[House Hearing, 116 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



        NATIVE YOUTH PERSPECTIVES ON MENTAL HEALTH AND HEALING

=======================================================================

                           OVERSIGHT HEARING

                               before the

        SUBCOMMITTEE FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF THE UNITED STATES

                                 of the

                     COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
                     U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                     ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS

                             SECOND SESSION

                               __________

                        Thursday, July 16, 2020

                               __________

                           Serial No. 116-38

                               __________

       Printed for the use of the Committee on Natural Resources
       
       
       
	       [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
       
       
       
        Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov
        
                                   or
                                   
          Committee address: http://naturalresources.house.gov
          
          
          
          		       __________
          		       
          		       
          	    U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE       

41-256			   WASHINGTON : 2020          	    
          
          
                     COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

                      RAUL M. GRIJALVA, AZ, Chair
                    DEBRA A. HAALAND, NM, Vice Chair
   GREGORIO KILILI CAMACHO SABLAN, CNMI, Vice Chair, Insular Affairs
               ROB BISHOP, UT, Ranking Republican Member

Grace F. Napolitano, CA              Don Young, AK
Jim Costa, CA                        Louie Gohmert, TX
Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan,      Doug Lamborn, CO
    CNMI                             Robert J. Wittman, VA
Jared Huffman, CA                    Tom McClintock, CA
Alan S. Lowenthal, CA                Paul A. Gosar, AZ
Ruben Gallego, AZ                    Paul Cook, CA
TJ Cox, CA                           Bruce Westerman, AR
Joe Neguse, CO                       Garret Graves, LA
Mike Levin, CA                       Jody B. Hice, GA
Debra A. Haaland, NM                 Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, AS
Joe Cunningham, SC                   Daniel Webster, FL
Nydia M. Velazquez, NY               Liz Cheney, WY
Diana DeGette, CO                    Mike Johnson, LA
Wm. Lacy Clay, MO                    Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, PR
Debbie Dingell, MI                   John R. Curtis, UT
Anthony G. Brown, MD                 Kevin Hern, OK
A. Donald McEachin, VA               Russ Fulcher, ID
Darren Soto, FL
Ed Case, HI
Steven Horsford, NV
Michael F. Q. San Nicolas, GU
Matt Cartwright, PA
Paul Tonko, NY
Jesus G. ``Chuy'' Garcia, IL
Vacancy

                     David Watkins, Chief of Staff
                        Sarah Lim, Chief Counsel
                Parish Braden, Republican Staff Director
                   http://naturalresources.house.gov
                                 ------                                

        SUBCOMMITTEE FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF THE UNITED STATES

                        RUBEN GALLEGO, AZ, Chair
                PAUL COOK, CA, Ranking Republican Member

Darren Soto, FL                      Don Young, AK
Michael F. Q. San Nicolas, GU        Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, AS
Debra A. Haaland, NM                 John R. Curtis, UT
Ed Case, HI                          Kevin Hern, OK
Matt Cartwright, PA                  Vacancy
Jesus G. ``Chuy'' Garcia, IL         Rob Bishop, UT, ex officio
Vacancy
Raul M. Grijalva, AZ, ex officio

                                 ------                                
                                CONTENTS

                              ----------                              
                                                                   Page

Hearing held on Thursday, July 16, 2020..........................     1

Statement of Members:

    Gallego, Hon. Ruben, a Representative in Congress from the 
      State of Arizona...........................................     1
        Prepared statement of....................................     2

Statement of Witnesses:

    Gonzales, Leticia, UNITY/OJJDP Peer Guide Ambassador, Bishop 
      Paiute Tribe, Bishop, California...........................     6
        Prepared statement of....................................    20
    Kippenberger, Cheyenne, UNITY/OJJDP Peer Guide Ambassador, 
      Seminole Tribe of Florida, Hollywood, Florida..............     6
        Prepared statement of....................................     7
    Miller, Robert ``Scottie'', Male Co-President, National UNITY 
      Council, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, LaConner, 
      Washington.................................................     9
        Prepared statement of....................................    10
    Ovando, Marco, UNITY 25 Under 25 Youth Leader, Shoshone 
      Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, Owyhee, 
      Nevada.....................................................     3
        Prepared statement of....................................     5

Additional Materials Submitted for the Record:
    Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native 
      Children, Testimony for the Record by Gloria O'Neill, Chair    21
    Ozeena, Chicago, Testimony for the Record....................    23
                                     


 
  OVERSIGHT HEARING ON NATIVE YOUTH PERSPECTIVES ON MENTAL HEALTH AND 
                                HEALING

                              ----------                              


                        Thursday, July 16, 2020

                     U.S. House of Representatives

        Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States

                     Committee on Natural Resources

                             Washington, DC

                              ----------                              

    The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 3:02 p.m., via 
WebEx, Hon. Ruben Gallego [Chairman of the Subcommittee] 
presiding.

    Present: Representatives Gallego, Soto, San Nicolas, 
Haaland, and Garcia.

    Mr. Gallego. The Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the 
United States will now come to order. The Subcommittee is 
meeting today to hear testimony on Native youth perspectives on 
mental health and healing. Under Committee Rule 4(f), any oral 
opening statements at hearings are limited to the Chair and the 
Ranking Minority Member. This will allow us to hear from our 
witnesses sooner and help Members to keep to their schedules.
    Therefore, I ask unanimous consent to allow the Members' 
opening statements be made part of the hearing record if they 
are submitted to the Clerk by 5 p.m. today or the close of the 
hearing, whichever comes first. Hearing no objection, so 
ordered. Without objection, the Chair may also declare a recess 
subject to the call of the Chair. Hearing no objection, so 
ordered.
    As described in the hearing notice, statements, documents 
or motions must be submitted to the electronic repository at 
[email protected]. Additionally, please note that, as 
with in-person meetings, Members are responsible for their own 
microphones and Members can be muted by staff only to avoid 
inadvertent background noise. Finally, Members or witnesses 
experiencing technical problems should inform Committee staff 
immediately.

