation of these resources on federal platforms as well as full implementation of the recommendations by Congress, the President, and all relevant federal agencies. Ensuring continued access and implementation is one step toward honoring survivors, supporting families, and making meaningful progress toward ending the MMIPR crisis. The work has already been outlined. What is needed now is follow-through.

Tami Truett Jerue, NCAI VAW Task Force Co-Chair, Executive Director of the Alaska Native Women’s Resource Center, and Not Invisible Act Commission Member, added, “The Not Invisible Act Commission was built on the voices of survivors, families, and Tribal Nations who trusted that their pain would be heard and their testimony would lead to change. That trust demands a response. The Commission identified gaps in law, policy, and practice that have allowed violence against Alaska Native and American Indian women and girls to go unaddressed for far too long. May 5th, the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives, is a reminder that those recommendations are not suggestions. They are the pathway to safety. The recommendations exist. The path is clear. Our communities have waited long enough. It is time to act.”

Not One More Report and Related Resources

NCAI and VAW Task Force Co-Chairs Commemorate Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives Awareness Day

 — The National Congress of American Indians was honored to be represented by NCAI President Mark Macarro and Executive Director Larry Wright, Jr., during events held in conjunction with His Majesty King Charles III’s visit to Washington, D.C., including the Garden Party hosted at the British Ambassador’s residence. Guests included Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs; Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Mike Johnson; former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and her husband Paul; and Holly Cook Macarro, wife of NCAI President Macarro. In addition to the Garden Party, President Macarro was a special guest of King Charles III at the joint meeting of Congress, along with other dignitaries and leaders of causes important to His Majesty.

Their participation reflects the importance of ensuring Tribal Nations and Indigenous Peoples are visible and included in diplomatic, governmental, and international spaces where relationships are strengthened, histories are acknowledged — including difficult histories — and shared futures are discussed. NCAI’s inclusion in these events was meaningful and emblematic of a broader acknowledgment of the sovereign status of Tribal Nations and the importance of Indigenous representation in diplomatic spaces.

NCAI’s presence at these events underscores a fundamental truth: Tribal Nations are sovereign governments with enduring political, cultural, and diplomatic relationships that long predate the formation of the United States and continue to shape the world today. As heads of sovereigns, Tribal Leaders must be included in conversations with other Heads of State and Government to ensure our interests and rights are being preserved, protected, and enhanced.

“It was an honor to meet His Majesty King Charles III during his visit to Washington, D.C., and to attend the Garden Party at the British Ambassador’s residence alongside NCAI Executive Director Larry Wright, Jr.,” said NCAI President Mark Macarro. “We were also deeply honored to be among those invited to attend the King’s historic address before Congress. Tribal Nations and Indigenous Peoples must be seen and included in spaces where diplomacy, history, and future partnerships are being shaped, and NCAI is proud to represent Indian Country.”

Since ascending to the British throne, His Majesty King Charles III has met with and engaged in dialogue with Indigenous leaders from Canada and Brazil. King Charles III will conclude his visit to the United States by meeting with Tribal representatives at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

NCAI looks forward to continuing its work with Tribal Nations, partners, and allies to advance sovereignty, uphold trust and treaty obligations, and strengthen the visibility and influence of Indigenous leadership at every level.

NCAI Statement on President Mark Macarro and Executive Director Larry Wright, Jr.'s Participation in Events During His Majesty King Charles III’s Visit to Washington, D.C.

On Wednesday, April 29, 2026, the Supreme Court of the United States gutted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act with their ruling in

. The Native American Rights Fund and the National Congress of American Indians who have fought for Native voting rights since their inceptions more than 50 years ago respond:

Today’s decision cruelly undercuts the Voting Rights Act, the foundational tool for Native voters and other voters of color to protect themselves from racial discrimination when voting, including in redistricting. This decision mocks our shared democratic principles and will have a direct impact on people’s lives. When a Tribal Nation or Native American community’s political voice is diluted, so is its ability to secure good schools, adequate infrastructure, health care access, environmental protections, and economic opportunity. Taking away voting protections, like what happened with today’s decision, makes it harder and at times impossible for Native voters to elect representatives who will respond to their needs.

Native American communities and other voters of color continue to face 

unique and unreasonable obstacles to voting and having their votes count

. This ruling denies the reality that racial discrimination is prevalent and ongoing, but it does not change the fact it is. Indeed, the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) has never lost on the merits of any redistricting lawsuit it has brought on behalf of Native people and Tribes. In just the last five years NARF and our partners have successfully brought cases in 

. Across this nation, the Voting Rights Act once stood as an important deterrent to those who would undermine the fundamental rights of Native voters, but today’s decision will embolden racial discrimination against Native voters and other voters of color.

Every voter’s voice should count. Over the more-than-fifty years since our foundings, we at the Native American Rights Fund and the National Congress of American Indians have — over and over again — joined organizers and advocates across the country to repel attacks on voting rights. In fact, every major civil rights victory in our history has grown out of a moment such as this one. We will continue to fight for justice for Native voters and all voters because our country is stronger when our democratic values are honored and every vote is protected.

NCAI and NARF Joint Statement: SCOTUS Ruling Guts Voter Protections

June 14–17, 2026 | Renasant Convention Center

Join us for NCAI's 2026 Mid Year Convention & Marketplace! Work collaboratively with federal partners and Tribal organizations to defend and enhance Tribal sovereignty. 

Tribal leaders, NCAI members, Native youth, and partners from across Indian Country will gather for daily thematic programming featuring plenary panels and breakout sessions highlighting Tribal civic engagement, pertinent legislation and advocacy updates, and Tribal governance best practices.

Register Now for Mid Year 2026

I want to thank the Native service members and veterans who have joined us today. Many know the story of Indian Country -- the challenges we have faced, and the ones we face today. But very few Americans know the story of the hundreds of thousands of tribal members who have served in the United States military, as far back as the Revolutionary War. As a veteran myself, I want to thank Lt. Colonel Hunting Horse and the 24,000 active duty American Indian and Alaska Native service members serving today to protect the sovereignty of the United States and the tribal nations of North America. Thank you. 

My fellow tribal leaders, tribal citizens and American citizens, members of the National Congress of American Indians, members of the Administration and the 112th Congress, and those listening or watching today: I am honored to speak to you all, but especially to address representatives of the more than 5 million Native people and the 566 tribal nations of Indian Country.

The State of Indian Nations is strong. Our nations are strong. Our peoples are strong. Like our sovereignty, the strength of our nations, is our inheritance. The State of Indian Nations, as I outline it today, should be defined by what we commit to right now to make the state of Indian Nations even stronger in the years to come.

We all know tribes have faced a difficult history. We are rising from harsh economic conditions to contribute to a more prosperous tomorrow. Tribes have been doing more with less for generations, and I am here today to outline a path to overcome our shared challenges – to lay out specific economic changes and improvements for our tribal nations. Some of these changes require legislative action but many others can come from direct action by the Administration. Ultimately though, it will be the actions of Native people that can change their nations and communities.

Native people are the first Americans. Tribal nations are its first governments – one of three sovereigns recognized in the United States Constitution. And our America is a place where each member of the American family of governments contributes to a prosperous future.

To achieve that vision, we need leaders who understand that Indian Country matters. Especially in a Presidential election year! We’re all aware of the impact an election can have on Indian Country. And, in recent years, many have come to learn that the door swings both ways – Indian Country can have a significant impact on elections – and it can be game changing.

As grandmas on the Navajo nation and young people in Alaska Native villages go to the ballot box this November, they are standing on the shoulders of those who fought hard for that right. As students at Arizona State University and veterans in foreign lands cast their vote, they are reminding America that we matter.

In the 1940s, thousands of Native veterans returned home to a shocking reality: America had accepted them on the battlefield, but had no place for them at the ballot box.

Ira Hayes – a member of the Gila River Indian Community, who raised the flag at Iwo Jima – returned to the homeland he had defended, and was denied the right to vote. Miguel Trujillo from Isleta Pueblo, who enlisted as a Marine in the days following Pearl Harbor, returned home to New Mexico and was denied the right to vote.

These American heroes inspired the fight – all the way to the federal courts – for the right to participate in the 1948 elections. They expressed the power of the Native vote the first time they cast their ballots, and it’s been at work ever since.

Stories like these have shown Native people that when it comes to Native Vote, we can and we must think big. Simply put, we will work tirelessly in 2012 to see the highest Native turnout ever.

We know it can be done. For instance, on the Fort Belknap Reservation in Montana, turnout rates are regularly over 80 percent. A survey of seniors at UCLA showed that Native young people participate at rates higher than any other group of students. This is especially important because almost half a million Native youth will be eligible to vote for the first time in the next four years.

