Each year, the President of the National Congress of American Indians presents the State of Indian Nations address to members of Congress, government officials, tribal leaders and citizens, and the American public.
To facilitate direct engagement between Congress and tribal nations, a member of Congress is invited each year to deliver a Congressional response to the State of Indian Nations. Previous Congressional speakers have included Senator Maria Cantwell, Senator Lisa Murkowski, and Representative Tom Cole, among others. The event concludes with a live, interactive Q&A session with the audience, press, and those engaging via social media.
On Monday, February 22, 2021, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) kicks off its 2021 Executive Council Winter Session (ECWS) with the 19th State of Indian Nations (SOIN) address. The SOIN will be broadcast virtually beginning at 2:30 p.m. EST. NCAI President Fawn Sharp will deliver the SOIN Address followed by a Congressional Response. A separate briefing event for press will directly follow the address. The SOIN address will outline the priorities for our nation-to-nation relationship with the United States and for the advancement of Native peoples.
Please refer to the full schedule below for more details.
SOIN SCHEDULE:
2:30 p.m.: Opening Remarks, NCAI First Vice President Aaron Payment, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Chairman
2:35 p.m.: Invocation, NCAI Area Vice President Tina Abrams, Seneca Nation of Indians Councilor
2:40 p.m.: State of Indian Nations, NCAI President Fawn Sharp, Quinault Indian Nation President 3:10 p.m.: Congressional Response
3:25 p.m.: Tribal Leader/Audience Question & Answer Session
3:45 p.m.: Closing Remarks
4:00 p.m.: Post SOIN Press Conference
ECWS sessions will begin Monday afternoon and will be held in a virtual setting. The 2021 ECWS will tackle key issues facing American Indian and Alaska Native communities while providing solutions through legislative and policy planning with the Biden-Harris Administration and 117th Congress.
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