   STATEMENT OF THE HON. RUBEN GALLEGO, A REPRESENTATIVE IN 
               CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF ARIZONA

    Mr. Gallego. Good afternoon. Thank you to our witnesses for 
being with us and welcome to all those tuning in via 
livestream. Before moving forward with my opening, I wanted to 
acknowledge the fact that this is a historic hearing. This is 
our Subcommittee's first virtual hearing. As such, I would like 
to thank my colleagues and the witnesses for being flexible and 
accommodating social distancing guidelines while sharing their 
important testimony.
    Today, we will be hearing perspectives from Native youth on 
a topic of personal importance to them: mental health and 
healing.
    Prior to beginning today, I would like to warn all virtual 
attendees that today's proceedings will likely include 
discussion of self-harm, including suicide.
    Native American perspectives on mental health and healing 
take on a new significance in the midst of an ongoing pandemic 
that is disproportionately affecting Indian Country.
    Not only have Americans suffered the physical and economic 
costs of COVID-19, but this crisis will surely take a mental 
health toll on our most vulnerable citizens as well. The mental 
health impacts, like most impacts of COVID-19, will likely 
disproportionately be affecting Native American communities. 
That is because poor mental health and inadequate access to 
mental health care are already an epidemic in many Indigenous 
communities, especially for young people. Native youth between 
the ages of 15 and 25 suffer higher rates of mental health 
problems, such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic 
stress disorder than their peers.
    In 2014, suicide was the second leading cause of death for 
Native youth between the ages of 10 and 34, at 2.5 times the 
national rate.
    As of 2018, Native youth were more likely to participate in 
gang activity than other demographic groups, and one-third of 
American Indians and Alaska Natives over 25 had not graduated 
from high school. These statistics are hard to hear for all of 
us. But this is the reality facing Native youth in this 
country, one that we have a responsibility to acknowledge and 
address.
    The youth testifying here today are leading this important 
movement and work in their communities. I applaud each of you 
for your work. I know the future of your tribes and our country 
are brighter because of your leadership. I look forward to 
hearing your unique perspectives on healing and mental health.

    [The prepared statement of Mr. Gallego follows:]
   Prepared Statement of the Hon. Ruben Gallego, a Representative in 
                   Congress from the State of Arizona
    Good afternoon. Thank you to our witnesses for being with us and 
welcome to all those tuning in via livestream.
    Before moving forward with my opening, I wanted to acknowledge the 
fact that this is a historic hearing. It is our Subcommittee's first 
virtual hearing.
    As such, I would like to thank my colleagues and the witnesses for 
being flexible in accommodating social distancing guidelines while 
sharing their important testimony.
    Today, we will be hearing perspectives from Native youth on a topic 
of personal importance to them: mental health and healing.
    Prior to beginning today, I would like to warn all virtual 
attendees that today's proceedings will likely include discussion of 
self-harm, including suicide.
    Native American perspectives on mental health and healing take on a 
new significance in the midst of an ongoing pandemic that is 
disproportionately affecting Indian Country.
    Not only have Americans suffered the physical and economic costs of 
COVID-19, but this crisis will surely take a mental health toll on our 
most vulnerable citizens as well.
    The mental health impacts--like most impacts--of COVID-19 will 
likely disproportionately affect Native communities. That is because 
poor mental health and inadequate access to mental health care are 
already an epidemic in many Indigenous communities, especially for 
young people.
    Native youth between the ages of 15 and 25 suffer higher rates of 
mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic 
stress disorder than their peers.
    In 2014, suicide was the second leading cause of death for Native 
youth between the ages 10 and 34--at 2.5 times the national rate.
    As of 2018, Native youth were more likely to participate in gang 
activity than other demographic groups, and one-third of American 
Indians and Alaska Natives over 25 had not graduated from high school.
    These statistics are hard to hear for all of us, but this is the 
reality facing Native youth in this country--one that we have a 
responsibility to acknowledge and address.
    Fortunately, Native youth have taken the lead in facing these 
challenges head on by acknowledging the impact of historical trauma in 
their lives, and figuring out what it means to heal in that context.
    The youth testifying here today are leading this important work in 
their communities. I applaud each of you for your work and I know the 
future of your Tribes and our country are brighter because of your 
leadership.
    I look forward to hearing your unique perspectives on healing and 
mental health.

                                 ______
                                 

    Mr. Gallego. I would now like to recognize the Ranking 
Member for any opening remarks. Do we have a Ranking Member? Do 
we have any Member from across the aisle with us?
    Staff Member. Chairman, there is no Ranking Member present 
here. You may continue.
    Mr. Gallego. OK. Let us move on then. I'd like to 
transition to our panel of witnesses for today. Under Committee 
Rules, oral statements are limited to 5 minutes, but you may 
submit a longer statement for the record if you choose.
    When you begin, the on-screen timer will begin counting 
down, and it will turn orange when you have 1 minute remaining. 
I recommend that Members and witnesses joining remotely use the 
grid view function so they may pin the timer on their screen. 
If you go over the allotted time, I will ask you to please wrap 
up your statement.
    After your testimony is complete, please remember to mute 
yourself to avoid any inadvertent background noise. I will 
allow the entire panel to testify before we question the 
witnesses.
    The Chair now recognizes Mr. Marco Ovando, a member of the 
Shoshone Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation and UNITY 
25 Under 25 youth leader.
    Thank you, Marco. Please begin.