Native people don’t see the world in two and four year election cycles. We’re focused on building stronger communities for generations to come. When we step in the ballot box, we want to vote for candidates who will stand with tribal nations to create a strong prosperous future. We are not mobilizing for one party or for one candidate. Indians don't just vote D for Democrat or R for Republican. For us, it’s “I” for Indian. We are independent voters and we will continue to vote for the candidate who is strong on our issues, and cares about our priorities.

That’s why today, I’m calling on all Presidential candidates to make sure Indian Country is at the table during the campaign and throughout your Administration. These specific actions should form the foundation of your Native policy platform:

First, we call on the President to send a Special Message to Congress on the importance of the Nation-to-Nation Relationship. In 1970, President Nixon sent a historic message to Congress on tribal self-determination. That message launched the self-determination era – the very framework that allowed tribes to prove our capacity as governments. All Presidents should do the same.

Second, we call on the President to fully implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We specifically call for a review of all existing federal law to ensure they are in alignment with the Declaration.

Third, we call for an Annual Nation-to-Nation Summit and ongoing high-level meetings. This would institutionalize the current Tribal Nations Summit, a meaningful commitment to our nation-to-nation relationship that must be upheld by all future Presidents. We also call on the President to convene regular meetings on specific issues between tribal leaders and cabinet secretaries.

Fourth, elevate Native people in the federal government. It is past time for qualified Native people to be seated on the federal bench. The appointment of a Senior Advisor on Native American Affairs has advanced policymaking at the White House and we applaud President Obama for his leadership. With the importance of the Indian budget in the coming decade, we urge the creation of an office for Native American programs at Office of Management Budget.

And finally, we call upon all candidates to actively engage Indian Country in your campaign. We invite each candidate to visit Indian Country to outline your policy positions. We also urge the campaigns to make sure tribal nations are part of the discussion at the Presidential debates.

Between now and the election, we have a lot of work to do! For all of the partisan challenges of the past year, the Congress has found common ground on Indian policy. Under the bipartisan leadership of Senators Akaka and Barrasso, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs has reached across party lines to develop legislation that promises to transform Indian Country. And in the House, Republicans like Chairman Don Young and Democrats like Dale Kildee have worked hard to educate their colleagues about the benefits tribal governments offer our nation.

There are some important things the Congress can do right now that can grow Indian economies and create jobs. Without spending a dime, the Congress can fix the problems created by the Carcieri Supreme Court decision and offer certainty for land-into-trust transactions that are critical to Indian Country’s economic future.

The Department of the Interior is already acting to streamline lease approvals for renewable energy development, and we urge the Congress to pass the HEARTH Act to expand leasing reform and to pass an Indian energy self-determination law.

Congress can also act on public safety legislation that will attract businesses to our communities. We urge passage of amendments to the Stafford Act that are supported by FEMA and would remove burdens from states and tribes in times of critical emergencies when lives are on the line.

Native women are the protectors of our culture, our families, and our future. We call on the Senate to pass the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization and the SAVE Native Women Act— both of which would take critical steps to address the horrific rates of violence being perpetrated against our women.

The Native CLASS Act offers the chance to provide the kind of education our young people need to succeed today and build the economies Indian Country needs for tomorrow. Our young people must not be left behind anymore.

Congress must stand with us now to get these bills passed, but long term success depends on America keeping her promises. That’s why NCAI, along with our partners in Indian Country are making available to you today our plan for the Indian budget.

This document outlines our vision for investing in the future of our America, and stabilizing the Indian budget. It will create reliable, safe domestic energy; it will build a 21st century education system; it will modernize our infrastructure; and, it will fund implementation of critical legislation like the Tribal Law & Order Act and the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.

Just as our plan holds hope for the future, the Budget Control Act poses great risks. The Act requires Congress to cap discretionary spending for the next 10 years. Much of the funding that fulfills the federal trust responsibility is categorized -- wrongly, in our view -- as domestic discretionary spending.

The trust responsibility is not a discretionary choice. It is not a line item. It is a solemn agreement that has been sustained over hundreds of years. Unless Congress acts to hold tribal programs harmless, then starting in 2013 we are facing ten to fifteen percent cuts across the board for the next decade -- cuts that will threaten essential services and affect millions of Native citizens throughout vast regions of rural America.

We are well aware of the budget challenges our nation faces. We live in Indian Country – we know all about doing more with less. We urge Congress to stand up for the relatively small piece of the federal budget that belongs to tribal nations and our citizens.

Protecting the Indian budget is the first step but long-term success depends on tribal nations having the same opportunities to protect and preserve our communities that are available to state and local governments. We exercise jurisdiction over lands that would make us the fourth largest state. We run dozens of social programs previously administered by federal agencies or states. And, we protect reservation environments in the manner that states regulate off reservation lands.Tribal governments have proven our capacity to grow our economies, educate our people, and manage our resources. We need the federal government to put decision-making power back in the hands of the people who live in Indian Country -- the people who know best because these are our homelands, these are our people. The old way of doing things causes missed opportunities every day. The Swinomish Tribe, in Washington state, saw this first hand. The tribe had worked out a deal with Wal-Mart for a big new store on the reservation. This was a great deal -- a million dollars a year in lease revenue for the Tribe, and new jobs for tribal members and people throughout the community. As with every lease on Indian lands, the federal government needed to approve it. The process took more than a year and by the time it was approved economic conditions had changed and Wal-Mart had made other plans. A million dollars a year for Swinomish, gone. All those jobs, gone. And this is not an isolated story. Many tribal leaders can tell you stories about business opportunities lost because of red tape. This is why our federal partners have already proposed crucial lease reforms to free our economies. Tribal nations have proven our capacity. We don’t need the government involved in all our business decisions, we need flexibility. And by creating it, we will remove the barriers that cost us jobs and opportunity. This is a goal I think we can all agree on, across the political spectrum, and it is something we can achieve with a change in policy, not an increase in spending. That is the kind of solution Washington is crying out for and we in Indian Country are eager to answer the call. 

Ensuring governmental flexibility will yield more efficient programs and spending, because decisions will be made by those in the best position to respond to community needs. It will also relieve administrative burdens at the federal level.

This message comes directly from tribal leaders. We went to them with one simple question: What can we do with what we have already – without asking for more resources – that will provide greater opportunity for Indians and create more impact for federal programs? Over and over, the answer came back: We need freedom at the local level to best use our limited resources. We know what’s best because we live in Indian Country. We know where the needs are, and we know what works for our people. No one understands Indian life better than the Indian nations themselves. Give us flexibility.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota is delivering broadband services across their reservation because of governmental flexibility. The FCC’s decision to designate Standing Rock Telecom as an eligible telecommunications carrier means they are the first fully tribally owned and operated broadband company that can receive universal service funds.

This designation has empowered Standing Rock to own and operate essential telecommunications infrastructure. This offers avenues for economic development, opportunities to preserve tribal languages and culture, and infrastructure for distance learning programs. That, is the kind of flexibility we need in Indian Country, when only one in ten Native people have access to broadband today.

The Reno-Sparks Indian Colony in Nevada opened a 65,000 square foot health facility in 2007 that showed the promise of tax exempt bond financing. Almost $16 million in bonds funded a full service clinic that serves 100,000 people each year. This project created permanent jobs and built the infrastructure for quality health services.

Tribes were denied full access to this source of financing until the Recovery Act created a limited bond offering. Based on that experience, the Treasury released a report in December recommending they have the same access to bond financing available to our governmental peers. This will bring huge economic benefits to tribes and surrounding regional economies.

Education is another example where flexibility can prepare our children for the global market place. The Cherokee Nation's Language Immersion School formed an innovative partnership with Apple Computers to integrate technology and the Cherokee language. They developed Cherokee language software for use on Macintosh computers, iPhones, iPods, and iPads. Students even chat online – in Cherokee – with students from the Eastern Band of Cherokee in North Carolina. This is a powerful example of tribal innovation and initiative—the type of innovation that vesting tribes with greater authority over our own programs unleashes.

Whether in economic development or education, healthcare or energy, the key to getting it right is the freedom to identify and tear down barriers to our success.

Tribal leaders carry with us a dream. It’s a dream passed down from our parents and grandparents. It doesn’t look forward to 2012 or 2016, it looks to the seventh generation. We see a future where the trust relationship actually works – works for tribal nations, and works for our federal partners.

Our ancestors knew that tribes could govern our nations like no one else. Today, we have proven it. Residents of rural Oklahoma are driving to our health facilities, because they offer the best services around. States and counties are turning to our traditional knowledge to best manage natural resources. Citizens of those states are coming to tribes for job opportunities and a good education at tribal colleges. And companies are coming to us to set up businesses on the reservation and bring American jobs home.

