Congressional panel focuses on 'Broken Promises' report on Indian Country
Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Washington) is hosting tribal leaders and federal officials on Wednesday afternoon for a discussion on the "Broken Promises" report that was issued by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
Released in December 2018, Broken Promises: Continuing Federal Funding Shortfall for Native Americans confirmed that the federal government is failing to meet its trust and treaty obligations in a wide range of areas, from health care and education to social services and public safety. It showed that progress has been slow moving even after a 2003 report, known as A Quiet Crisis: Federal Funding and Unmet Needs in Indian Country, highlighted similar concerns.
"Tribal Nations ceded millions of acres of land and natural resources to the United States, often involuntarily. As part of this exchange, promises were made that exist in perpetuity," the United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund said in a statement published on Indianz.Com after the report.
"The promises were to ensure for our overall health, well-being, and prosperity," the statement continued. "Unfortunately, despite these ceded lands and resources -- the very foundation of America’s strength and wealth -- the United States continues to fall woefully short of its obligations."
By: Meagan Racey
Source: Indianz