  STATEMENT OF MARCO OVANDO, UNITY 25 UNDER 25 YOUTH LEADER, 
SHOSHONE PAIUTE TRIBES OF THE DUCK VALLEY RESERVATION, OWYHEE, 
                             NEVADA

    Mr. Ovando. Thank you, Mr. Chair and honorable members of 
the Subcommittee. Before we begin, please allow me to introduce 
myself in the traditional and respectful manner of my Native 
tongue.
    Haganee'uh, ne Marco Ovando naneeha. Ne bi Marcella 
McKinney ne Appe Francisco Ovando. Ne Tosawihi Tso'a'vich Newe 
a Koa'aga'itoka Numa. Ne bit Dokapattih ne Idaho a Nevada. For 
translation for my relations, I am greeting each of you in high 
regard by stating who I am as a Shoshone Paiute citizen by 
first stating my parents, second my traditional nomadic bands 
of the White Knife, Jarbidge, and Salmon-Eater Peoples, where I 
come from a long line of chiefs like Chief Truckee and Chief 
Winnemucca of Nevada and where my great-great-grandmother, 
Sarah Winnemucca, is currently standing amongst the Nation's 
brightest and finest in the United States Capitol Building. And 
last, I state where I call home, the oasis of the desert, the 
Duck Valley Indian Reservation, in Idaho and Nevada. As nomadic 
nations, understanding where one roamed is essential to 
identity. This introduction also ties me and all of my 
spiritual being into the resilient culture of the Great Basin. 
It reminds me every time I speak it that I am strong, 
resilient, and most importantly, Indigenous.
    I am honored to speak before you today to share my 
testimony on how when being reconnected to the traditional 
cultures that all Native youth possess within us, our minds and 
spirituality can heal, flourish, and ultimately thrive. Though 
it may not look like it from a camera's point of view, I, in 
fact, struggle from depression and social anxiety. They come 
and go. But just a few years ago, I was in a very dark place 
from these torments, so lost and dark, in fact, I even 
contemplated suicide. I did not know where to go from there.
    My mother was long deceased from the effects of alcoholism 
and my father estranged. Western medicine wasn't adequate and 
unreachable in my rural desert community. But it was in that 
dark moment of my life, a light glimmered. That light was the 
culture embodied by my grandmother, who, in the decades of her 
incredible life, has reconnected with her spirituality and has 
helped countless people on the reservation reconnect with 
theirs.
    ``How?'' you may ask. It started with a simple trip to the 
camas prairie on the north end of my reservation to harvest the 
staple root of my people, a root that has helped to sustain us 
through the bitter winters of the desert for years. I was 
taught how we consumed the roots of the plants placed in the 
earth in relation to tying us closer to the planet. I was also 
taught various phrases and words of objects in Shoshone and 
Paiute and, of course, engaged in many long days of talking 
with elders about the past and stories passed down from 
generations in the oral tradition, gaining the sacred knowledge 
so many are so worried to lose.
    In those months and then years of spending time among my 
culture, my depression gradually diminished, and my social 
anxiety was replaced with an immense and burning passion for 
working with youth. I was more than eager to start. And that 
was when organizations like the United National Indian Tribal 
Youth, Inc., a.k.a., UNITY, seemingly fell into place perfectly 
to help me do just that, much like this afternoon talking to 
you.
    My mental health is tied to my spirituality. And to me and 
my people back home, one can't simply exist without the other. 
Much like in my introduction, I would probably still be lost 
and without knowing who I am if I didn't rediscover this.
    My story is a story repeated across Indian Country, where 
youth who are lost and alone like I was, are reconnected with 
who they were before colonization and, in return, are mentally 
revitalized to face the ever-changing world of the 21st century 
and begin the process to reverse centuries of institutionalized 
genocide and intergenerational trauma for generations to come 
to flourish.
    However, my story is a story of its own, unique and just as 
important as the countless others. I hope my words inspire each 
of you to further understand yourself and make the best 
decisions of this Subcommittee to help my success story become 
the success story of thousands of fellow Native Americans and 
Americans alike.
    By advocating for those whose voice has yet to be 
discovered, I hope that supporting tribal sovereignty and the 
mental and spiritual health of the first Americans will ever be 
at the forefront of this Congress. It is more critical than 
ever to act upon this crisis.
    I thank you, the Committee, for the invitation and your 
time. And I will happily take any questions you may have.

