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, it is broadly understood and been demonstrated through statistical analysis that American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people experience disproportionately higher rates of health disparities than other groups of people in the United States; and
WHEREAS, the National Indian Health Board has requested views of tribes about what should be the position of tribes on issues in the upcoming reauthorization of the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI); and
WHEREAS, NCAI, as well as tribes nationally, have taken a position on the reauthorization of the SDPI following its expiration in FY2008 and since only extensions of the program have been granted by Congress without a multi-year reauthorization of the program, then NCAI continues to stand on the previous resolutions.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NCAI continue to support the following legislative objectives for the reauthorization of the SDPI: (1) a reauthorization of $150 million or greater per year for a period of five years; (2) that funding allocations for the newly authorized program be made through tribal consultation, and (3) funding provided by the SDPI be subject to contracting requirements under P.L. 93-638; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NCAI recognize that the current fiscal climate and budgetary needs are challenging and urge that if these requested funding amounts and years cannot be achieved that Indian Country stand firm that the funding level not be lower than the existing $150 million a year for a period of at least two years; 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 2012 Mid-Year Session of the National Congress of American Indians, held at The Cornhusker Hotel from June 17-20, 2012 in Lincoln, Nebraska, with a quorum present.