When we have the tools and freedom we need, we are creating businesses, delivering services, and leading the way. It’s time to build our trust on that reality.

That trust also requires consultation, legally enforceable consultation. Without the power of legislation and accountability, “free, prior, and informed consent,” are just some nice words on a page. As President Obama himself said, when he announced his support for the UN Declaration – “What matters far more than words…are actions to match those words.” We call for action to make consultation count.

Enforceable consultation means we must talk about another idea – tribal consent. There would be a public outcry if the federal government tried to impose policy on a state without its consent. But the concerns of tribal nations are routinely overlooked, even when more than a dozen tribes are larger than some northeastern states. This must not stand.

Our America is a place where all candidates know that we matter, and America sees it at the ballot box. It’s a place where each and every President honors our unique nation-to-nation relationship, where Indian Country is always at the table – not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it’s the smart thing to do. Our America is home to a Congress that works across party lines to free our economies. Our America is a place where governments keep their promises.

Our America is where tribal nations create economic opportunities, where people come to us for the best jobs. It’s a place where tribes are on the forefront of new technology – high-tech manufacturing, telemedicine, clean energy. Our America is where Indigenous peoples reach across borders and bring home economic opportunity for all Americans.

As the oldest governments in America, tribal nations understand what is required to overcome stark economic conditions. Perhaps more than any other time in history, our nations must stand together, empowered to make profound and permanent improvements in the lives of our people. Our nations are committed to the success of the United States of America. Let us realize that future together so that our nations thrive, today and forever.

# END #

10th Annual State of Indian Nations Address - NCAI President Keel Remarks

Updates to Stafford Act would recognize tribal sovereignty and create flexibility for tribes and states when responding to emergency and disaster events

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) hailed today’s announcement by the Obama Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) in support of a change to the Stafford Act to give federally recognized tribal governments the authority to make disaster declaration requests directly to the President of the United States. The Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act currently allows only states, through a governor, to make these requests to the president.

“Just like states, when disaster strikes, tribal nations must act swiftly to respond to protect and secure lives, infrastructure, and public health. We call on Congress to fix the Stafford Act and incorporate the sovereign status of tribal nations in this important law. These changes will also provide tribes and states critical flexibility in responding to catastrophic events when communities need it most,” said Jefferson Keel, President of NCAI, the country’s oldest and largest American Indian and Alaska Native advocacy organization. “The support of the Administration and FEMA for a legislative change recognizes not only the sovereignty of tribal nations, but also acknowledges the critical role tribes play in the network of emergency response and disaster relief at the local and national level.”

Tribal nations represent a unique and important sector of the United States homeland security and emergency management system. Nineteen tribal nations are each larger than the state of Rhode Island and twelve have a land base larger than the state of Delaware. Last year alone, tribes experienced major catastrophic events tied to blizzards, floods, fires, and manmade events resulting in multi-million dollar losses in tribal government infrastructure, and personal property.

In the event of a catastrophic natural disaster or manmade incident, the Stafford Act currently creates an unnecessary loss of valuable response time in seeking federal assistance. Tribal governments are currently required to seek a state governor’s approval for a federal disaster declaration, delaying response times, and sometimes receiving no response at all. As harsh winters descend upon North America, the US Congress is reviewing various changes to the Stafford Act and inaction will leave both tribes and states without the proper tools and mechanisms to respond to major disaster events.

NCAI Commends FEMA Support for Direct Authority of Tribal Governments to Apply for Presidential Disaster Declaration

Organization calls for implementation of proposed reforms to jumpstart tribally driven renewable energy and economic development

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) welcomed Monday’s news from the Department of Interior (DOI) regarding proposed reforms to outdated lease regulations obstructing tribal economic and renewable energy development. The proposed lease reforms would streamline the leasing process on tribal lands and clear the way for tribally driven renewable solar and wind energy projects. This simple regulatory change promises to directly stimulate economic growth in Native communities and benefit the American economy.

“The federal government has heard the message of tribal nations to remove barriers stifling tribal economic and renewable energy development. Until these reforms are enacted though, tribes will continue to wait excessive lengths of time to permit a renewable energy project or approve a mortgage,” said Jefferson Keel, President of NCAI. “We don’t have time to wait; we’re ready to strengthen our economies now and jumpstart the clean energy economy in Indian Country. This is something the entire country can get behind and there should be no hesitation.”

The proposed rule would modify regulations governing the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ (BIA) process for approving surface leasing on lands the federal government holds in trust for tribes and individuals. Interior serves as the trustee for tribal lands and is responsible for approximately 56 million acres in Indian Country. The Department of Energy estimates Indian lands contain significant renewable energy potential – enough to meet 32 percent of the nation’s energy needs with wind power and 2 times the entire country’s energy needs with solar power.

Although great potential exists, very few tribally owned renewable energy projects have moved forward because of the disproportionate review processes tribes are subject to. The new regulations impose timelines on the Department for reviewing leases - up to 30 days for residential leases, and up to 60 days for business leases and wind and solar energy leases. The proposed regulations distinguish between residential, business, and wind and solar energy leases, and establish separate processes for review.

, the Department of Interior described the existing regulations, adopted in 1961, as “an antiquated, ‘one-size fits all;’ approach to processing all surface leases. Under the current system, which lacks a defined process or deadlines, it is not uncommon for a simple mortgage application to languish for several years waiting approval from the federal government.”

These reforms signal a positive step toward what NCAI President Keel called for in the Annual State of Indian Nations Address in January of 2011. During the national address Keel called for the federal government “to clear the way for [tribes] to expand economic opportunity…so that we might compete…clear the way for us to develop energy on our own lands, build commerce and create jobs, so that we might contribute more the economy of America. We can create more opportunity for energy independence, and a larger recovery.”

There will be a 60 day comment period on the proposed regulations. For more background on the proposed rule from the Department of the Interior view the following resources:

Comparison of existing and proposed regulations

NCAI Expresses Support for Interior’s Proposed Leasing Reforms for Tribal Lands and Renewable Energy Development

Cuts to funding sets back projected tribal law enforcement gains

Washington, DC -- The US Congress has leveled a major setback to Indian tribes in need of critical resources to combat the highest crime rates in the country. A decision by Congress to cut over $90 million from proposed funding for essential Department of Justice measures in Indian Country leaves tribal law enforcement and federal personnel with far too few resources to fight crime on tribal lands. Signed into law last year with bipartisan support, The Tribal Law & Order Act (TLOA) set out to reduce crime in Indian Country by making improvements to the way criminal justice is administered on tribal lands and reauthorizing critical tribal justice programs. The recent funding cut will make the Act’s intended goals very difficult to attain.

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), the nation’s leading tribal advocacy organization, is calling this a failure of significant proportions.

“We understand these are tight budget times but this is a failure of the worst kind. Tribes and the federal government were finally working together to tackle major crime and security issues. Now the House and Senate have irresponsibly cut crime fighting efforts in communities that need it the most,” said Jefferson Keel, President of NCAI and a member of the Indian Law and Order Commission – an independent commission established by the TLOA. “NCAI urges Congress to immediately restore tribal law enforcement funding levels and reinstate the 7% tribal set-aside of OJP programs.”

Indian reservations nationwide face violent crime rates more than 2.5 times the national rate, and some reservations face more than 20 times the national rate of violence. Non-Native offenders, immune to tribal prosecution, are many times responsible for violent crimes, gang activity, and drug trafficking on tribal lands. The TLOA provides tribal and federal law enforcement officials the tools to work together to combat crime and prosecute these offenders. Initial programs are beginning to make significant reductions in crime but implementation of the law is in its early stages. These cuts slash core funding at a critical time and chip away at the gains made since the TLOA was passed.

On late Monday evening of this week, Congress released the FY2012 Appropriations Conference Report for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS), which includes all Department of Justice (DOJ) tribal programs. The report drastically cut funding for tribal justice programs across the board and did not include the proposed 7% tribal set-aside for all discretionary Office of Justice Programs (OJP) programs—which has previously been supported by both the House and Senate CJS Subcommittees (the House in FY 2011 and the Senate in FY 2012). The Conference Report proposes $15 million cuts to both the COPS Tribal Resources Grant Program and the Tribal Youth Program. Funding for tribal assistance within OJP was also decimated, receiving only $38 million—a mere fraction of the approximate $100 million initially proposed in the President’s FY2012 budget request.

 to download a background document on this issue.

