Story Published:
Feb 9, 2010
Story Updated:
Feb 5, 2010
WASHINGTON – Jobs are the order of the day; so said Jefferson Keel, president of the National Congress of American Indians, who recently delivered the eighth State of the Indian Nations address, highlighting several pathways to strengthen tribal sovereignty.
To a room full of Native faces Jan. 29 at the National Press Club in downtown Washington, the Chickasaw Nation citizen listed several priorities for Indian country in the coming year.
“I am pleased to report that the state of Indian nations is strong – and we are growing stronger every day. At the same time, we have much work to do, and now is the time to take action.
“Our great hope is that the next year will be, like this past year, one of achievement, and the culmination of much work, which has extended over years and, in some cases, decades.”
Keel shared the importance of tribal sovereignty, the challenges to it – namely unemployment – and ways to strengthen it. More funds and support for tribal economic development were a common thread throughout his talk.
Upon Keel’s delivery of the address, NCAI highlighted his solutions in a document titled, “Seven Transformative Actions for the Obama Administration to Create Jobs and Bring Change to Tribal Nation Communities.”
The document calls on the administration to reduce Interior’s land transaction backlog; enforce equal financial footing for tribes as governments; reform crime prevention on reservations; ensure equitable distribution of funds to tribal governments; support tribal youth wellness; improve interagency coordination to address tribal infrastructure and natural resources; and take administrative action to address the Supreme Court’s Carcieri decision.
At a hearing of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Jan. 28, Keel testified that Congress must provide more direct federal investments to tribes for economic development, tax incentives and fixes to existing programs.
Donald Laverdure, deputy assistant secretary of Indian affairs at Interior, testified at the hearing that some reservations face unemployment rates of up to 80 percent.
Reflecting on Keel’s address, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., released a statement saying Congress’ economic development efforts “must include policies to address the staggering rates of unemployment among Native Americans. ...”
Likewise, many Congress members have said they strongly support tribal job growth.
A full transcript of Keel’s address is online.
Thursday, Feb 11 at 2:39 PM pinkies02 wrote ...
I think "fed up" is stuck in the 1800s. Might I remind you, "fed up," that the "civilized tribes" were the ones pushed out of their homelands in the Trail of Tears. Civilized or not, Native people continue to be forgotten and marginalized. Until this stops, it's going to be near impossible to perform the whole "bootstrap" trick you speak of.
37439199Wednesday, Feb 10 at 6:52 PM A Pompous Distraction wrote ...
NCAI and keel are 'scripted tangents' used by the diabolical powers that be, to smoke screen the US's fiduciary responsibilities yet appear to care! Keel dances/prances around the real piercing of tribal soveriegnty and US Const by irs to sell off Crow Creek land. Come on, 'mr. indian leader' at least throw down that this flagrant usurpage of laws of a civil society! No, keel lies to us that 'things are different' when it's the same fecal matter, different day [administration]! keel is presumptuous of NCAI/keel to talk to Lakota this way!
37392416Wednesday, Feb 10 at 5:46 PM TO: "Fed Up!" wrote ...
With any due respect, I am a Lakota and I am not vested in being a non-Lakota. I see the US being flushed in the stool basket because of its ways! This world is not my final destin-ation, I await the New Yerushalayim! I'm not a fan of Native America, I'm a 4/4 Lakota but I really don't lose any sleep over the ills of the rest of indian country,sorry! The white ways are diametrically-opposed to Lakol Wicoun and I can't think like a greedy white man so flaunting the so-called status quo to me is lost. This Native puppet and their 'embassy' really are laughingstock of Lakota country!
37388434Wednesday, Feb 10 at 4:59 PM Fed Up wrote ...
well if you disgruntled ndns knew how to manage ur affairs and stopped fighting with one another, the feds and the civilized ndns wouldnt have to come to ur rescue.Either shut up or get in the game and stop waiting for the feds and the civilized ndns to spoon feed you and whip ur hind parts.
37385186Wednesday, Feb 10 at 4:29 PM saber tooth mountain dreamer wrote ...
'indians' or indigenous peoples have to unite and ask questions like, does national congress of indians represent the interests of all indigena? i think indigena is on the edge of asking should indigena become a state, a state like illegal arizona? i think so.
37383074Tuesday, Feb 9 at 2:38 PM Yeah but... wrote ...
keel evades the political 'hot potatoes' of the Native day and further paints a rosy pic where Native America is replete with much clout to do ____...at least, the Great Black father in Washington had the fortitude to throw down on the SCOTUS' political indulgence but keel just glosses over any real issues but has the audacity to call it the 'state' of Native America. How do people get this way?
37293509Tuesday, Feb 9 at 12:54 PM Puppeted by puppetmasters! wrote ...
Thanks to both these remarks! Yes, it a ploy by the US [fed reserve/irs, etc] to appear to keep their word to Lakota/Chirachua/Seminole/ Shoshone/NezPerce/etc..but if they're going to allow their puppet cobell to get her $15 mil they're going to get some back from Crow Ck. etc...US isn't even keeping their word to the mainstream do you believe they aren't playing chess behind closed doors with Native American pawns? This guy keel may not be as lecherous as some: cobell; r. swimmer; p. hogen; etc.. but he's still THEIR puppet! An 'embassy' in DC come on-it's the butt of an indian joke!
37284876Tuesday, Feb 9 at 11:02 AM Keel's speech and the IRS wrote ...
The closest the speech came to addressing the IRS land seizure of Crow Creek Sioux land is when NCAI Pres. Keel talked about unconsolidated tribal lands or the lengthy delays in getting the US government to bring tribal land into trust status. This is what happened at the Crow Creek reservation. It seems that the NCAI may stand back and let the IRS establish a practice where they will seize tribal lands when the tribes fall behind on IRS employment taxes. President Keel could have brought this subject up but he is abiding by the DC rule of "not naming names". When a specific tribe has a grievance with a specific agency or political leader this almost always results in the subject never being brought up publicly by anyone in a position of authority whether it be a leader in the NCAI or an Indian working in a federal agency. The only place it is brought up is in a court of law or by activists who are free of self-interest or job security. This is how things are done in Washington DC.
37276479Tuesday, Feb 9 at 10:23 AM Wake me up when he's done! wrote ...
This guy is another in a line of Native puppets who expound as they're scripted to do: lay out the needs analysis, say there's progress and try to get tribes to play patty cake with each other [play nice on the whiteman's playground] and say some senators have [feigned!] interest but did keel mention the usurpage of their Const by irs in taking Crow Creek's land did CC even come up? I will be listening for it! NCAI is a rogue operation in native America and sadly some Lakota tribes are memebrs but I am not interested in their speeches/agenda or who has fooled them into thinking they care! So long as keel believes it, it'll keep him in a [high-paying] job in an interesting town but he/NCAI don't represent me!
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