    [The prepared statement of Mr. Ovando follows:]
  Prepared Statement of Marco Ovando, UNITY 25 Under 25 Youth Leader, 
         Shoshone Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation
    Honorable Members of the Subcommittee, before we begin, please 
allow me to introduce myself in the traditional and respectable manner 
of my native tongue. Haganee'uh, ne Marco Ovando naneeha. Ne bi 
Marcella McKinney ne Appe Francisco Ovando. Ne Tosawihi Tso'a'vich Newe 
a Koa'aga'itoka Numa. Ne bit Dokapattih ne Idaho a Nevada.
    For translation to my relations, I am greeting each of you in high 
regard by stating who I am as a Shoshone Paiute youth by first stating 
my parents, second my traditional nomadic bands of the White Knife, 
Jarbidge, and Salmon-Eater Peoples, and last where I call home, Duck 
Valley. As nomadic nations, understanding where one roamed was 
essential to identity. This introduction also ties me and all of my 
spiritual being into the resilient culture of the Great Basin. It 
reminds me every time I speak it, that I am strong, resilient, and most 
importantly, Indigenous.
    I am honored to speak before you today to share my testimony on how 
being reconnected to the traditional cultures that all native youth 
possess within us; our minds and spirituality can heal, flourish, and 
thrive. Though it may not look like it from a camera screen or at first 
glimpse, I in fact struggle from depression and social anxiety. They 
come and go but just a few years ago I was in a very dark place from 
these demons. So lost and dark in fact I even contemplated suicide. I 
didn't know where to go. My mother was long deceased and my father 
estranged. Western medicine wasn't adequate in my rural desert 
community. But it was in that dark moment of my life, a light 
glimmered. That light was my culture embodied by my grandmother, who in 
the decades of her incredible life, has reconnected with her 
spirituality and has then helped countless people on the reservation 
reconnect with theirs. How you may ask? Well It started with a simple 
road trip to the camas prairie on the north end of my reservation to 
harvest the staple root of my people. A root that helped sustain us 
through the bitter winters on the plateau. I was taught how we consumed 
the roots of the plants placed in the earth in relation to tying us 
closer to the planet. I was also taught various phrases and words of 
objects in Shoshone and Paiute, and of course engaged in many long days 
of talking with elders about the past and the stories passed down from 
generations in the oral tradition, gaining the sacred knowledge so many 
are worried to lose.
    In those months and then years of spending time among my culture, 
my depression gradually diminished and my social anxiety was replaced 
with an immense passion for working with youth. I was more than eager 
to start. That was when organizations like UNITY seemingly fell into 
place perfectly to help me do just that, much like today in this very 
hearing. My mental health was tied to my spirituality and to me and my 
people back home, one can't exist without the other. Much like in my 
introduction, I would probably still be lost and without knowing who I 
am if I didn't rediscover it.
    My story is a story repeated across Indian Country, where youth who 
are lost and alone like I was, are reconnected to who they were before 
colonization and in return, are mentally revitalized to face the ever 
changing world of the 21st century and begin the process to reverse 
centuries of institutionalized genocide and intergenerational trauma 
for generations to come to flourish.
    However, my story is my story of its own, unique and just was 
important as the countless others. I hope these words inspired each of 
you to further understand yourself and make the best decisions in this 
Subcommittee to help my success story become the success story of 
thousands of fellow Americans. By advocating for those whose voice has 
yet to be discovered, I hope that by supporting tribal sovereignty and 
the mental and spiritual health of the First Americans will ever be at 
the forefront of this Congress. Thank you for your time and I will 
happily take any questions you may have.

                                 ______
                                 

    Mr. Gallego. Thank you, Marco.
    The Chair now recognizes Ms. Leticia Gonzales, a member of 
the Bishop Paiute Tribe and a UNITY/OJJDP Peer Guide 
Ambassador.
    Leticia, you may begin.

     STATEMENT OF LETICIA GONZALES, UNITY/OJJDP PEER GUIDE 
      AMBASSADOR, BISHOP PAIUTE TRIBE, BISHOP, CALIFORNIA

    Ms. Gonzales. [Heavy static.] Thank you for having me 
today. I am very honored to be here to speak on behalf of such 
an important topic.
    Mr. Gallego. Can you give us a second? Can we do a mic 
check real quick? Reset the time. OK. Leticia, try your 
microphone again. OK. Hold on. Leticia, do you have a headset?
    Ms. Gonzales. I do not.
    Mr. Gallego. OK. Staff, can you guys get in contact with 
her and try to work this out while we move to Ms. Cheyenne 
Kippenberger for her testimony?
    Staff Member. Yes, sir. Will do.
    Mr. Gallego. OK. Thank you, Leticia. We will get right back 
to you.

    The Chair now recognizes Ms. Cheyenne Kippenberger, member 
of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, a UNITY/OJJDP Peer Guide 
Ambassador and the current Miss Indian World.
    Cheyenne, please go.

  STATEMENT OF CHEYENNE KIPPENBERGER, UNITY/OJJDP PEER GUIDE 
   AMBASSADOR, SEMINOLE TRIBE OF FLORIDA, HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA

    Ms. Kippenberger. [Speaking in Native language.] Good 
afternoon, Chair Gallego, and members of the Committee. My 
English name is Cheyenne Kippenberger. My given name is Eete, 
meaning ``fire'' in my Native language. I am the granddaughter 
of Lawanna Osceola and the daughter of Joe and Susan 
Kippenberger. I am a proud member of the Seminole Tribe of 
Florida. I am the current reigning Miss Indian World and serve 
as a UNITY Peer Guide for the Healing Indigenous Lives 
initiative.
    I kindly thank you for the opportunity to appear before you 
to discuss some of the challenges that Native youth face in 
their lives. As Miss Indian World and a UNITY Peer Guide, I am 
an ambassador to Indian Country, as well as our Native youth. I 
have dedicated myself to destigmatizing mental health in our 
Native communities and I have openly talked about my own 
experience with my mental health and the many hardships that 
come with living with depression and anxiety.
    I am fortunate enough to have been diagnosed, treated, and 
counseled through the Center for Behavioral Health, a primarily 
tribal-funded facility conveniently located on my home 
reservation, providing integrated mental and behavioral health 
care. I am aware of the privilege it is to have access to a 
therapist on my own reservation and to have resources that 
prescribed me the antidepressants that I needed.
    But mental health care should not be a privilege. This type 
of access, support, facility and funding should be available 
all over Indian Country. Programs and mental care professionals 
should be available on and off Indian reservations and within 
educational institutions starting from preschool and continuing 
on through college. Our youth should be provided mental health 
education, equipping them with healthy coping skills, emotional 
intelligence, and understanding, helping to build their 
confidence and self-esteem.
    Additionally, these mental health professionals must also 
be equipped with the understanding of cultural differences and 
historical context of Native American and Alaska Natives so 
that our youth can receive culturally competent care with 
treatment paths not limited to just therapy or medications. Our 
youth are suffering from depression, anxiety, PTSD, physical 
health problems, and educational disparities. And it is leading 
to some of the lowest graduation rates in high school and the 
highest suicide rates of any other ethnic group in the United 
States.
    If these intergenerational traumas continue to go unnoticed 
or unresolved, they will turn into more severe issues leading 
into their adulthood, alcohol and drug dependencies, high 
incarceration rates, domestic violence, and unhealthy living 
lifestyles.
    But how do we know what needs to be done or provided 
without an understanding of what is occurring in the lives of 
our Native people? We need accurate research and data to prove 
what we know has been occurring for decades in our communities. 
I ask you, members of the Committee, to help us end these 
cycles of intergenerational traumas and help us provide the 
support, resources, and facilities to do so. The future of our 
Native community is in the hands of our youth. And their lives 
are in your hands.
    I am extremely grateful for your time and this opportunity 
to share not only my own journey but the things that I have 
seen in my lifetime in our communities. Mvto, shonaabesha, and 
thank you very, very much.

