Lawmakers address problems facing American Indians

Senate Indian Affairs Committee Chairman Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) and former Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.) spoke Thursday about problems facing American Indians at a breakfast co-sponsored by the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and The Hill.

“We have a lot of work to do,” Dorgan said. “We have Third World conditions in a number of Indian reservations in areas of housing, health and education. We need to address these issues.”

This week, the Senate Indian Affairs Committee is set to hold a hearing to discuss the nomination of Carl Artman as assistant secretary of the Indian Affairs Bureau, Dorgan said. The committee will focus on healthcare, law enforcement and other issues that spring from a “trust responsibility” between the U.S. government and the Indian peoples.

This year could mark changes for Indian peoples, Campbell said.

“Rubber really hits the road for this year,” Campbell said. “As you know, for the last couple of years, I think we were really sidetracked,” he added, referring to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who exploited four Indian tribes for millions of dollars.

“Things that are really important to us, like education and housing and nutrition and jobs and the whole agenda went that way for us,” Campbell said, motioning toward the window. “And very frankly, its wise of Sen. Dorgan [to bring] it back. Those are very important issues.”

Campbell, who served as committee chairman from 1997 to 2001 and again from 2003 to 2004, said American Indians have not had adequate political power.

“We haven’t had the political muscle in the U.S. Congress to make sure that our voice is heard more and get things through that will benefit our people,” Campbell said. However, he said, “That’s changing.”

“We have very strong leadership,” Campbell continued. “We’re on the move and we’re going to make sure we stay on the move.”

Dorgan will be holding a “series of listening sessions across the country” at which he will meet Indian tribes and representatives to listen to their concerns and “try to understand the agenda of the committee that I shall now chair.”

His first listening session was scheduled to take place last weekend in Minnesota.

Akaka, a member of the committee, welcomed Dorgan as chairman.

“Byron Dorgan, present chairman of the committee, follows a group of leaders through the years that really brought this committee along. Ben Nighthorse Campbell was one of them,” Akaka said. “I look forward to working with [Sen. Dorgan] — we’ll have a great committee again.”

NCAI Executive Director Jacqueline Johnson and Ietan Consulting Managing Partner Wilson Pipestem also joined in the discussion, which was moderated by The Hill’s editor-at-large, Albert Eisele.

“It’s a special honor and significant responsibility to be able to chair a committee in Congress that deals with our special relationship with Indian people and Indian tribes: the first American people,” Dorgan concluded.