US Congress Deals Major Setback to Tribal Justice Programs

The Stand Against Violence and Empower Native Women (SAVE Native Women) Act would empower tribes to prosecute violent crimes and better serve victims

Portland, Oregon – The nation’s leading American Indian and Alaska Native advocacy organization, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), announced today its full support for the Stand Against Violence and Empower Native Women (SAVE Native Women) Act. The SAVE Native Women Act was introduced on Monday October 31, 2011 on the Senate floor by Senator Daniel Akaka, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

“We stand with Senator Akaka in full support of this legislation, there is no time to delay in taking immediate action to stem the tide of violence against our Native women,” said NCAI President Jefferson Keel from NCAI’s 68th Annual Convention being held this week in Portland, Oregon. “The epidemic rates of violence and sexual assault against Native women are tied directly to the limitations that the United States has placed on tribal authority to prosecute non-Native offenders. When perpetrators go unprosecuted, they are free to reoffend with impunity. This legislation aims to address these problems and enhance the safety of our women.”

The bill would strengthen the tribal title of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in a number of ways. If enacted, the bill would restore tribal criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians who commit crimes of dating violence and domestic violence on tribal lands, as well as those who violate protection orders. It would clarify tribal civil jurisdiction to issue and enforce protection orders, strengthen tribal coalition programs, and improve the response to sex trafficking of Native women.

According to a study by the Department of Justice, two-in-five women in Native communities will suffer domestic violence, and one-in-three will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. To make matters worse, four out of five perpetrators of these crimes are non-Indian and, under current law, cannot be prosecuted by tribal governments. This has contributed to a growing sense of lawlessness on Indian reservations and a perpetuation of victimization of Native women.

“We cannot let the next generation of young Native women grow up as their mothers have—in unbearable situations that threaten their security, stability, and even their lives,” said Senator Akaka. “Violence against Native women affects each and every one of us. We need to work on finding ways to keep women safe, empower them, and help them heal.”

“This is an epidemic. It is unacceptable. And, we must stand against it,” said Senator Akaka. “I am committed to working with NCAI to protect at-risk Native women, to pass this much needed legislation.”

Many of the proposals in the SAVE Native Women Act were drafted in close collaboration with the NCAI Task Force on Violence Against Women. “These proposals didn’t just appear overnight—they are the product of more than two years of meetings, strategy sessions, and drafting calls with our task force members and national advocates,” stated Juana Majel-Dixon, Co-chair of the NCAI Task Force. “They have been carefully crafted and thoroughly vetted,” she added.

The NCAI Task Force will continue to work closely with Senate staff to ensure passage of this new bill. "Senator Akaka's SAVE Native Women Act has the potential to restore safety and justice for American Indian and Alaska Native women. It offers American Indian tribes the opportunity to increase life-saving protections for women living within tribal jurisdiction,” said Terri Henry, Majel-Dixon’s fellow Co-chair on the Task Force.

NCAI and Senator Akaka Team Up to Protect Native Women

Above: Senator Daniel Akaka, chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, stands with tribal leaders as part of Tribal Unity Impact Week on Capitol Hill. Tribal leaders from leading tribal organizations and tribes across Indian Country, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian leaders, called on Congress to take immediate action on the most pressing issues facing Native nations.

Visit our photo gallery to download and view more images

Washington, DC- American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian leaders stood in front of the U.S. Capitol this past Tuesday and called for immediate action on the most pressing issues facing Native nations and people. In launching Tribal Unity Impact Week, the leaders called on Congress to acknowledge and recommit themselves to protect tribal land, the safety of Native women, and the federal trust responsibility to invest in and support Indian Country.

In a media event held in front of the U.S. Capitol, NCAI President Jefferson Keel, was joined by Senator Daniel Akaka (HI), chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, as well as elected officials from tribal nations and leaders of Indian organizations.

"We are here on Capitol Hill with a loud and clear message for all members of Congress to hear. The federal trust responsibility must be respected and, as tribal leaders, we will continue to protect what is most important to us: our land, our families, and our economic vitality," said NCAI's President Keel in a statement following the event. "We have asked members of Congress to do more than listen; we call on them to stand with us on these issues. Together we will be stronger."

In a letter to Congress, participants of Tribal Unity Impact Week called on Congress to acknowledge and recommit themselves to the most pressing issues facing Indian Country.

"Tribes and tribal entities have patiently participated in the political process, but recognizing the urgency of these pressing issues, we are now increasing our call for congressional action," reads a letter signed by twelve leaders from the nation's leading tribal and Native organizations. "We call on U.S. Congress members to stand with us today, so we might stand together stronger, in the future." Read the letter signed by the participating organizations.

As the nation's oldest, largest, and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization, NCAI brought together leading inter-tribal organizations to organize the event.

Leaders attending the week of meetings are representing the unified voice of hundreds of tribal nations and Indigenous communities from around the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. In addition to NCAI, the following inter-tribal organizations partnered to organize Tribal Unity Impact Week: Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, Alaska Federation of Natives, All Indian Pueblo Council, California Association of Tribal Governments, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Association, Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Navajo Nation, United South and Eastern Tribes, and United Tribes of North Dakota.

Tribal Leaders Call for Increased Focus on Pressing Issues Facing Indian Country

Elected officials and advocates to call for members of Congress to stand with Indian Country during Tribal Unity Impact Week

Washington, DC- In a rare and impressive gathering of indigenous influence, American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian leaders will stand in front of the U.S. Capitol today and call for immediate action on the most pressing issues facing Native nations and people. In launching Tribal Unity Impact Week on Tuesday, the leaders will call on Congress to acknowledge and recommit themselves to the 

most pressing issues facing Indian Country

.

“Tribes and tribal entities have patiently participated in the political process, but recognizing the urgency of these pressing issues, we are now increasing our call for congressional action,” reads a letter signed by twelve leaders from the nation’s leading tribal and Native organizations. “We call on U.S. Congress members to stand with us today, so we might stand together stronger, in the future.” 

Read the letter signed by the participating organizations

.

Following a morning session with members of Congress on Tuesday, tribal leaders will gather for a media event in front of the U.S. Capitol titled “Standing Together for Tribal Nations.” The event will take place at 12pm on the Northeast quadrant, U.S. Capitol East (Senate “Swamp”).

Leaders attending the week of meetings are representing the unified voice of hundreds of tribal nations and indigenous communities from around the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska. The following organizations have organized the week of events; National Congress of American Indians, United South and Eastern Tribes, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, Alaska Federation of Natives, California Association of Tribal Governments, Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association, United Tribes of North Dakota, All Indian Pueblo Council, Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, National American Indian Housing Council, and the Navajo Nation.

Tribal Leaders Converge on Capitol to Call for Attention to Critical Issues

Jefferson Keel, Lt. Governor of the Chickasaw Nation and President of NCAI, served over twenty years in the United States Army.

Today, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) joins all Americans in honoring the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. For over twenty years I served alongside men and women from every walk of life and from every corner of this country, to protect our freedom. It is my privilege as the President of NCAI to recognize the sacrifice and selfless contributions of our nation’s service members, of both Native and non-Native heritage. Our unified purpose to defend our constitution, our people, and our sovereignty, is the greatest equalizer and American Indian and Alaska Native people are proud of our contribution to the United States.
American Indians and Alaska Natives serve at the highest rate per capita and we honor the place of warriors in our communities and in our culture on a daily basis. In Indian Country we always recognize our veterans first, they open our ceremonies, and they carry the flags of our nations. Our veterans are our most valiant warriors. And yet, we as a country and as tribal nations can always do more on a daily basis to honor and serve our veterans. In the days and months to come it will be imperative that we continue to improve our services for our returning veterans.

According to the federal government, there are over 137,000 American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans living in the United States and ten percent of these veterans are women. The Pentagon estimates that nearly 24,000 American Indian and Alaska Native active duty personnel currently serve across the Armed Forces. On a daily basis active duty members become veterans and too many times our veterans return home to find that their greatest challenges still lie ahead.

At the National Congress of American Indians, we remain committed to finding the path for our veterans to become tribal leaders, teachers, business owners, active citizens, and successful parents. NCAI continues to be fully dedicated to serving veterans when they return to civilian life. We’ll continue to work with the US Department of Veterans Affairs and the agency’s Office of Tribal Government Relations to remember our veterans with the greatest honor; reciprocating their service with an equal or greater dedication to serve them.

I extend NCAI’s deepest gratitude to our nation’s veterans today and to their families. Thank you for your service.


Jefferson Keel, Lt. Governor of the Chickasaw Nation and President of NCAI, served over twenty years in the United States Army. He served as a Platoon Sergeant and Platoon Leader, both in peacetime and in combat. President Keel also served two extended tours of duty in the 1st Cavalry Division and the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam and received numerous awards and decorations for heroism, including two Purple Hearts.