    [The prepared statement of Ms. Kippenberger follows:]
  Prepared Statement of Cheyenne Kippenberger, Miss Indian World 2019-
  2021, United National Indian Tribal Youth, Healing Indigenous Lives 
                         Initiative Peer Guide
    Cheehentamo, I am Cheyenne Kippenberger and I am from the Seminole 
Tribe of Florida. I am the current reigning Miss Indian World, and I 
currently serve as a United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY) Peer 
Guide for the Healing Indigenous Lives Initiative. My efforts as Miss 
Indian World have been greatly directed toward destigmatizing mental 
health in our communities and openly talking about my own experience 
with depression and anxiety. Additionally, as a UNITY Peer Guide, the 
focus of our initiative is Native youth engagement and juvenile justice 
and delinquency prevention in Indian Country. The development program 
is a cooperative agreement between the Office of Juvenile Justice and 
Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and UNITY. I kindly thank you for the 
opportunity to appear before you to discuss the many challenges that 
Native youth face in their lives.
    According to the U.S. Census, the Native American and Alaska Native 
population accounts for less than 1 percent of the U.S. population. 
Studies show our ethnic group disproportionately suffers from mental 
health issues. Our community needs for mental health cannot be 
understood unless the historical context is also understood. Research 
shows displacement, residential schooling, and even socioeconomic 
consequences leading to poverty all play a role in the current mental 
health condition of Native American communities. Unresolved or 
unnoticed traumas can turn into intergenerational traumas that are 
passed down for decades from generation to generation within our 
families. Intergenerational trauma can manifest in many forms other 
than just psychologically. Mental, spiritual, familial, social and 
cultural effects have been seen in Native youth as a result of these 
unresolved traumas. The common issues present in our Native communities 
include depression, anxiety, PTSD, alcohol or drug abuse, domestic 
violence, suicide, incarceration, and educational disparities. All 
these issues can be linked to intergenerational traumas.
    There are 574 federally recognized tribes in the U.S. In addition, 
there are state recognized tribes around the country. Each tribal group 
has its unique history, culture and language. Research conducted in the 
past has either been inaccurate or has failed to include Native 
American and Alaska Natives entirely. The current research data is not 
sufficient in that accurate conclusions can be made to decide what is 
needed for mental health care in Native communities. To have a clear 
understanding of the needed support to accomplish the necessary healing 
within Indian Country, we need to understand what is occurring within 
these communities through statistical research, surveys, and in depth 
cultural understandings of historical trauma. With Indian Country being 
extremely diverse in location, financial stability, accessibility, 
language, and cultural teachings, all factors need to be considered 
when research conduction does take place.
    I myself have experienced the hardship that depression and anxiety 
can bring. I was not diagnosed with depression until well into my early 
20s. Since I can remember I suffered from depressive episodes and high 
anxiety and was not aware of what these things were. I felt shame, 
embarrassment and no control over what was happening to me. My mental 
state soon developed into something less manageable and much more 
severe as I moved into my high school years. I was destructive, angry, 
and misunderstood. I was labeled a ``trouble maker,'' as ``lazy'' and 
``a delinquent.'' By my junior year of high school, I was rarely in 
attendance and I was failing most of my classes at my then fourth high 
school. I was in a state of acceptance that school was not for me, so 
with no opportunity to change my mind, I withdrew from school. I became 
another high school dropout.
    It was not until my own mother realized how severe my mental state 
was that she forced me to seek help. I reached out to the Center for 
Behavioral Health on my home reservation, a facility providing 
integrated mental and behavioral health care. I was diagnosed with 
clinical depression and anxiety and even after receiving a diagnosis 
and therapy, I ultimately had to be prescribed antidepressants due to 
the severity of my depression. It was a struggle of good days and bad 
days, accepting my diagnosis, understanding how this affects my 
everyday life, and even shedding the burden of shame and embarrassment. 
Because of the support, resources, and accessibility I had available to 
me, I was able to heal. My healing led to me receiving my high school 
diploma and even moving on to college and graduating with a degree. 
Although I am proud of my journey, I am also very aware that is not the 
case for many Native youth. It is a privilege to have a primarily 
tribal funded Center for Behavioral Health on my own reservation. It is 
a privilege to have received counseling and be prescribed 
antidepressants. Mental health treatment should not be a privilege.
    Healing can take its course in Indian Country with accessibility, 
resources, funding, support, and cultural competency. With more 
accessibility to facilities such as the Center for Behavioral Health 
with culturally aware mental health professionals, our Native youth can 
be guided, treated, and healed. Implementation of mental health 
programs or resources into educational institutions on and off Indian 
reservations could mean a shift in mental health understanding as well 
as emotional intelligence and healthy coping mechanisms. Cultural 
competence in mental health care of Native youth is crucial in the 
healing process. It is critical for mental health professionals to be 
aware of cultural differences, historical trauma, and also treatment 
approaches. For example, expression of emotional distress exhibited in 
Native check of American and Alaska Natives contrasts from typical 
emotional expressions. Healing also cannot be limited to the 
Westernized ideals of treatment for mental health. Positive changes 
occur with a positive approach. With our children and young adults 
being educated on what mental health is, what healing is, and being 
provided support, resources and accessibility, we are breaking the 
stigma and shifting the conversation toward healing our 
intergenerational trauma.
    By equipping Native youth with the knowledge of mental well-being 
we are empowering them to break the many cycles of intergenerational 
trauma in our communities and families. They will be prepared to 
graduate high school and pursue higher education, they will end the 
dependency of alcohol and drugs in our communities, suicide will no 
longer be the final question, and they can be successful, happy, and 
healthy. Healing takes resources. Funding, support, facilities, 
educational programs, and mental health professionals can make the 
difference that our Native youth need. Help to make that difference, to 
give that support. The future of our Native community is in the hands 
of our youth and they're lives are in your hands. Shonaabesha, mvto, 
thank you.

