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The State of Two Nations
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Tex Hall, president of the National Congress of American Indians and Chairman of the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara nation (North Dakota) gave the State of Indian Nations address on Feb. 3, the day after President George Bush delivered his State of the Union address to the Congress. Selected quotes from the two addresses follow.
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President Bush’s 2005 State of the Union |
President Hall’s 2005 State of Indian Nations |
Values |
“Our second great responsibility to our children and grandchildren is to honor and to pass along the values that sustain a free society. So many of my generation, after a long journey, have come home to family and faith, and are determined to bring up responsible, moral children. Government is not the source of these values, but government should not undermine them.” |
“While the great nation of America is home to more than 562 diverse Tribal governments, we as Indian people today all share the goal of working together as one people and putting our shared values first. We teach our children to work hard, to respect our elders, to listen first, to give to others, and protect our families. We believe that working and competing with pride and honor say more about a person than to wealth and awards. Those are Indian values that we bring with us today, and those are values that will guide us in the future. Tribal nations cherish the values that all Americans cherish—family, community and country." |
Social Security |
“As we fix Social Security, we also have the responsibility to make the system a better deal for younger workers. And the best way to reach that goal is through voluntary personal retirement accounts.” |
“Tribes want to be and must be engaged on policy issues facing the nation. As the debate on Social Security reform continues, Native Americans cannot be excluded from the discourse. Social Security is critical to American Indian and Alaska Native communities as a stable source of income." |
Education |
“To make our economy stronger and more dynamic, we must prepare a rising generation to fill the jobs of the 21st century. Under the No Child Left Behind Act, standards are higher, test scores are on the rise and we’re closing the achievement gap for minority students. Now we must demand better results from our high schools, so every high school diploma is a ticket to success.” |
“Education is another element in building healthier communities, where again we are making the most of diminishing dollars. The proportion of adult Indians on reservations with less than a ninth grade education declined substantially over the past ten years, but still we have only 50% of Indian students competing a high school degree. Our schools are doing what they can with the limited means they have, but we must have the federal tools and funding that we need, ensuring no child is left behind in Indian Country. Success in Native education will come only when Native students are receiving a high quality education that not only prepares them for the demands of contemporary society, but also thoroughly grounds them in their own culture, language and traditions. In recognizing the challenges to address the funding for our current needs and the additional requirements of implementing No Child Left Behind, NCAI [National Congress of American Indians] will continue to consult with the Department of Education and Congress to seek resources for programs serving American Indians. In Indian Country we face major implementation challenges and a one-size-fits-all approach will not work. There are challenges in areas such a providing school choice in remote areas, employing highly qualified teachers, and inclusion of native language immersion programs. In 2005 while all other programs were granted more dollars, the Office of Indian Education that serves 90% of our students was flat lined. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, which is responsible for 185 Indian schools, cut school construction 10% despite a well-documented backlog in education facilities and continues to underfund tribal colleges, despite the fact that they play a critical role in the long term development of our communities. We call upon Congress to fund Indian education programs at least at the same level as other education programs.” |
Health |
“To make our economy stronger and more productive, we must make health care more affordable and give families greater access to good coverage and more control over their health decisions. I ask Congress to move forward on a comprehensive health care agenda, with tax credits to help low-income workers buy insurance, a community health center in every poor county, improved information technology to prevent medical error and needless costs, association health plans for small businesses and their employees, expanded health savings accounts, and medical liability reform that will reduce health care costs and make sure patients have the doctors and care they need.” |
“The health disparities our tribal communities face need to be addressed immediately before another generation of American Indian and Alaska Native people lose their quality of life to debilitating health problems left untreated. American Indians and Alaska Natives have a life expectancy five years less than all other races in this country. Diabetes continues to be a devastating curse among American Indian and Alaska Native people. The mortality rates from diabetes for our Native communities are more than three times the national average… In this of this disproportionate health care need, today the per capita expenditure for American Indian and Alaska Native medical services…is even less than our per capita health expenditure for federal prisoners. Today I am calling upon Congress and the President to provide enough funding to truly meet our health needs and to fulfill the federal trust responsibility by reauthorizing the tribally proposed Indian Health Care Improvement Act this Congressional Session.” |
Housing, Jobs, Compassion, Violence, Law |
“In the past four years, we’ve provided tax relief to every person who pays income taxes, overcome a recession, opened up new markets abroad, prosecuted corporate criminals, raised home ownership to its highest level in history and, in the last year alone, the United States has added 2.3 million new jobs. When action was needed, the Congress delivered, and the nation is grateful…
Because a society is measured by how it treats the weak and vulnerable, we must strive to build a culture of life… To build a culture of life we must also ensure that scientific advances always serve human dignity, not take advantage of some lives for the benefit of others… Because one of the deepest values of our country is compassion, we must not turn away from any citizen who feels isolated from the opportunities of America. Our government will continue to support faith-based and community groups that bring hope to harsh places. Now we need to focus on giving young people, especially young men in our cities, better options than apathy, or gangs, or jail.
