Fostering Tribal Sovereignty, Furthering Self-Determination
From: Dean for America
Diversity is one of America’s great strengths. My values and the values of my campaign are the same as those of Native Americans — advancing the cause of youth, caring for our elders, ensuring equal opportunity, providing quality health care, and creating jobs by building basic infrastructure and planning for future generations. I believe in honoring the communities that American Indian and Alaskan Natives have maintained for hundreds of years. As President, I will work to restore the trust between our government and our country’s Native American communities. My administration will focus on policies that promote the strength, integrity, and resiliency in Indian Country.
Self-governance is a cornerstone of American democracy. It is the members of Native American communities who are best suited to make decisions regarding their people and their land. Along with recognizing these rights, the United States has a special responsibility to American Indians and Alaskan Natives. As part of our promised trust relationship, our country must adopt policies that promote economic self-sufficiency for Indian tribes and ensure that Native Americans have access to the best schools, health care, and housing.
Too many Native American communities are lagging behind and it is because the United States has not followed through on promised services. The relationship between the federal government and tribes has increasingly come under assault. President Bush’s administration has created an environment that undermines Tribal America’s forward progress. He has allowed the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Indian Health Service, and the Administration for Native Americans to languish for months without leadership. This has fostered challenges to the sovereign rights of tribal governments, which undercuts a tribe’s ability to provide for the well-being of its people. The attack on tribal sovereignty must stop.