                                 ______
                                 

    Mr. Gallego. Thank you, Cheyenne.
    The Chair now recognizes Mr. Robert ``Scottie'' Miller, a 
member of Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and the male co-
president of the National UNITY Council.

  STATEMENT OF ROBERT ``SCOTTIE'' MILLER, MALE CO-PRESIDENT, 
  NATIONAL UNITY COUNCIL, SWINOMISH INDIAN TRIBAL COMMUNITY, 
                      LACONNER, WASHINGTON

    Mr. Miller. [Speaking in Native language.] Thank you for 
having me. I am Robert Miller, but I go by ``Scottie'' from the 
Swinomish Tribe in Washington State. My traditional name is 
Goliah. I come from the Edwards family. My people are people of 
the water. Yesterday, I was on the boat exercising my treaty 
rights, crabbing. Our previous Chairman was Brian Cladoosby, 
and he was president of NCAI for a few years.
    One of my earliest memories as a kid is attending a funeral 
of a neighbor boy who I played with. His brother was my age, 
and he was only a few years older than us. He committed suicide 
by hanging himself in his garage. The most shocking part of it 
now, looking back, is that after his death, my small community 
did nothing to advocate for suicide prevention or mental 
health.
    Flash forward to less than a year ago. A child in my 
community is pretty much an orphan because his mom killed 
herself and his dad has alcoholism, which is from a form of 
intergenerational trauma. Another story that hits close to home 
for me is one of my great uncles--so many times, my dad has 
gone to his house to repair bullet holes in his roof because he 
had tried taking his own life. When he did take his own life, 
we all swept it under the rug and didn't think it was a 
suicide, just more of a mere accident. One last story that 
sticks out to me is one of the youth workers who is very 
traditional, goes on canoe journey, does many things with the 
youth. He took his own life. And, again, it was kind of like 
not really a suicide. Those are just a few stories that 
happened pretty commonly around where I am from.
    You would have never thought that these people or anybody 
else in my community that committed suicide had any sort of 
mental health problems. It comes time to ask myself what are we 
not doing in these communities to prevent suicides and make 
awareness of our mental health issues? Personally, my Tribe's 
culture, we are supposed to be reserved. You only cry during 
funerals and you show little to no emotion. You aren't supposed 
to be vulnerable.
    What I would advocate for is better mental health treatment 
across the country, but specifically on Indian reservations and 
also in Indian urban health centers, finding a way to integrate 
our Native American culture and practices with modern-day 
mental health medicine along with suicide prevention campaigns.
    I sat in on a national Indian health listening session for 
HIV. My idea for anything concerning health would be for 
funding Indian health employees to be trained themselves and 
that they do some type of community outreach with the 
communities that they are in or the urban centers that they are 
in. So, they do outreach and any sort of prevention. In United 
National Indian Tribal Youth, also known as UNITY, we have 
promoted the ``I Will Live'' campaign, which is designed for 
the youth. It teaches them that their lives matter and are 
sacred. I hope to revive that campaign again this next upcoming 
year.
    To close, it may seem like a big task at hand. And it will 
take years of hard work for us to put out a strong suicide 
prevention campaign. But it will make a difference. And if I 
have learned anything from learning the history of my people, 
it is that we are strong, resilient people. Thank you for your 
time. [Speaking in Native language.]

    [The prepared statement of Mr. Miller follows:]
  Prepared Statement of Robert ``Scottie'' Miller, Male Co-President, 
       National UNITY Council, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
    One of my earliest memories as a kid is from attending a funeral of 
a neighbor boy I played with. His brother was my age and he was only a 
few years older than us. He committed suicide by hanging himself in his 
garage. The most shocking part of it now looking back is after his 
death my small community did nothing to advocate for suicide prevention 
or mental health.
    Flash forward to a little less than a year ago now, a child in my 
community is pretty much an orphan because his mom killed herself and 
his dad has alcoholism which is most likely caused by some form of 
intergenerational trauma. Another story that hits close to home is one 
of my great uncles, so many times my dad has gone to his house to 
repair bullet holes in his roof because he had tried taking his own 
life. When he did take his own life everyone swept it under the rug 
nobody called it a suicide it was more of a mere accident. One last 
story that sticks out to me is one of the youth workers from a 
neighboring tribe, about 2 years ago he shot himself in the heart and 
bled out. You would've never thought he or any of the people in the 
stories I've told would've had any mental health issues. I remember 
them all being so happy. But it comes time to ask myself what are we 
not doing in our communities to prevent suicide and make awareness of 
mental health issues. In my culture we are supposed to be reserved, you 
only cry during funerals and show little emotion, don't be vulnerable.
    What I would advocate for is better overall treatment of mental 
health across the country but intensively on reservations. Finding a 
way to integrate our culture and practices with modern day mental 
health medicine along with strong suicide prevention campaigns. At 
Unity we have the `I will live' campaign this is to help teach the 
youth that their lives matter and are sacred. I hope to revive that 
campaign on my next term of the executive committee. It may seem like a 
big task at hand and that it'll take years of hard work to make a 
difference but if I have learned anything from learning the history of 
my people it's that we are strong and resilient people.