Police and firefighters, air marshals, researchers, and so many others are working every day to make our homeland safer, and we thank them all.” |
“As we meet our own community needs, tribes are playing a critical role in the network of governments that protects and supports every American…
Housing overcrowding in Indian Country has decreased during the last decade, however, Indian families continue to lack adequate sewage and water systems, telephone lines and electricity, and basic infrastructure enjoyed by other Americans. Even with the improvements we have seen, Indian families are still three times more likely to live in overcrowded homes when compared with the general population… Unfortunately, the indications are that the President will submit a budget that is going to severely cut important housing programs for Native Americans.
[E]conomic conditions in Indian Country have improved dramatically over the past decade. In the early 1990’s, average income for Indians on reservations was less than one-third the national average and unemployment was three times the national level… But by 2000, income levels rose by 33 percent and the poverty rate dropped by seven percent. … However, [the] income average of Indians living on reservations is less than half of the national average. Indian unemployment is still double the rest of the country…
Our women are abused at far greater rates than any other group of women in the United States. This is unacceptable and outrageous. The Department of Justice reports that one in three American Indian and Alaska Native women will be raped in her lifetime—triple the rate for the rest of the country. Here is the kicker. 9 out of 10 American Indian victims of rape or assault had assailants who were non-Indian. Why is the rate of violent assault so high? Poor communication infrastructure and lack of authority given to tribal police… When a violent offender is non-Indian, the tribe has no jurisdiction… Our women must have protection. Our Native cultures have always placed incredible value on the woman.
Current funding for tribal law enforcement… is grossly inadequate. The Department of Justice, COPS grant program, however, has helped tribal communities hire 1,800 new police officers since 1999. Funding for approximately 253 officers will expire in FY2005… NCAI urges Congress and the President to ensure that federal and tribal law enforcement activities on Indian reservations are not curtailed as COPS funding expires.” |
Military Personnel |
“Right now, Americans in uniform are serving at posts across the world, often taking great risks on my orders. We have given them training and equipment; and they have given us an example of idealism and character that makes every American proud.” |
“I recognize and thank our loved ones overseas right now, our warriors who are fighting the war on terrorism. I want to also recognize our veterans across Indian Country and across America for their patriotism, devotion, and commitment to the mission of freedom. Americans should know that since World War II, Indians have the highest percentage of military service of any ethnic group of people in our country.”
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Voting and Foreign Interventions |
“Our aim is to build and preserve a community of free and independent nations, with governments that answer to their citizens, and reflect their own cultures. And because democracies respect their own people and their neighbors, the advance of freedom will lead to peace. That advance has great momentum in our time, shown by women voting in Afghanistan and Palestinians choosing a new direction, and the people of Ukraine asserting their democratic rights and electing a president. We are witnessing landmark events in the history of liberty… To promote this democracy, I will ask Congress for $350 million to support Palestinian political, economic, and security reforms. |
“As you know, Indian people have a historical record of very low participation in federal and state elections. However, last year the NCAI’s Native Vote campaign energized Indian voters like no other time in history… In South Dakota, more than 67% of reservation voters participated in the election. In Arizona, the Tohono O’odham Nation alone had 1,300 new registered voters and in New Mexico, 100,000 new Indian voters helped achieve record turnouts on the Navajo Reservation and many of the Pueblos… As tribal nations, we are getting stronger, more comfortable expressing our voice and using our power in shaping the national political landscape. When I think of the war in Iraq, I am reminded of the basic principle that the United States cannot do good around the world unless we first do good at home. Much of the power that the United States enjoys grows out of the power of our example. We can’t tell people to make a more democratic world unless they think we are making opportunity and hope available to every American citizen. That means tribal citizens must be afforded the opportunity to attend safe schools, drink clean water, receive quality health care, and live and work in a safe community… America, you have to do better at home.”
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Follow this link for further analysis of the two speeches.
Reviewed: 8/22/05
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