Statement by NCAI President Jefferson Keel on Veterans Day

Statement following President Obama's Jobs Speech

Washington, DC - The nation's oldest, largest, and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native advocacy organization, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), released a statement today supporting President Obama's Jobs Act proposal.

"NCAI applauds the President for taking action and supports the very real impact of the American Jobs Act for tribal nations and Native people. Over 20,000 Native American-owned small businesses would benefit from tax cuts and 1.5 million Native American workers will benefit from the extension of the payroll tax cut," said Jefferson Keel, President of NCAI.
“We applaud the Act’s specific investment in tribal infrastructure – schools, roads, homes –and our citizens – construction workers, teachers, and veterans -- to name just a few. Given the staggering unemployment crisis in Indian Country, for tribal economies the time to act is now and Congress cannot wait another minute,” concluded Keel.

The American Jobs Act as proposed by President Obama has the potential to fully utilize the economic potential of tribal nations. Tribal governments create jobs for tribal citizens and their non-Native neighbors from Phoenix to rural Alaska and from Mississippi to Minneapolis. As tribal governments make tough choices to spur economic growth and close budget gaps, NCAI urges our colleagues in the Congress to reach across the aisle, get this bill passed, and put America back to work.

NCAI Urges Passage of the American Jobs Act

Note from NCAI President Keel on participating in the White House Rural Economic Forum in Iowa

Like so many of our rural neighbors, American Indian and Alaska Native communities have felt the burden of our nation’s economic challenges. In fact tribal nations have known hardship like this for too long. That is why

 the efforts of the White House to find economic development solutions

 for Indian Country have been so important to tribal leaders and entrepreneurs. It’s also the reason I accepted the invitation to join other rural leaders in Iowa to have an important conversation with President Obama and Secretaries Vilsack, Salazar, Donovan, and LaHood about the economic viability of our country, including our tribal nations. The discussions with the President and Secretaries were constructive and encouraging.

, established this past June, is a flagship effort that shows President Obama is serious about building a strong economic future for all Americans. The fact that tribes have a seat at the table as rural policy is considered is a reflection of a commitment to the nation-to-nation relationship that began even before the President took office. It is a commitment that acknowledges the need to address the challenges tribes face and sees the innovation tribal nations offer to build a stronger America.

Native people are America’s most rural population and tribal lands consist of over five percent of the nation’s land base (an area that would make Indian Country the nation’s fourth largest state). While many of our communities are among the poorest in the country and unemployment rates in Indian Country often stand above 50 percent, tribes are leading the way in developing and implementing innovative policy.

During my conversations in Iowa with the President and cabinet members, I emphasized that many of the key drivers of the 21st century American economy are areas where rural communities – and tribes specifically – offer strong opportunities for investment and innovation. The vision of a globally competitive America with a diverse middle class requires substantial investments in renewable energy, broadband, education systems, and economic development in rural areas. Modernizing rural infrastructure, sustainably managing natural resources, ensuring the quality of food systems, and many other rural focused policy strategies, are critical to the economic strength of our nation.

Tribes offer dependable, domestic energy and stand ready to contribute to America’s clean energy economy. Indian lands comprise 10 percent of the nation’s natural resources and significant energy potential – enough to meet 32 percent of the nation’s energy needs with wind power and 2 times our energy needs with solar power. Investments in access to the power grid for tribal and other rural communities can secure our sustainable energy future.

Tribes are also home to innovative rural economic development. Innovative tribal business owners have been on the forefront of the “onshoring” movement to utilize the lower cost of labor and land in rural communities to keep direct mail and similar businesses based in the United States. Reservation-based businesses have garnered interest from major companies looking for alternatives to outsourcing. The success of these enterprises depends on the availability of broadband infrastructure. Broadband is the back-bone of the new emerging economy. And it is available to almost every American (95 percent) but in tribal communities, it only reaches 10 percent of possible users. Broadband is the pipeline to progress, and we need investment, but first we need an end to barriers that stand in the way of that investment.
Yes, there is much to do to revitalize our economies, our communities, and rural America, but we must do it together. Tribal nations, as outlined by the Constitution and upheld by the Supreme Court, are vital members of the American family of governments. Last week in Iowa, as I sat across from President Obama, Secretary Vilsack, and Americans from diverse rural communities, I felt confident that not only will tribal leaders play an important role in building better policies, tribal nations will play a vital role in solving the great challenges our nation faces. We will do this together, as a family of governments and a family of American citizens.

For more on these issues see NCAI’s paper “

Innovative Tribal Nations in Rural America

The American Family of Governments, Working Together to Strengthen America’s Economy

NCAI opposes Keystone XL Tar Sands Oil Pipeline; calls for energy demand to be met by responsible energy development

WASHINGTON, DC – In anticipation of a forthcoming Environmental Impact Statement by U.S. State Department on the proposed Keystone XL Oil Pipeline, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) issued a statement today saying the proposed pipeline expansion could severely impact Native American communities and “poses grave dangers if it is constructed.” The statement released by NCAI, the nation’s oldest, largest, and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native advocacy organization, reaffirms the position of its members and expresses solidarity with Canadian First Nations concerned about the project.

“The Keystone XL pipeline . . . would threaten, among other things, water aquifers, water ways, cultural sites, agricultural lands, animal life, public drinking water sources and other resources vital to the peoples of the region in which the pipeline is proposed to be constructed,” reads an NCAI resolution (

) passed at the organization’s most recent gathering of members this past June.

The organization is calling for domestic energy demands to be met by developing energy resources responsibly in order to protect vital natural resources, such as vast water reserves.

“Homeland and economic security starts with energy security, but Indian Country wants it to be done right; not at the expense of the health of our communities and resources, both tribal and non-tribal, ” said Jefferson Keel, President of NCAI, citing the importance of looking to clean domestic energy as a more reliable solution. “During challenging economic times in our country and in our tribal nations, domestic energy when developed responsibly can create jobs while ensuring that our people and natural resources remain safe and plentiful.”

The proposed expansion of the pipeline would cross through northern Alberta, Saskatchewan, Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Oklahoma with potential devastating impacts on communities in surrounding areas and states. A recent study by a University of Nebraska hydrologist outlines a worst case spill scenario, estimating that Keystone XL could spill as much as 7.9 million gallons in Nebraska's Sandhills, polluting 5 billion gallons of groundwater with benzene, contaminating water used for agriculture and drinking drawn from the Ogallala Aquifer, and more than 6.9 million gallons of tar sands crude at the Yellowstone River crossing. That estimate far exceeds the Exxon Mobil’s July 1, 2011 spill of 42,000 gallons near the Apsáalooke (Crow) Nation territory in south-central Montana, contaminating 240 miles of the Yellowstone River.

Responsible alternatives to importing energy resources from outside the United States are abundant, and specifically on tribal lands. In addition to plentiful traditional energy options on tribal lands, the National Renewable Energy Lab’s (NREL) estimates that the wind potential in Indian Country could provide 32 percent of U.S. annual electric generation, where as solar energy potential in Indian Country equals twice the total amount of electricity the U.S. generates per year.

The U.S. State Department is expected to issue the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the pipeline in mid-August. Following the issuance of the FEIS, the State Department will undergo a 90-day process to determine whether the pipeline serves the national interest. The National Interest Determination is made by the U.S. State Department and is the final step in the permitting process.

Click here to download and read NCAI’s Resolution:


Keystone XL Tar Sands Oil Pipeline “Poses Grave Dangers” to Tribal Nations

NCAI calls for the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction to Consider the Federal Obligations to Indian Tribes

Washington, DC - The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) in a statement released today acknowledged the hard work of the President and Congress in averting a debt default by the United States. Immediately following the signature of the bill into law by President Obama, NCAI called on leaders of Congress and the President, to ensure members appointed to the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction have significant experience with the constitutional federal trust responsibility to tribal nations.

"President Obama and members of Congress worked hard to protect the economic security of our country. Now, there is much more work to be done. As members of the American family of governments, tribal nations will continue the effort to strengthen our economies," said NCAI President Jefferson Keel shortly after President Obama signed legislation to avoid financial crisis. "In order to do so, we call on Congress to appoint members of the new Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction who are well versed in the federal trust responsibility to Indian tribes."

Tribal governments are essential components of the American governmental framework, as assigned in the constitution and upheld by the Supreme Court. It's essential that the commitments to American Indian and Alaska Native tribes are honored when appropriating dollars and evaluating spending for education, law enforcement, emergency and disaster funding, infrastructure, health care, and social services.

"Tribal economies have felt some of the most significant pain in this recession. However, we've stayed optimistic about the opportunities available to create greater economic prosperity and we can't let our momentum slow," continued President Keel, the Lt. Governor of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma. "We are dedicated to engaging in the new energy economy, developing infrastructure, strengthening our schools, and contributing to the economy of the United States. Good fiscal policy for America considers and invests in the unique opportunities presented by the innovation of tribal governments."

