Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Reauthorization Act of 2015
Floor Speech
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Mr. TAKAI. Mr. Speaker, today, I stand in support of H.R. 360, the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Reauthorization Act of 2015.
This legislation reaffirms the United States trust responsibility to American Indian and Alaska Native nations and provides necessary tools to the native people of our country for sustainable solutions to poverty that often plague their communities.
I would also like to thank Chairman Pearce; Ranking Member Waters; Mr. Young; Ms. Moore; Mr. Kildee; the senior Member from Hawaii, Ms. Gabbard; and the numerous other congressional Members who have fought for years to reauthorize NAHASDA, and thank them for also including support to Native Hawaiian housing organizations, which provide adequate housing to descendants of Hawaii's indigenous people.
NAHASDA's reauthorization does not merely provide funding for adequate housing programs, it also provides vital resources to foster the indigenous cultures of our great Nation, which faced near extinction during the atrocities committed to expand our Nation and the Federal assimilation policies of the 20th century.
For some indigenous people, living on their aboriginal lands is a vital part of preserving and living their culture. Unfortunately, Hawaii has one of the highest costs of living in the Nation, so support through NAHASDA is essential to Native Hawaiian families who wish to remain on their ancestral lands but face the ever growing price of homes, land, utilities, and food. So many families who have lived in Hawaii for generations upon generations are now moving out of our State because of the cost of living.
I hope my colleagues understand not only the vital importance of adequate housing for the less fortunate among Native communities, but also its vital importance for fostering the indigenous cultures of our democracy. This diversity of culture is what makes our Nation great.
So, please join me in supporting this measure.
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