                                 ______
                                 

    Mr. Gallego. Thank you, Mr. Miller. The Chair now 
recognizes Leticia Gonzales. OK, Leticia, try again. Leticia, 
we cannot hear you. Leticia, I apologize. We are going to have 
you call in. My staff will be reaching out to you right now, so 
please just stand by. We just need you to be calling in while 
you are still on camera in order for us to abide by the rules. 
And please, everyone that is in Committee right now, just give 
us a few minutes to work this out. Thank you.
    [Recess.]
    Mr. Gallego. We will come back to have testimony from 
Leticia maybe in the order as we are doing these calls. But I 
want to respect everyone's time here. I apologize, Leticia. You 
will have an opportunity to make sure that you are heard. Let 
me move on now.

    I want to thank the panel of witnesses for the testimony, 
reminding the Members that Committee Rule 3(d) imposes a 5-
minute limit on questions. The Chairman will now recognize 
Members for any questions they may wish to ask the witnesses. I 
will start by recognizing myself for 5 minutes. And let me 
switch to my headset here because I think it is going to be 
better for you guys to hear me.
    OK. Thank you all for being here to testify today. My first 
question for all of our witnesses is regarding the coronavirus 
pandemic and how it has taken a terrible toll on both 
Americans' physical and mental health. I am particularly 
concerned with how the pandemic has affected Indigenous 
peoples' mental health given how hard-hit Indian Country has 
been. In your own experience and the experience of your 
communities, how would you say the current pandemic has 
impacted Native youth mental health and Native youth's ability 
to access mental health care?
    Why don't we start with Marco, and then we will go to 
Scottie, then Cheyenne, and then Leticia, if we have been able 
to work out the comms issue? Marco, please give us your 
perspective.
    Mr. Ovando. Gladly. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic--I 
live in a very small rural community as it is anyway--and 
access to even the basic necessities such as water, hand 
sanitizer, and masks have been extremely difficult to achieve, 
especially out here in the middle of nowhere, essentially. 
Mental health-wise, the youth have been struggling in a sense 
that they cannot see their friends, their family.
    Another key aspect of my community is that everyone is all 
related to each other in such a small town and come from 
various large families that intermingle with each other. And 
overall, they can't see their family, their friends. But they 
can stay at home per executive orders put in place by our 
tribal council. So, it has been a really tough time for them to 
grasp that sort of new reality of staying home to keep safe 
from a threat that they can't see, touch, smell, a threat that 
they don't even know exists, pretty much, since we have no 
cases on the reservation as of now.
    However, I do work with the logistical side of our Tribe's 
Emergency Operations Center. And what we have established is 
kind of like a pen pal program for youth in our community to 
engage with the elders of our community, because they are also 
feeling similar aspects of being neglected, alone. And that is 
just not in our Shoshone or Paiute ways to treat an elder. So, 
we set up a pen pal program to connect our youth and our elders 
together to pretty much get to know each other, offer words of 
advice, share stories, share their life achievements, just 
things to keep them mentally strong and fit and just to keep 
them ready to go. Another thing that we have going on over here 
is that our EOC----
    Mr. Gallego. Thank you, Marco. I want to make sure I get to 
the other witnesses and respect their time also.
    Scottie, could you describe to us what you are feeling and 
what your community is feeling?
    Mr. Miller. It has been very hard for my community and 
other tribes around me. Where I am from, we are very social 
people all around the state. Spring and summer is time for 
canoe races, powwows, canoe journey, stick games, any kind of 
community events. This is a time for all of us to get together. 
And it has been hard with not having school and other social 
things. We have community events here like usually three or 
four times a month. And those have been canceled. So, that is 
hard.
    But I have learned that my community is really good at 
rallying. We have gotten grants and put together food boxes, 
masks. We have done a lot of stuff for our community. I am 
proud of that. But it has been tough on mental health for all 
the youth around.
    Mr. Gallego. Cheyenne, could you give us a perspective?
    Ms. Kippenberger. I definitely have been able to see 
firsthand the significance of the impact of COVID on my own 
community. My community consists of several different 
reservations, mine being in a very populated urban area. As far 
as accessibility, we have been very fortunate in being able to 
have masks, hand sanitizer, soap, along those lines. But I have 
also seen the mental impact that it has taken on the youth, as 
well as the adults within our community. It has been difficult 
trying to handle all of the cancellations. I think the best way 
to put it kind of feels like the rug has been ripped out from 
under all of us. And the new sense of normalcy. We are working 
with the transitions. But we are going to continue to keep our 
spirits strong, uplift each other, and stay connected through 
social media platforms. And if that means having Zoom calls 
weekly, we will manage that and we will make it happen.
    Mr. Gallego. Thank you, Cheyenne. I'd like to move back now 
to--I think we have Leticia full up on comms. Leticia, are you 
there?
    Ms. Gonzales. Yes, I am. Can you hear me now?
    Mr. Gallego. We can hear you. Leticia, why don't we go and 
do your opening statement? And then we will move on to 
questions from other Members of Congress. Can we reset the 
timer for Leticia to 5 minutes?
    Leticia, you are ready to go. Thank you.

