[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 977 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 977

  Reinforcing the Federal Government's Federal trust relationship and 
commitment to working with American Indian Nations to empower, promote, 
 and support the educational development of American Indian and Alaska 
                       Native children and youth.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 28, 2006

 Ms. McCollum of Minnesota (for herself, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. 
  Holt, Mr. Oberstar, Mr. Boren, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Udall of 
 Colorado, Mr. Kind, Mr. Udall of New Mexico, Mr. Moore of Kansas, Mr. 
George Miller of California, Ms. Herseth, Mr. Filner, Mr. Hinojosa, Mr. 
    Payne, Mr. Moran of Virginia, and Mr. Kennedy of Rhode Island) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
  on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on 
 Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Reinforcing the Federal Government's Federal trust relationship and 
commitment to working with American Indian Nations to empower, promote, 
 and support the educational development of American Indian and Alaska 
                       Native children and youth.

Whereas the Federal Government has established educational priorities to ensure 
        that all American children are adequately prepared and educated to be 
        productive, healthy citizens;
Whereas the Federal Head Start program was created to ensure access to quality 
        early education, to promote school readiness, and to help prepare low-
        income children for success in kindergarten and beyond, and low-income 
        American Indian and Alaska Native children are among the more than half 
        of all eligible children who are not receiving services because Head 
        Start is consistently underfunded;
Whereas the Federal Government seeks to promote the development of all children 
        and has enacted the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB Act) to ensure that 
        all children receive a quality education and that academic progress 
        among all children is measured;
Whereas the President of the United States signed an Indian Education Executive 
        Order on April 30, 2004, that reaffirms the right of every American 
        Indian and Alaska Native child to the highest quality education that 
        meets their unique cultural and academic needs;
Whereas the Federal Government has demonstrated its commitment to preserving and 
        strengthening American Indian culture and language by enacting the 
        Higher Education Act of 1965, the Indian Education Act (1972), the 
        Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (1975), and the 
        Native American Languages Act (1990);
Whereas there are more than 815,000 American Indian and Alaska Native children 
        that are striving to be healthy and productive citizens;
Whereas the high school graduation rate for American Indian and Alaska Native 
        youth is 54 percent and the college readiness rate is 14 percent, and 
        those rates are significantly less than the rates of white students, 
        which are 72 and 37 percent, respectively;
Whereas the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which receives Federal appropriations for 
        Indian Education, including school construction, to fulfill treaty 
        obligations has been consistently underfunded and unable to meet the 
        educational needs of American Indian and Alaska Native children and 
        youth;
Whereas one-third of the 184 Bureau of Indian Affairs Schools are in poor 
        condition and in need of repair, and most of the facilities and 
        structures of these schools have exceeded their ``useful life'', as 
        described in the NCLB Act;
Whereas the Federal Government recognizes that American Indian and Alaska Native 
        people possess a rich culture and history that has significantly 
        contributed to development of the United States and therefore must be 
        preserved for all Americans;
Whereas the NCLB Act recognizes the importance of American Indian and Alaska 
        Native culture and language through title VII, and research has shown 
        that language and culture-based programs increase student performance 
        and success and contribute significantly to the success of American 
        Indian and Alaska Native students and to the betterment of all American 
        children;
Whereas Tribal colleges and universities are designed to promote the higher 
        education of American Indian and Alaska Native students and the Federal 
        Government supports the education priorities of Tribal Nations through 
        Federal TRIO programs, Pell Grants, and other Federal student financial 
        aid, and yet these critical programs designed to enhance college 
        readiness and access have been severely underfunded by the Federal 
        Government;
Whereas after-school activities serve as a significant enrichment mechanism for 
        American Indian and Alaska Native students, because such activities 
        allow youth opportunities to interact with peers, actively engage with 
        elders, and participate in cultural activities, and research indicates 
        that after-school activities are important in fostering positive youth 
        development and promoting a positive cultural identity;
Whereas the economic status of American Indian and Alaska Native communities is 
        significantly lower than the general United States population, as 
        demonstrated by the fact that 31 percent of American Indian and Alaska 
        Native children were living in poverty in 2004;
Whereas research indicates that poverty is not only indicative of economic 
        hardship, but also of other outcomes that negatively affect educational 
        development and attainment; and
Whereas educational attainment for American Indian and Alaska Native people is 
        positively linked with an improved housing environment, economic and 
        food security, and an overall healthy lifestyle, and education serves as 
        a mechanism to promote and strengthen families and communities: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
            (1) affirms the Federal Government's special legal and 
        political relationship with American Indian and Alaska Native 
        people by recognizing the sovereignty of Tribal Nations;
            (2) calls upon the Federal Government, including the Bureau 
        of Indian Affairs and the Department of Education, to recognize 
        and fulfill its trust responsibilities and consultation 
        obligations to American Indian and Alaska Native people and 
        communities;
            (3) acknowledges that the past Federal policies of the 
        forced removal of children from reservations to boarding 
        schools have negatively impacted American Indian and Alaska 
        Native families, communities, and youth;
            (4) urges the Federal Government to promote success and 
        eliminate disparities among American Indian and Alaska Native 
        children and youth during consideration of the reauthorizations 
        of Head Start and the No Child Left Behind Act, and through the 
        Federal appropriations process;
            (5) urges the Federal Government to recognize, promote, and 
        work towards strengthening the educational needs of American 
        Indian and Alaska Native youth and families;
            (6) reinforces the educational commitment to promote the 
        best interests of American Indian and Alaska Native children by 
        reinforcing native cultural and language development which 
        strengthens, preserves, and promotes cultural identity, and 
        recognizes that it is imperative that the Federal Government 
        sharpen its focus and commitment to title VII of the No Child 
        Left Behind Act consistent with the desires of American Indian 
        and Alaska Native people; and
            (7) recognizes that education is significantly linked to 
        overall quality of life and therefore must be prioritized and 
        organized to meet the unique and specialized needs of American 
        Indian and Alaska Native students.
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