The National Congress of American Indians
Resolution #PHX-16-039
TITLE: Support for Continuation of White House Council on Native American Affairs and Related Activities in Future Presidential Administrations
WHEREAS, we, the members of the National Congress of American Indians of the United States, invoking the divine blessing of the Creator upon our efforts and purposes, in order to preserve for ourselves and our descendants the inherent sovereign rights of our Indian nations, rights secured under Indian treaties and agreements with the United States, and all other rights and benefits to which we are entitled under the laws and Constitution of the United States, to enlighten the public toward a better understanding of the Indian people, to preserve Indian cultural values, and otherwise promote the health, safety and welfare of the Indian people, do hereby establish and submit the following resolution; and
WHEREAS, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) was established in 1944 and is the oldest and largest national organization of American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments; and
WHEREAS, the President of the United States, by Executive Order, has established the White House Council on Native American Affairs, (the Council), which now has the responsibility of carrying out several White House initiatives, such as the annual conference with Tribal leaders and the President and his cabinet officials who are members of the Council and the generation indigenous initiative; and
WHEREAS, while a new president has the prerogative of changing or repealing the Executive Orders of his or her predecessor, and the programs initiated by President Obama have enhanced the nation-to-nation relationship between Tribes and the United States, continuation of the Council pursuant to EO No. 16347 and its initiatives after the election of 2016 will be a valuable mechanism for a new President to understand the issues facing Indian country in 2017 and beyond.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Congress of American Indians hereby urges any future President of the United States to continue the White House Council on Native American Affairs, and to strengthen its role in coordination among the federal agencies to improve relations between Tribal Nations and the United States; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be the policy of NCAI until it is withdrawn or modified by subsequent resolution.
CERTIFICATION
The foregoing resolution was adopted by the General Assembly at the 2016 Annual Session of the National Congress of American Indians, held at the Phoenix Convention Center, October 9th- 14th 2016, with a quorum present.