Keel concluded by stating, "Tribes understand the need to make government more efficient, however if tribal nations aren't adequately represented on the Joint Committee, the United States will be weaker as a result."

Indian Country Looks Forward Following Debt-Limit Deal

Pioneer of Federal Indian Law, David Getches, Passes Away; Remembered for Forging "A Revolution in Federal Indian law"

David Getches, 68, a leading American Indian rights lawyer, legal scholar, and founding Executive Director of the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), passed away at his home on Tuesday July 5, 2011 from pancreatic cancer. The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) has posthumously awarded the NCAI Lifetime Achievement Award to Mr. Getches; one of the highest honors given by the nation's oldest, largest, and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization.

"David Getches forged a revolution in federal Indian law that led to a new respect for the rights of Indian tribes in courthouses throughout the nation," said Jefferson Keel, President of NCAI. "He was an exceptional man. Across Indian Country, Mr. Getches will be remembered as a great friend and brother to Native people. NCAI extends our condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues for this profound loss."

The NCAI Board learned of David Getches' declining health last week and they reached an immediate, unanimous decision to recognize his lifelong contribution to American Indian law and tribal sovereignty. NCAI's Lifetime Achievement Award is given to those outstanding individuals who honor the place of American Indian nations, cultures and governments through a lifetime of work and personal dedication that produce results of historic proportions.

As the founding Executive Director of NARF, he was responsible for developing the staff, funding, and program of the organization, the leading and most influential nonprofit Indian-interest law firm. Getches litigated major cases involving Native rights, including the Northwest Indian fishing rights case (United States v. Washington, also known as "the Boldt decision"), which stands today as the leading case on the enforcement of tribal treaty rights. Getches also litigated a case on behalf of the Inupiaq to establish the North Slope Borough, the largest municipality in the world, which includes the Prudhoe Bay oil fields. Other cases he has been involved with have dealt with water rights, land claims, federal trust responsibilities, environmental issues, education, and civil rights on behalf of Native American clients throughout the country.

Getches most recently served as the Dean of the University of Colorado Law School since 2003 and has taught at the school since 1979. He took two leaves from the University of Colorado, first to serve as the executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources from 1983 to 1987, and then to serve as a special consultant to the Secretary of the Interior in 1996.

A national authority on natural resources and Indian law issues, Getches taught and wrote widely on water law, public land law, environmental law, and Indian law. Getches has published several books, written many articles and book chapters that appear in diverse scholarly and popular sources, including recent articles calling for legal reform regarding the Colorado River and criticizing the Supreme Court's departure from traditional principles in Indian law.



The NCAI Lifetime Achievement Award reads:



"National Congress of American Indians
Lifetime Achievement Award

David Getches, Founder of the Native American Rights Fund

Defender and Advocate for Tribal Sovereignty,
Treaty Rights and the Federal Trust Responsibility

Your piercing intelligence, diligent work and compassion for the Native cause fostered a legal revolution and brought hope and justice to Indian communities nationwide. We thank you and lift you up in our hearts."

White House kitchen garden event focuses on traditional food and celebrates launch of Let’s Move! in Indian Country

Washington, DC - President Jefferson Keel of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), the country’s oldest and largest American Indian and Alaska Native advocacy organization, joined with Michelle Obama today to celebrate the importance of healthy eating and active lifestyles for Native American youth. Mrs. Obama, President Keel, and American Indian and Alaska Native children planted the “three sisters”– corns, beans and squash – in the White House kitchen garden. The event comes one week after the launch of Let’s Move! in Indian Country; a new initiative by the First Lady to reach Native young people.

“Supporting and reinvigorating our traditional ways of healthy living and eating is one of the most important things we can do to strengthen our Native American communities,” said NCAI President Keel after the event. “What the First Lady is doing is incredible. Let’s Move! in Indian Country is reaching a generation of tribal youth and connecting them with a healthy, traditional path in life. As tribal leaders we are very supportive and grateful for her efforts.”

According to the Indian Health Service the obesity rate among American Indian and Alaska Native youth is approaching 50%, twice as high as their white counterparts; and 20% of American Indians ages 15 years or older had pre-diabetes in 2001–2004. American Indian/Alaska Native adults are nearly two times as likely to be obese as their white counterparts. American Indian/Alaska Native adults are more than twice as likely as white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes.

“Last week we launched a new component of the program called Let's Move! (in) Indian Country. And we’re working specifically with young kids in the Native American community all across the country,” said the First Lady, Michelle Obama, addressing the American Indian and Alaska Native children. “This planting is a special way to highlight that new initiative. And this is the first time ever that we’re going to do a three sisters planting here in the White House kitchen garden. And you all are going to be a part of making that happen.”

After speaking to the youth gathered at the White House kitchen garden, President Keel spoke to the importance of healthy lifestyles for Native youth and performed a blessing for the event. Mrs. Obama, President Keel, and the children then planted the “three sisters” and harvested crops in the garden, including lettuces, rhubarb, chard, kohlrabi, sugar snap peas, turnips, broccoli and herbs – some of which will be used in Tuesday’s State Dinner in honor of Chancellor Angela Merkel. These crops were originally planted in March by Mrs. Obama and children from Harriet Tubman and Bancroft Elementary Schools.

The American Indian and Alaska Native children who joined Mrs. Obama and President Keel today come from a variety of tribal nations including Jemez Pueblo, Skokomish, Cherokee, Sault Ste. Marie, Navajo, Turtle Mountain Chippewa, St. Regis Mohawk, Tlingit, Oglala Sioux, Standing Rock Sioux, and the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation. Mrs. Obama was also joined by leaders in the Native American community, including Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk, Indian Health Service Director Dr. Yvette Roubideaux, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service Director Dennis Concannon, Bureau of Indian Education Director Keith Moore, National Museum of the American Indian Director Kevin Gover, NFL quarterback Sam Bradford and basketball player Tahnee Robinson.

Photos of the event are available for free use here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ncai/sets/72157626878947612/

First Lady and NCAI’s President Jefferson Keel Celebrate Healthy Living for Native Americans

Washington, DC - After lengthy debate, members of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) passed a resolution at the conclusion of the organization’s Mid Year Conference reaffirming its position on reasonable lawyer fees associated with the 

Days before a federal judge will begin hearing arguments on the fairness of the settlement, NCAI released the following statement:

“It’s time to move on and clear this final hurdle so that decades of litigation can finally turn into the corrective action that so many American Indians are waiting for. This resolution simply reaffirms the original position of NCAI’s membership and the view that the lawyer’s fees need to be reasonable. It was clear in our meetings this week that tribal leaders believe the court will make the right decision, and do so expeditiously. The resolution supports only ‘the view’ of current proposed legislation that the attorney’s fees should be capped at $50 million.”

The latest resolution passed at the 2011 NCAI Mid Year Conference referred to the previous resolution from a year ago: “At its 2010 Mid-Year Conference, the NCAI enacted Resolution #RAP-10-037, which desired to see a number of changes incorporated in the 

 settlement agreement, including, “fairness in attorney fees and incentive payments to ensure that they do not unduly diminish the restitution to inpidual account holders.”

For more information download the resolutions here:

 TITLE: Supporting the Native American Rights Fund’s Request for Attorney’s Fees and H.R. 887

 - TITLE: Supporting the Cobell v. Salazar Settlement and Requesting Additional Considerations

NCAI Statement on Reasonable Lawyer’s Fees in Cobell v. Salazar Settlement Agreement

Speech Addressing the Native Resources: Tribal Cultures and the Economy

Good morning! We have received many great welcomes today from the wonderful people of the Midwest region. I trust that our dedication to our work will honor the spirit of their hospitality.

As the President of the National Congress of American Indians I’m honored to welcome you to NCAI’s Mid Year Conference here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

We come together with a great purpose; to work together and move forward shared priorities of our nations and communities.

And, we come together as a result of the amazing work of the local planning committee led by co-chairs Scott Vele and NCAI’s own Recording Secretary, Matthew Wesaw. I’d also especially like to thank Lewis Taylor of the Great Lakes Inter Tribal Council.
I’d like to start my report with some thoughts about NCAI itself and the membership of the organization.

So, I’ve got some thoughts about you, the members of NCAI, and the thoughts are good ones and I hope they inspire you in the days to come.

Your dedication to this organization, its vision and purpose, is the reason we are here. For close to 70 years now, Native people, leaders and advocates, have traveled to NCAI meetings from tribal nations and communities, villages and cities, in large groups or as a sole representative for thousands. We have slept in our cars, held bake sales, since 1944 we have made the sacrifices we need to make to gather with a single purpose – to strengthen the unified voice of Native people and ensure we protect and enhance sovereignty for the next generation.

