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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 8, 1983)
February 8,1983 Statement by the President—Indian This A dm inistration believes th at responsibilities and resources should be restored to the governments which are closest to the people served. This philosophy applies not only to state and local governments, but also to federally recognized American Indian tribes. When European colonial powers began to explore and colonize this land, they entered into treaties with sovereign Indian nations. Our new nation continued to make treaties and to deal with Indian tribes on a government-to-government basis. Throughout our history, despite periods of conflict and shifting national policies in In d ian affairs, the governm ent-to- government relationship between the United States and Indian tribes has endured. The Constitution, treaties, laws and court decisions have consistently recognized a unique political relationship between Indian tribes and the United States which this Administration pledges to uphold. In 1970, President Nixon announced a national policy of self-determination for Indian tribes. At the heart of the new policy was a commitment by the federal government to foster and encourage tribal self-government. That commitment was signed into law in 1975 as the Indian Self- Determination and Education Assistance Act. • The principle of self-government set forth in this Act was a good starting point. However, since 1975, there has been more rhetoric than action. Instead of fostering and encouraging self-government, federal policies have by and large inhibited the political and economic development of the tribes. Excessive regulation and self- perpetuatng bureaucracy have stifled local decisionmaking, thwarted Indian control of Indian resources, and promoted dependency rather than self-sufficiency. This Administration intends to reverse this trend by removing the obstacles to self- government and by creating a more f a v o r a b l e e n v i r o n m e n t f o r th e development of healthy reservation economies. Tribal governments, the federal government and the private sector will all have a role. This Administration Policy will take a flexible approach which recognizes the diversity among tribes and the right of each tribe to set its own priorities and goals. Change will not happen overnight. Development will be charted by the tribes, not the federal government. T his A d m in istratio n h o n o rs the commitment this nation made in 1970 and 1975 to strengthen tribal governments and lessen federal co n tro l over trib a l governmental affairs. This Administration is determined to turn these goals into reality. Our policy is to reaffirm dealing with Indian tribes on a government-to- government basis and to pursue the policy of self-government for Indian tribes without threatening termination. In support of our policy, we shall continue to fulfill the federal trust responsibility for the physical and financial resources we hold in trust for the tribes and their members. The fulfillment of this unique responsibility will be accomplished in accordance with the highest standards. Tribal Self-Government I near iAe N ation ’s CapitoL Tribal governments, Jik e state and local governments, are more aware of the needs and desires of their citizens than is the federal government and should, therefore, have the prim ary responsibility fo r meeting those needs. The only effective way for Indian reservations to - -develops is through tribal governments w h ic h a r e r e s p o n s i v e accountable to- their members. E arly in th is n a tio n 's dealings with Indian tribes, federal employees began to p e rfo rm In d ia n tr ib a l government functions. Despite the Indian Self-Determination Act, major tribal government fu n ctio n s—enforcing trib al laws, developing and managing tribal resources, providing health and social services, e d u c a t in g c h i l d r e n — a;re frequently still carried on by federal employees. The federal government must move away from this surrogate role which undermines the concept of self- government. It is important to the concept of self-government that tribes reduce their dependence on federal funds by providing a greater percentage of the cost of their self-government. Some tribes are already moving in this direction. This Adminis tration pledges to assist tribes in s t r e n g th e n i n g t h e i r governments by removing the federal impediments to tribal self-government and tribal r e s o u rc e d e v e lo p m e n t. Necessary federal funds will continue to be available. This A dm inistration affirms the right of tribes to determine the best way to meet the needs of their members and to establish and run programs which best meet those needs. For those small tribes which have the greatest needs to develop core governm ental capacities, this Administration has developed, through the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, the Small Tribes Initiative. This program will provide financial support necessary to allow these tribes to develop basic trib al adm in istrativ e' and management capabilities. In k e e p in g w ith th e government-to-government re lationship, Indian Tribes are defined by law as eligible entities and receive direct funding, if they-wish, h r five b lo c k g r a n t p r o g r a m s administered by the Depart ment of Health and Human Services. These and other blocks to the states consoli dated dozens of categorical federal domestic assistance programs to reduce fragmenta tion and overlap, eliminate excessive federal regulation, and provide for more local control. : This Administration now proposes that Indian tribes be eligible for direct funding in the Title XX social services block, ihe block with the largest appropriation and the greatest flexibility in service delivery. In addition, we are moving the White House liaison for federally-rèeognized tribes from the Office of Public Liaison to the Office of In tergovernm ental A ffairs, which maintains liaison with state and local governments. In the past several administra tions, tribes have been placed along with vital interest groups, such as veterans, businessmen and religious leaders. In moving the tribal government contact within the White H ouse In te rg o v e rn m e n ta l Affairs staff, this Administra tio n is u n d e rsc o rin g its commitment to recognizing trib al governm ents on a governm ent to government basts. Further, we are recommend ing that the Congress expand the authorized membership of the Advisory Commission on Intergovernm ental Relations (42 U.S.C. 4273) to include a representative of Indian tribal governments. In the interim before Congressional action, we are requesting that the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs join the Commission as an observer. We also supported and signed into law the Indian T ribal G overnm ental Tax Status Act which provides t r i b a l . g o v ern m en ts w ith essentially the same treatment under federal' tax laws as applies to other governments with regard to revenue rising* and saving mechanisms. In addition, this Administra tion calls upon Congress to rep lace House C o ncurrent Resolution 108 of the 83 rd C o n g ress, th e re s o lu tio n which established the now discredited policy of termina tin g th e f e d e r a l - t r i b a l relationship. Congress has im p li c it ly r e je c te d th e termination policy by enacting the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975. However^ because the termination policy declared in H. Con. Res. 108 has not been e x p re s s ly an d fo rm a lly repudiated by a concurrent resolution of Congress, it continues to create among the Indian people an apprehension that the U nited States may not in the future honor the unique re la tio n sh ip betw een th e Indian people and the federal government. A lingering threat of termination , has no place in this Administration’s policy of self-government for Indian tribes, and I ask Congress' to again express its support of self-government. These actions are but the first steps in restoring control to tribal governments. Much more needs to be done. W ithout sound reservation economies, the concept of self- government has little meaning. In the past, despite good i n t e n t i o n s , th e f e d e r a l government has been one of the major obstacles to economic progress. This Administration in te n d s to rem o v e th e im pedim ents to econom ic development and to encourage cooperative efforts among the tribes, the federal government and the private sector in d e v e lo p in g r e s e r v a tio n economies.
