Resolution #SAC-12-064
TITLE: Support to Include a Doctoral Program for United States Department of Education’s Office of Indian Education Indian Professional Development Grants
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, through its unique relationship with Native nations, the federal government has established programs and resources to meet the educational needs of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians, residing on and off their reserved or non-reserved homelands; and
WHEREAS, there continues to be a tremendous need to well-trained Native school administrators in tribal communities all across the United States, including rural, urban, and reservation communities; and
WHEREAS, although significant progress has been made preparing Native administrators at the masters level for school principal positions, there is a need for preparing Native administrators at the doctoral level, primarily to serve in the role of superintendents of schools as well in other fields; and
WHEREAS, there are too many school superintendent positions in Indian-serving schools that are filled by non-Indians who do not speak the language, do not know the values and traditions, and tend not to stay on the job for extended periods of time; and
WHEREAS, the turnover rate of superintendents in some of these schools is 60%, and over 50% of the individuals serving as superintendents are doing so with emergency or temporary certification; and
WHEREAS, tribes also critically need highly trained American Indians and Alaska Natives to serve as directors of their tribal education departments and agencies; and
WHEREAS, there is a trust responsibility to tribal people, which includes supporting educational attainment and the need to provide educational services.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NCAI urges Congress and the Department of Education to support doctoral programs within the Office of Indian Education’s Indian Professional Development Grant program; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NCAI urges Congress to increase funding for the Indian Professional Development Grant program to meet the tremendous need in Indian Country and include doctoral programs; 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 Annual Session of the National Congress of American Indians, held at the Sacramento Convention Center from October 21-26, 2012 in Sacramento, California, with a quorum present.
President
ATTEST:
Recording Secretary