TITLE: Support Bureau of Indian Education Inclusion to All Tribes
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, Native American and Alaska Native tribes and communities have strong interests in improving the education opportunities for Youth; and
WHEREAS, the United States has recognized the expression of Native Americans in tribal communities, including Alaska Natives, for self-determination in legislation, such as public law 93-638, assuring the maximum tribal participation in the direction of educational services to render those services more responsive to the needs and desires of those communities; and
WHEREAS, the current ongoing reform efforts undertaken by the Bureau of Indian Education aims to empower tribal communities across the country, including Alaska, in greater self-determination of the education of their children.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the NCAI urges the Obama Administration with the United States Congress to take action to ensure that BIE Funding is made available to all Native American and Alaska Native tribes and Alaska Native organizations authorized by tribal resolution on the same terms it is made available in the rest of the United States; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that additional funding be allocated for meeting the trust responsibility of education in Alaska and nationally; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be the policy of NCAI until it is withdrawn or modified by subsequent resolution.
CERTIFICATION
The foregoing resolution was adopted by the General Assembly at the 2014 Annual Session of the National Congress of American Indians, held at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, October 26-31, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia, with a quorum present.