TITLE: To Institute an Alcohol and Drug Awareness and Prevention Curriculum into the Nation’s School Systems and Implement a Physical, Mental, and Sexual Abuse, including Bullying, Awareness and Prevention Curriculum into School Districts with Native American Schoolchildren
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 and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 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 Native American people have inhabited this great land from time immemorial, taking their food off the bounty of the land and waters; and
WHEREAS, the Native American people were living on this great land when the newcomers arrived and brought their customs and habits that affected the Native Americans negatively; and
WHEREAS, the Native American people were exposed to alcohol which negatively affected the Native American people and continues to negatively affect our Native American people; and
WHEREAS, Native American people are now exposed to illegal mind altering drugs, causing grave harm to our bodies and minds, and causing breakups in relationships and marriages, and causing grave harm to our young people; and
WHEREAS, after decades of waiting until our people are addicted to alcohol and drugs, before trying to treat the addictions with addiction treatment programs; and
WHEREAS, alcohol and drug treatment programs are not enough to address the onslaught of alcohol, heroin, meth and cocaine; and
WHEREAS, more is needed, such as a quality alcohol and drug awareness and prevention curriculum in the school systems, to make our Native American youth aware of the life threatening dangers of alcohol and drugs, what they do to a young mind and the life changes from the effects; and
WHEREAS, the curriculum can include the acts a person does while under the influence, that leads to jail and prison, and that prevents quality employment when the youth are adults, because of actions and violence fueled by alcohol and drugs; and
WHEREAS, the Native Americans realize that alcohol and drug addictions are in epidemic proportions for our people, leading to accidental deaths, physical, mental and sexual abuse and a breakdown in family units, which results in a highly disproportionate rate of suicides and incarceration of our Native American youth; and
WHEREAS, the established system of dealing with alcohol and drug abuse is not working, with many of our youth experimenting and becoming addicted to even more insidious drugs; and
WHEREAS, the Native American people recognize it is imperative our youth and adults have better resources to combat alcohol and drug additions; and
WHEREAS, we as Natives could make our youth and schoolchildren aware that violence is not the answer, that we must unify and come together with one voice; and
WHEREAS, by putting a physical, mental and sexual violence and awareness curriculum, into the school systems, we could empower Native American school children, to be aware that violence is not the answer, that if physical, mental and sexual violence is happening to them, that they always have an authority figure that they could go to, to make the abuse stop; and
WHEREAS, as Natives we realize that the cycle of alcohol and drug abuse exposure, that leads to physical, mental and sexual abuse and bullying behavior, makes it hard for children to concentrate on schoolwork and leads to lasting mental and low self-esteem problems that continues on into adulthood; and
WHEREAS, as Natives we realize that the vicious cycle of substance abuse begins when children are mistreated and turn to substance abuse to escape the abuse, which spirals downward into suicide.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) advocate and lobby, the Federal and State governments, to institute a alcohol and drug awareness and prevention curriculum into the nationwide school systems, that will proactively prevent Native American youth from alcohol and drug experimentation and additions; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) lobby the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education, Congress and the Executive Branch to institute a mandatory physical, mental and sexual abuse curriculum into the school systems that have Native American school children attending; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be the policy of NCAI until it is withdrawn or modified by subsequent resolution.