TITLE: Support for Congress to Request Studies Concerning Emergency Management and Response in Tribal Nations
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, little academic information exists concerning homeland security and emergency management in tribal communities; and
WHEREAS, federal decision-makers and tribal leaders need quality information to help shape funding and policy making regarding tribal emergency response; and
WHEREAS, quality information about the challenges of disaster recovery and response in Indian Country will help direct federal policies and opportunities to meet Indian Country’s needs; and
WHEREAS, federal research and investigative agencies could identify and make specific recommendations for legislative changes to improve the Stafford Act and the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) implementation in Indian Country and direct tribal specific funding opportunities for disaster planning, preparedness, and capacity building.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NCAI hereby calls upon the Congress of the United States to commission studies from the Government Accountability Office and the Congressional Research Service to examine disaster preparedness and response in Indian Country to share information among federal agencies and tribal nations to better understand the unmet needs of tribal communities when disasters strike; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be the policy of NCAI until it is withdrawn or modified by subsequent resolution.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.