that trappers and hunters sold, like bear
fur, for money.
Let me be very clear: The single-
most offensive name that you can call an
American Indian is “Redskin.”
Today, a majority of people agree.
In a recent national survey, 83 percent
of Americans said they wouldn’t use the
R-word to a Native American’s face. And
they’re right.
We know the team owner stands on
the wrong side of history. He has dug
in his heels and refuses to change. But
why do you do it, Fed Ex? You point
with pride to your policy of diversity and
inclusiveness. Yet, your name is on the
stadium. How do you defend perpetuating
exactly the kind of racism that 40 percent
of your workforce has faced in one form
or another?
And why do you do it, Coca-Cola?
For generations, you have been the com-
pany that taught the world to sing. Why
do you defend a name that teaches the
young generation to hate?
And why do you do it Verizon – or
Best Buy – or HP – or United Airlines?
Many of us associate your companies
with great American success stories! But
doesn’t your defense of this name harken
back to the worst of America’s failures?
American Indians are appropriately
honored as soldiers and teachers, students
and first responders, CEOs and commu-
nity leaders. There is no honor in the name
of that team.
It’s long past time that Washingto-
nians begin to see their fellow Native
citizens through the eyes of respect and
not as mascots for a football business
that doesn’t even have a fraction of the
resilience, pride or strength of character
of any Tribal nation.
To those who say there are other
issues that Indian Country should focus
on, my response is simple: This issue is
no different than any issue we work on
every day at the National Congress of
American Indians.
As we have since 1944, we will stand
for the rights of Native peoples in every
corner of our society, whether it’s under
the bright lights of the NFL or in the vot-
ing booths of South Dakota.
This isn’t a partisan issue. This isn’t
an issue of political correctness. We’re not
trying to make news or make noise. We’re
trying to make progress.
We’re standing up, with partners like
the Leadership Conference on Civil and
Human Rights, the NAACP, the National
Council of La Raza and the Fritz Pollard
Alliance. We’re standing with Tribes and
Native organizations, religious leaders
and journalists, school students and for-
mer NFL stars and we’re calling on all
fair-minded Americans to stand with us.
It is time to modernize our
trust relationship
To sustain our progress, and build on
it, we must rid ourselves of the old ways
of thinking about our relationship.
We must modernize our trust relation-
ship. The next step in strengthening that
relationship is for the federal government to
trust Tribes to determine their own future.
This is about more than Tribes hav-
ing a seat at the table where decisions
are made. This is about having policies
and processes that treat Tribal nations as
partners in governing.
While we have a unique relationship
with the federal government that will never
end, it is time that our relationship reflects
the true meaning of the word “trust.”
The federal government needs to
recognize Tribal governments as true
partners in supporting the citizens of our
nations. It needs to update its laws and
regulations to reflect that partnership –
one based on deference and support, not
paternalism and control.
Whether policy related to the Key-
stone Pipeline or renewable energy,
health care or education, privacy rights or
immigration, too often policymakers fail
to surround themselves with people who
understand Tribal perspectives or seek
input from Tribal leaders and citizens.
We don’t want the federal govern-
ment to solve our problems or dictate our
future. We want to solve our own prob-
lems. We want to build our own future. We
strongly believe that the greatest source
of solutions that work for Indian Country
is Indian Country itself.
In fact, we are already charting this
future. The Native vote is influencing
important elections, electing Republicans,
Democrats and Independents who stand
with Indian Country and uphold the trust
responsibility.
A growing number of Native people
hold elective office. I’d like to take a
moment to congratulate my good friend,
an Alaska Native and a former NCAI
board member: Alaska’s new Lieutenant
Governor Byron Mallott.
Byron not only embodies his Tlingit
culture – but also the idea that Native
issues aren’t partisan issues.
The power of the Native vote shows
that when we base our work on the prin-
ciple that our voice can and must be heard,
we can work together to tear down the
barriers to growth for Tribal economies.
We can give the next generation a better
chance to work hard – and see that work
pay off.
To that end, I see three important
ways we can modernize the trust relation-
ship – simplifying and streamlining gov-
ernment regulations, improving education
and focusing the talents of Tribal nations
to create economic growth.
Let’s simplify and streamline
government regulations
Let me start where Ronald Reagan
started – with simplifying government.
Part of our frustration today is similar
to the frustration felt by state governments
forced to live under regulations that were
written for another age and time.
I often speak about how my Tribe
lost a major contract with a large retailer.
It happened because the federal govern-
ment sat on our application for nearly two
years, until the economy crashed and the
retailer pulled out of the deal.
Many Tribal leaders have a similar
story. The fact is that the federal agen-
cies that oversee Indian Country are
not equipped to deal with all of the deci-
sions necessary to build an economy in
the 21 st century.
