TITLE: Urge the US Department of Housing & Urban Development Involve Tribal Governments and Tribally Designated Housing Entities in the Process of Vetting and Selecting a Qualified Native American Candidate for the Position of Deputy Assistant Secretary
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, the Deputy Assistant Secretary position with the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), in its Office of Native American Programs (ONAP), is acknowledged by all to be a key position; and
WHEREAS, the collective success of Tribes, Tribal Housing Authorities and Tribally-Designated Housing Entities depends on the effective collaboration with HUD and its ONAP; and
WHEREAS, the selection of the appropriately qualified Native American candidate for the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary within HUD’s ONAP is crucial to that collective success in the future.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) urges the Administration, Congress, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to confer with Tribal governments and Tribally Designated Housing Entities in the process of vetting and selecting a qualified Native American candidate for the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be the policy of NCAI until it is withdrawn or modified by subsequent resolution.