The National Congress of American Indians
Resolution #PHX-16-066
TITLE: NCAI Support for the 2019 World Indigenous Trade and Enterprise Summit and Festival
WHEREAS, we, the members of the National Congress of American Indians of the United States, invoking the divine blessing of the Creator upon our efforts and purposes, in order to preserve for ourselves and our descendants the inherent sovereign rights of our Indian nations, rights secured under Indian treaties and agreements with the United States, and all other rights and benefits to which we are entitled under the laws and Constitution of the United States, to enlighten the public toward a better understanding of the Indian people, to preserve Indian cultural values, and otherwise promote the health, safety and welfare of the Indian people, do hereby establish and submit the following resolution; and
WHEREAS, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) was established in 1944 and is the oldest and largest national organization of American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments; and
WHEREAS, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (The Declaration) states in article 21,(1): “Indigenous Peoples have the right, without discrimination, to the improvement of their economic and social conditions, including inter alia, in the area of education, employment, vocational training and retraining, housing, sanitation, health and social security;” and
WHEREAS, The Declaration goes on to state in Article 23 that “Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for exercising their right to development. In particular, indigenous peoples have the right to be actively involved in developing and determining health, housing and other economic and social programs affecting them and, as far as possible, to administer such programs through their own institutions;” and
WHEREAS, NCAI supports economic development across Indian Country as a means of exercising inherent sovereignty of Tribal Nations and bettering the quality of life of Tribal citizens. Trade and partnerships with Indigenous Peoples throughout the world will help achieve this goal; and
WHEREAS, the World Indigenous Trade and Enterprise Summit and Festival is being organized the Maori leader Billy Te Kahika for 2019 and has been supported by the United Nations as a means to reduce indigenous poverty through trade, enterprise and cultural vitality.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Congress of American Indians supports the World Indigenous Trade and Enterprise Summit and Festival, urging the development of economic and cultural trade and exchange between Indigenous Nations and Peoples throughout the world; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be the policy of NCAI until it is withdrawn or modified through subsequent resolution.
CERTIFICATION
The foregoing resolution was adopted by the General Assembly at the 2016 Annual Session of the National Congress of American Indians, held at the Phoenix Convention Center, October 9th- 14th 2016, with a quorum present.