Congress and the administration need
to find ways to help bring federal agencies
out of the 19 th century and into the 21 st
century. We need them to be partners for
growth and not barriers to growth.
Take access to capital. The ability to
issue tax-exempt bonds to fund construc-
tion projects is the bread and butter of
every modern state and local government.
Yet this economic development tool is not
available to Tribes. The IRS only allows
Tribes to use tax-exempt bonds to fund
“essential government functions,” like
sewer systems.
It is time for the federal govern-
ment to update its tax code to reflect its
recognition of the equal status of Tribal
governments.
The same goes for adoption. State
courts say that a parent who adopts a child
with special needs is eligible to receive a
tax credit to help with care. Yet if a par-
ent lives on a reservation and adopts a
child with special needs, they don’t get
a tax credit.
It’s not an oversight – it’s bad policy.
It’s outrageous and discriminatory, and it
needs to change.
Or take law enforcement. Despite
an act of Congress, the FBI continues to
effectively deny Tribal police access to the
same National Crime Information Center
database that they make available to state,
local and even some campus police.
What does that mean? It means that
if a protection order is issued in a domes-
tic violence case, the Tribal court often
cannot enter that order into the federal
database. It means that protection might
not follow the survivor off the reservation.
It needs to change.
The same goes for the census of
governments. Every five years, 70,000
government entities are surveyed, right
down to local sewer districts.
But Tribal governments have never
been included in this process. So when
we appeal for federal resources, we do so
without any of the data that every other
government uses to receive funding.
And take an especially close look at
technology. The rural broadband develop-
ment project regularly reviews technology
access in rural America.
Yet the last technology census of
Tribal nations took place before Google,
Twitter or smart phones even existed. The
best data we do have indicates an ongoing
digital divide. While 73 percent of Ameri-
cans have access to broadband, in Indian
Country it’s only 10 percent.
In spite of these barriers, Tribes are
maintaining their place as the first Ameri-
can innovators. Just last week, President
Obama highlighted a public-private part-
nership that brought high speed Internet
access to the Choctaw Nation.
In a community where access was
once nonexistent, today the Tribal Coun-
cil has a new tool to engage citizens. The
Choctaw School of Language is offer-
ing distance education courses. And the
Broken Bow School District serves over
1,000 students using smart boards, iPads,
online lesson plans and tools that increase
parent engagement.
We need a comprehensive and
updated study of our technology needs
to advance more common sense initiatives
like this one to increase our participation
in the digital age.
Of course, there are more legislative
and administrative solutions within reach
than I can discuss here. But I want to focus
on two important areas where bipartisan
solutions exist – education and economic
growth.
Let’s improve education
No resource is more important to the
continued success and growth of Tribal
nations and the United States than our
children. Education is a treaty right.
The greatest way to invest in this pre-
cious natural resource is to provide a high
quality, culturally appropriate education.
One that benefits all Native children and
gives Native students the same chance to
succeed as their non-Native peers.
For Indian Country, it all goes back to
trust, flexibility and local solutions.
Focusing on Tribal control of schools
promises to improve outcomes for our stu-
dents. And creating greater accountability
for public schools on reservation lands
will ensure that Native students receive
the quality education that they need.
We call on Congress to reauthorize
the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act this year. We call for the inclusion of
Tribal provisions to encourage Tribal-
state partnerships, strengthen local con-
trol of education and begin to help every
school deliver a high quality education.
We also call on Congress to enact
legislation that supports Native language
programs so education for our children is
rooted in our history and culture.
Together, we should also take a hard
look at the Bureau of Indian Education
schools. Congress and the administration
can do more to make sure the Native youth
that attend these schools have high qual-
ity teachers, modern technology and the
facilities to deliver excellent education.
Along the way, we must continue to
seek innovative solutions. That is why I
applaud the president’s proposal to make the
first two years of Tribal and community col-
lege free. It will finally make K-through-14
education in America a reality.
I look forward to working with Con-
gress and the administration to make this
and other necessary investments in our
youth, Native and non-Native.
After all, the relatively few dollars
we spend on education today will save
many dollars in the generations to come.
Education destroys poverty and drug and
alcohol abuse.
Let’s create economic growth
Likewise, when it comes to economic
growth, what’s good for First Americans
is good for all Americans.
But what can we do to power eco-
nomic growth within Tribes – growth
that has ripple effects far beyond their
borders?
The answer centers around what
Tribal governments have proven we can
do when Indian Country has the flex-
ibility to pursue ideas developed at the
local level.
When it comes to infrastructure, Tribes
need safe and well-maintained transporta-
tion options and housing – just like the
rest of the country. And Tribes need better
information highways too – just to catch
up with the rest of the country.
I urge Congress and the administra-
tion to accelerate work that is under way
February 2015
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