Look around you, that tradition continues by you being here. We gather at these meetings not simply to exchange business cards or make deals. We are here to reconnect with family and friends, brothers and sisters, and even those we might disagree with, to ensure that as a whole, we have an ability to express the culture and traditions that make all of our nations so rich.

Look around you, these are our Native Resources. We are our Native Resources. We are our culture, we will help ensure the health of our people, we are the new ideas of living and teaching. We are the farmers that know our ways of agriculture and the business leaders who are engineering innovation in trade and commerce. We hold in our hearts the reverence for the land, and our relationship with it. Lastly, our most vital resource, is our relationship with each other. We are NCAI – leaders and advocates for a stronger Indian Country. Our greatest Native Resource is our unified voice and I encourage you this week to strengthen it by working together here, so that we speak to the world around us from the position of a shared alliance.

This theme, Native Resources: Tribal Cultures and the Economy, sets a course for us to imagine our future, with the circumstances of today as inspiration; our Native Resources will help us chart the course forward, to build stronger tribal economies based on the resources within our own nations, our own people, and ourselves. There is one way to honor vast resources of our nations, by doing the work to protect all that makes our people great. I ask you to remember with me here today, that the tradition of NCAI is not one that should be taken lightly, and your presence here is an affirmation of that tradition.

Last year, as a unified Indian Country we all experienced the fruits of our efforts, as we won an incredible set of legislative victories. Our follow up on these wins will shape Indian Country for years to come.

As we’ve reached our midway point of 2011, we stand on the brink of another historic year for Indian Country, not because of the legislation that is passed into law, but what we choose to do in the face of a difficult political environment in Washington, DC. As we all know it’s about the follow through. And 2011 can be a great sequel to our victories last year.

NCAI kicked off this year at the State of Indian Nations, where I called for tribal leaders to lead our nations and define a new era in federal-tribal relations. This era, as I explained, would be defined by what we as Native peoples choose to do for ourselves. And now we are seeing movement on issues and we must not lose our momentum.

I highlighted the importance of removing barriers to energy development on Indian land; now tribal energy legislation is being drafted in the Senate by Senator Borrasso as part of the work of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

We called for our children to continue to be a priority; just weeks ago, I stood with the First Lady, Michelle Obama, on the lawn of the White House, with dozens of Native Youth and other tribal leaders looking on, as we celebrated the launch of Let’s Move! in Indian Country. And in Congress, Federal legislation to establish a National Tribal Youth Corps is being considered, offering thousands of jobs in natural resources to our young people.

We called for more action to protect Native women from the terrible epidemic of violence. As our own First Vice President has highlighted in Indian Country Today, the Department of Justice, is making incredible progress, like we rarely see in Washington, DC, in offering solutions to the alarming rates of violence against Native women.

At the beginning of the year, we called for tribes to express their economic independence, to determine our own approaches to commerce and resource management. That’s why this past spring along with USET, we held a Tax Summit at Miccosukee. Our work here this week on Tax Policy and Tribal Economies will build on that momentum to remove barriers to economic development.

In the State of Indian Nations I asked us to consider this new era in front of us as the era of Promises Kept. NCAI and forty partners have formed an alliance that will keep a promise to the next generation. The alliance called Our Natural Resources, is developing a National Natural Resource Strategy that will shape a course for determining tribal natural resource management policy for decades to come.

We have set it as a goal this year to increase the visibility of investments in Indian Country to the highest levels of the federal government. That’s why when Robert Gordon, Executive Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget, attended our recent Tribal Interior Budget Committee meeting it represented a significant moment to elevate our tribal governments’ place in the federal budget process. The tribal leaders who attend these meetings – and the HHS budget meetings – have been instrumental in advancing Indian budget priorities in this Administration.

There is no doubt that we have battles still to fight and Indian Country as whole must stay unified to overcome them. A Carcieri fix is a top priority and we will continue to push forward this agenda. The nomination of Arvo Mikkanen, has stalled in the Senate, and we still await a Native person to take their rightful place serving on the Federal bench.

In the media and in public perception, while our own media efforts have improved, there have been detractors, distracters, and setbacks. We must always meet these moments with a unified message, about our place in the American family of governments; one that has an equal place, guaranteed to us by our treaties, the U.S. constitution, and our inseparable bond to this place.

This past Memorial day, I laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I did this for a number of reasons. First, as we all know to well, our Indian warriors serve at a disproportionate rate, more than any other minority group, in the Armed Services. We currently have over 22,000 active duty members serving in the Armed Forces today. Many, too many, have died in the line of service.

We should all take a moment to honor our Native warriors. We have sent a letter to the Department of Defense to ensure that they reform their policies to ensure they honor our Native warriors.

Right now, the global market and the national economy continue to experience setbacks and Indian Country is not safe from these hardships. As governments at the federal, state, and local level, search for new revenue streams, Indian Country stands at the brink of a new economic revolution leading to sustainable prosperity for tribal nations, and as a result prosperity for the United States. We will do this, led by our cultures and people dedicated to the stewardship and management of our resources, ensuring that what has been provided to us by the creator.

Exactly how we envision Indian Country’s collective relationship to our “Native Resources” will change the future of Indian Country and our nation. We will do it by offering fresh and bold solutions to our nations’ most pressing problems.

Let’s remember NCAI is not just another meeting, let’s renew our partnership. Let us reaffirm this in our resolutions, our promises, and the actions we take when we return home to our people.

We are grateful to be here on the shores of Lake Michigan. As we watch the sun rise over the lake in the mornings, I invite you to cast your mind to the new horizon for Indian Country. On the horizon I see our futures rising and I ask every NCAI member to gather here with optimism in your heart and a common concern on your mind.

This week we speak of “Our Native Resources,” it is our sacred duty – only ours – to ensure they remain this way.

NCAI President Keel's Prepared Remarks at 2011 NCAI Mid Year Conference

NCAI President Jefferson Keel and American Indian Veterans to Honor Warriors at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following President Obama’s Memorial Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery, President Jefferson Keel of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) will place an American Indian wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. President of the nation’s oldest and largest American Indian and Alaska Native advocacy organization, Jefferson Keel will accompany Don Loudner, National Commander of the National American Indian Veterans, to lay a multi-colored tribal wreath at the tomb.

“Over a hundred thousand Native men and women have served to protect this land and this country. Some who will never be named or honored. The commitment of American Indians and Alaska Natives to protecting our homeland is unquestionable,” said Keel, President of NCAI and a veteran with over 20 years of active duty service in the United States Army. “On Memorial Day we honor those who gave their lives for our safety and those veterans alive today, all of whom deserve to be cared for as heroes.”

The Pentagon estimates that since 2001, 61 American Indians and Alaskan Natives have died fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq; close to 450 have been wounded. It is also estimated that nearly 24,000 American Indian and Alaska Native active duty personnel serve across the Armed Forces. Hundreds of thousands of tribal members have served in the U.S. military in the last century, making vital contributions to the defense of the nation.

The most recent AI/AN service member to be killed in the line of duty was U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Joe Michael Jackson from the Gila River Indian Community and the Yakama Reservation. He died April 24, 2011; killed by an improvised explosive device while helping to clear a trail of mines on a steep slope in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province’s Sangin District.

The following data was released and updated by the Pentagon in May 2011:

American Indian/Alaska Native military deaths in Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom, or OIF) from March 2003 through May 2, 2011: 42

American Indian/Alaska Native military wounded in action in Iraq (OIF) from March 2003 through May 2, 2011: 336

American Indian/Alaska Native military deaths in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom, or OEF) from October 2001 through May 2, 2011: 19

American Indian/Alaska Native military wounded in action in Afghanistan (OEF) from October 2001 through May 2, 2011: 109

President Keel is a retired U.S. Army officer with over 20 years active duty service. He served two extended tours of combat duty as an Infantryman in Vietnam, and received numerous awards and decorations for heroism, including two Purple Hearts, the Bronze Star with "V" for valor, and the Army Commendation Medal with valor. He is a former Airborne Ranger, infantry platoon sergeant and platoon leader, and served as an instructor in the elite U.S. Army Rangers. In June 2011, Jefferson Keel will be one of this year’s three former service members inducted into the Military Memorial Museum Hall of Honor.

American Indian & Alaska Native Veterans to be Honored at Tomb of Unknown Soldier

Initiative will “Energize a Generation” of Native young people to healthier ways of life

WASHINGTON, D.C. – First Lady Michelle Obama’s office launched today the American Indian and Alaska Native initiative of the First Lady’s prominent Let’s Move Initiative; Let’s Move! in Indian Country (LMIC). Representatives of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) attended the launch event on the Menominee Indian Reservation in Wisconsin and released a statement applauding the focus of Let’s Move! in Indian Country on the health and well being of tribal young people.

