Native American Heritage Month

Floor Speech

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Ms. MOORE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New Mexico for yielding.

I am so very pleased to join my colleague, Deb Haaland, as one of the first Native American women--it is about time--to join this body in celebrating Native American Heritage Month.

It is fitting here in November, as we think about Thanksgiving, to celebrate Native American Heritage Month, considering the welcoming of foreigners to this land first inhabited by the Native peoples.

This month really allows us the opportunity to formally remember the great contributions that Native Americans have made, and they continue to make to bridge our communities and to improve our Nation.

All you have to do is walk right down the street to the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian to just get a glimpse of the many ways that Native Americans have contributed to the fabric of our Nation, despite the many hardships, the broken promises, and trials they have faced.

Indeed, as you walk through that museum, you will see the dozens and dozens and dozens of documentation of the treaties that have been executed and violated in this country.

But the rich culture and heritage of Native Americans have still come through all of these hardships. They have been an indelible and undeniable impact on the American way of life. I am reminded of that every single day in my community.

In fact, I hail from Wisconsin, where Earth Day was inaugurated by the late, great Senator Gaylord Nelson because, indeed, one of the things we have learned in Wisconsin from our Native community is to have stewardship over our environment, one of the legacies of the Native peoples.

My home State is proudly home to 11 federally recognized Native American Tribes, and I am so proud of the many contributions that these Tribes have made to the cultural and economic richness of my State. In fact, the city of Milwaukee, which I represent, has a name that is derived from some of the Native brothers and sisters who inhabited the region: the gathering place by the water, the beautiful land, or the pleasant land. In fact, the host committee from the Democratic National Convention is called the Good Land Committee.

These Tribes have helped refine and strengthen our State. In my home city of Milwaukee, the Forest County Potawatomi Foundation has not shied away from helping to address some of the most intractable problems facing our communities, including high unemployment, access to basic and higher education, ensuring better access to healthcare, and reducing health disparities, among other things.

I am so inspired by the dedication of the Forest County Potawatomi to invest in Milwaukee and to give a helping hand to those serving the most vulnerable in the broader community, from young children to seniors in our community.

In my life as an elected official, first at the State level and now in Congress, I have had so many wonderful friends and allies in the Tribal community. As a matter of fact, I grew up in a community where I had many friends, and I learned so many things from my Native friends.

I am extremely honored to now serve in this body with the first Native American women--what a difference one session makes--who have been elected to this body and to be able to work across the aisle, even before they arrived, with concerned colleagues with Native backgrounds, such as Mr. Cole and Mr. Young, on legislation to address the needs of Native Americans.

Madam Speaker, I want to take just a few seconds, if the gentlewoman from New Mexico will indulge me, to reinforce my commitment to the first peoples of this Nation. As they are citizens of this Nation, I want to remind the body that Native people are dual citizens. Because of their treaty rights--and it is in the Constitution--they are sovereign nations, and we ought to double down on our efforts of the Federal Government to fully live up to these trust obligations.

Unfortunately, the history of our country is not the same as our aspirations. Our country's policies toward our Tribal communities is not a proud one. It actually is quite horrifying, which is why remembering, commemorating, and celebrating our Native brothers and sisters is so important, in order to remember the great things but also to remind us of where we have fallen short so that we learn from our past and that our history never repeats itself.

You have heard some of the things that my sister Deb Haaland has talked about here. She talked about the abrogation of families and moving Native American people into assimilation programs. Part of that legacy has come to pass because we have not protected the sanctity of our Tribal obligations, respected sovereignty, and promoted the political, economic, and social self-determination for Native American communities. This is of paramount importance if we are not to repeat the same negative legacy.

As we celebrate this month, let us rededicate ourselves to the numerous bills and initiatives that can help make a difference to our Native brothers and sisters. Let this not be just some moment, some little 5 minute or Special Order talking about how wonderful Native Americans are.

One of our key legislative priorities this year is a strong reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. For too long, non- Native men could assault Native American women with impunity. The Violence Against Women Act that passed the House earlier this year, sitting over in the Senate graveyard, would take more steps to end this scourge by empowering Native law enforcement and Native courts to protect Native American women and children from domestic violence.

The need for affordable housing in Indian Country cannot be overstated. Some of the poorest and most remote communities in this country are Native American communities. Native American elders and children are living in deteriorated housing with mold and structures that cannot protect them against the harsh environment.

NAHASDA, the Native American Housing Assistance and Self- Determination Act, provides Tribal governments the ability to provide safe and affordable housing to Tribal communities that is consistent with their status as sovereigns. We need to stop punting and finally undertake a real reauthorization to unlock the potential of these programs to improve housing for all Native Americans. I continue to work with House and Senate colleagues to find a path forward so we can finally have this program reauthorized.

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