“We commend the First Lady for being a positive influence in the life of Native young people. Let’s Move! in Indian Country will energize a generation of tribal youth to connect to their traditional ways of healthy living,” said Jefferson Keel, President of NCAI. “When it comes to staying healthy, Native youth face more challenges and obstacles than most. Let’s Move is an important effort in reaching out to provide solutions for our young people.”

The health profile of Native youth underscores the importance of this initiative. According to the Indian Health Service the obesity rate among American Indian and Alaska Native youth is approaching 50%, twice as high as their white counterparts; and 20% of American Indians ages 15 years or older had pre-diabetes in 2001–2004. American Indian/Alaska Native adults are nearly two times as likely to be obese as their white counterparts. American Indian/Alaska Native adults are more than twice likely as white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes.

Matthew Wesaw, Chairman of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians in Michigan and NCAI’s Recording Secretary, joined Assistant Secretary of the Interior– Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk and Office of the First Lady, Executive Director of Let’s Move! Initiative Robin Schepper, USDA Deputy Administrator for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Lisa Pino, IHS Director for Improving Patient Care Program Lyle A. Ignace, M.D., M.P.H., and Menominee Tribal Chairman Randal Chevalier to launch Let’s Move! in Indian Country.

The launch of the Let’s Move! in Indian Country is an effort of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! Office, the White House Domestic Policy Council, the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Education, and the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin.

According to First Lady’s Let’s Move Office, the agencies, tribes, urban Indian centers, community organizations, and other stakeholders have set four main goals for LMIC: (1) create a healthy start on life for children; (2) create healthier learning communities; (3) ensure families access to healthy, affordable, traditional food; (4) and, increase opportunities for physical activity. In addition to being a federal interagency initiative, LMIC outlines ways for tribal governments, schools, the private sector, and non-profits to engage in this effort. LMIC sets the framework for each of these sectors to come together and contribute to the common goal of ending obesity within a generation. More information can be found at: 

http://www.doi.gov/letsmove/indiancountry/index.cfm

NCAI Applauds First Lady’s Launch of Let’s Move! in Indian Country

 American Indians and Alaskan Natives killed and 

 wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001

Based on updated and revised information from the Department of Defense we are updating the reported number of American Indian/Alaska Native military deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan. See the information at the end of the statement.

Washington, DC - In a statement released today, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) responded to the death of Osama bin Laden and reports that the American Indian name “Geronimo” was used as the code name for the operation to kill the al-Qaeda leader.

“We join President Obama in reflecting on the sacrifices made by the members of our military to defend our great nation. When terrorists attacked on 9/11, it was an attack on our homeland that deeply affected tribal nations, along with our fellow citizens. Osama bin Laden was a shared enemy. Since 2001, 

 American Indians and Alaskan Natives have died defending our country in Afghanistan and Iraq. 

 have been wounded,” said Jefferson Keel, President of NCAI, the oldest, largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization in the country.

“Let’s be very clear about what is important here; the successful removal of Osama bin Laden as a threat to the United States honors the sacrifice these Native warriors made for the United States and their people,” added Keel, an Army Veteran and the Lt. Governor of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma.

In November 2010, the Pentagon estimated that nearly 24,000 American Indian and Alaska Native active duty personnel serve across the Armed Forces. Hundreds of thousands of tribal members have served in the U.S. military in the last century making vital contributions, such as the Native American code talkers.

Reports from news outlets in the days following the tactical strike in Pakistan to capture or kill bin Laden have stated that the military’s code name for him was “Geronimo,” referring to the Apache leader revered by many as a hero in the Southwestern, United States.

“Our understanding is that bin Laden’s actual code name was ‘Jackpot’ and the operation name was ‘Geronimo’,” said Keel. “To associate a Native warrior with bin Laden is not an accurate reflection of history and it undermines the military service of Native people. It’s critical that military leaders and operational standards honor the service of those who protect our freedom.”

Jefferson Keel, President of NCAI, is a retired U.S. Army officer with over 20 years active duty service. He served two extended tours of combat duty as an Infantryman in Viet Nam, and received numerous awards and decorations for heroism, including two Purple Hearts, the Bronze Star with "V" for valor, and the Army Commendation Medal with valor. He is a former Airborne Ranger, infantry platoon sergeant and platoon leader, and served as an instructor in the elite U.S. Army Rangers.

Revised data as provided by Department of Defense:

American Indian/Alaska Native military deaths in Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom, or OIF) from March 2003 through May 2, 2011: 42 (number reported as of October 2010 should have also been reported as 42)

American Indian/Alaska Native military wounded in action in Iraq (OIF) from March 2003 through May 2, 2011: 336 (337 reported as of October 2010 was corrected by DoD)

American Indian/Alaska Native military deaths in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom, or OEF) from October 2001 through May 2, 2011: 19 (was 17 as of October 2010)

American Indian/Alaska Native military wounded in action in Afghanistan (OEF) from October 2001 through May 2, 2011: 109 (was 89 as of October 2010)

NCAI Releases Statement on Use of "Geronimo" as Name for Osama bin Laden Operation

Commission Meeting Considered Milestone in Implementation of Tribal Law & Order Act

Santa Fe, NM – The President of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), Jefferson Keel, will be one of nine members convening the first meeting of the Indian Law and Order Commission this Wednesday April 6, 2011 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Established under the 2010 Tribal Law & Order Act, the Commission’s appointed members will make recommendations to President Obama and Congress on how to improve the administration of justice on tribal lands.

“Safe, strong tribal communities are in everyone’s interests. Tribal citizens – and our neighbors – care deeply about justice systems that work for Indian Country,” said Jefferson Keel, President of NCAI, the nation’s oldest, largest, and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization. Keel is also the Lt. Governor of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma. “The members of this Commission represent deep experience in and a passion to address the issues facing tribal communities. As a group, we have the capacity and desire to ensure that the Tribal Law & Order Act is fully implemented, and exceeds expectations.”

Indian reservations nationwide face violent crime rates more than 2.5 times the national rate and some reservations face more than 20 times the national rate of violence. More than 1 in 3 American Indian and Alaska Native women will be raped in their lifetimes, and 2 in 5 will face domestic or intimate partner violence. The Department of Justice has also found that non-Indians commit approximately 88 percent of violent victimizations against Indian women. Yet the complex jurisdictional scheme on tribal lands prevents tribal governments from criminally prosecuting non-Indian offenders for such violent crimes.

The Indian Law and Order Commission has the potential to be a critical driving force behind implementation of the Tribal Law & Order Act. The law itself does many things and contains several accountability measures, it: mandates Federal agencies responsible for investigating and prosecuting reservation crime to produce declination reports and share information with tribal officials; provides tribes with additional tools to combat crime locally; authorizes tribal access to national criminal history databases; enhances tribal court sentencing authority; and, expands the Special Law Enforcement Commissions program, which gives commissioned tribal officers the ability to enforce federal law on the reservation. However, the Indian Law and Order Commission is in the unique position to serve as an additional accountability measure. Once funded, this oversight body will have the influence and resources to advance implementation in a way that no other body can.

Appointments to the commission were made by President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the House John Boehner, and House Minority Leader Pelosi. The following individuals make up the Commission’s membership:



Appointed by President of the United States, Barack Obama

:
- Carole E. Goldberg, Professor of Law at University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, Director, Joint Degree Program in Law and American Indian Studies
- Theresa M. Pouley, Chief Judge of the Tulalip Tribal Court, Associate Justice of the Colville Tribal Court of Appeals, and a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes in Northeast Washington.
- Ted Quasula, General Manager, Grand Canyon Skywalk, member of the Hualapai Tribe in northern Arizona.



Appointed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid:


- Jefferson Keel, Lt. Governor of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma and President of the National Congress of American Indians
- Troy Eid, former U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado
Appointed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell:
- Affie Ellis, Assistant Wyoming Attorney General



Appointed by Speaker of the House John Boehner:


- Tom Gede, a principal of Bingham Consulting Group



Appointed by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi:


- Earl Pomeroy, former U.S. Representative from North Dakota
- Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, former U.S. Representative from South Dakota

The Commission has already met twice via teleconference to address preliminary administrative matters. However, this week’s meeting in Santa Fe will be the Commission’s first in-person meeting, where they intend to tackle their substantive tasks and commence the difficult work that awaits them.

NCAI President Jefferson Keel’s Statement on First Meeting of Indian Law and Order Commission

An Old Joke Being Played on Indian Country, Again

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