    Ms. Gonzales. Thank you. Hello, everyone. And thank you for 
having me today. I am very honored to speak on behalf of this 
important topic that plagues our Indian community. I am going 
to go ahead and introduce myself in my Native tongue.
    [Speaking in Native language.] Hello. My name is Leticia 
Gonzales, and I come from the valley where the water flows, 
today known as Bishop, California. And I am a member of the 
Bishop Paiute Tribe. I reside here on the Bishop Paiute 
Reservation. And I currently work at our Indian Health Clinic 
as a youth prevention worker in our behavioral health 
department. When I am speaking on mental health and advocating 
for mental health with our Native youth, I like to educate them 
on the term ``intergenerational trauma.''
    And I think that this is at the forefront of our many 
issues that we face as Native youth, especially when we speak 
on behalf of mental health. Intergenerational trauma is a 
psychological term which asserts that trauma can be transferred 
between generations. Many of our communities, our nations 
across Indian Country, have been faced with many traumas. Even 
facing today, when we are being very plagued by the 
coronavirus, it is something that is a traumatic event, current 
event, facing our Native American communities. And it is 
something that we need to bring to the forefront, and we need 
to make sure that we are educating all of our people about 
mental health and taking care of their mental health today. 
Therefore, we do not face the same uncertainties that 
historical trauma and intergenerational trauma has brought upon 
our people.
    [Connection lost.]
    Mr. Gallego. Leticia, are you there? Leticia, if you need a 
moment to gather yourself, we absolutely understand. Or if you 
are having a comms issue, please just give us a heads up. OK. 
Did we lose her? OK.
    We are going to move back to questions now. I believe next 
up in terms of recognition is our good friend, Delegate San 
Nicolas from Guam. Thank you.
    Mr. San Nicolas. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Thank 
you for putting this very important hearing together. And thank 
you to our witnesses for your testimony. As an Indigenous 
person myself, I can directly relate to the experiences you are 
sharing. I, too, at one point in time, was diagnosed with 
depression and anxiety. It is really something that never goes 
away. And I would like to first thank all of you for being so 
open and sharing what your experiences are.
    One of the things that I found growing up in my Indigenous 
community was that talking about it is something that is very 
difficult for young people to do. It is challenging because 
there is the stigma that comes with it, especially when you 
have very close-knit communities and you say something one day 
and everybody finds out about it tomorrow. And then there is 
the other side of the coin where even talking about it is 
challenging because the access to services and the ability to 
get the help that you need is so much more limited when you 
come from communities that just don't have access to it. So, 
those two things, I find they get in the way. They get in the 
way of us being able to identify. And they get in the way of us 
being able to treat and to help.
    So, I wanted to ask each of you to, I guess, share your 
experiences. Are you finding that, among the youth, there is 
that stigma issue about talking about mental health issues? And 
is part of it due to the difficulty in getting the services? 
And if the services were a lot more accessible, do you think 
that we would be able to help a lot more of our youth that are 
dealing with this? Cheyenne?
    Ms. Kippenberger. I do see within not only my community but 
as well in the communities that I had the privilege of being 
able to visit as well as the Native youth that I have been able 
to meet all over Indian Country, stigmatization is a very large 
issue within all of our communities. I do think that having 
that understanding of why we as Indigenous people express our 
emotions in a different manner is extremely important. And I do 
feel that accessibility for funding is a great issue, 
especially considering how diverse Indian Country is.
    As I mentioned before, I am from a reservation that is 
considered ``city.'' But we have a reservation that is over 2 
hours out of the city that is practically remote, as well as 
knowing that there are other communities within Indian Country 
that are in food deserts. There are more than a handful of 
communities that are set up to where they are having to drive 
hours just to see a doctor at IHS.
    So, I do believe that breaking down the stigmatization is 
one barrier but also tackling down the issue of accessibility 
to these different facilities as such would be the next thing 
that we need to take care of.
    Mr. San Nicolas. Thank you.
    Scottie?
    Mr. Miller. In my community, we do have some mental health 
counselors. That is really good. But it is almost kind of 
awkward just because of the stigma about it, and then you have 
to walk all the way through our tribal offices, not like the 
rest of our health facilities. So, it is kind of awkward.
    You know, I am from a really small town, a really small 
reservation. And it is almost kind of like if somebody were to 
see you walk in, they would be like, ``Oh, why does he need to 
go in there?'' Like a ``What is wrong with him?'' kind of 
thing. So, part of it, I think, would just be education to 
everybody and advocating that you don't have to have a problem 
to go to a counselor and just letting people know that it is 
normal and that it is OK to need help and it is OK just to go 
talk to somebody. But, yes, I would just say that would be the 
best, like to destigmatize everything and make it so that youth 
have access.
    Mr. San Nicolas. Marco?
    Mr. Ovando. In my community, we are a very open and 
emotional people, sharing our emotions. We are very loud, 
prosperous. But we also cry and do all those other sorts of 
things that changed when colonization happened, the 
assimilation of a Western culture or this macho-ism pretty much 
came in where you have to hide your emotions.
    Me, being a male, I am pretty much told I have to hide my 
emotions at all times. And I have to have this stoic, 
stereotypical face of a Native American. That is just not the 
way that my community runs. And for us personally here on the 
Duck Valley Indian Reservation, that stigmatism is still very 
prevalent and very strong. But it is moving forward, in a way, 
to destigmatize that and to accept people for who they are and 
accept people as emotional people.
    Mr. San Nicolas. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My time is up. I 
yield back.
    Mr. Gallego. Thank you, Representative San Nicolas and 
thank you to the witnesses.
    I now recognize Representative Haaland for 5 minutes.
    Ms. Haaland. Thank you, Chairman. And thank you all. And 
Leticia, if you can still hear us, I thank you so much, all of 
you, for being here today and sharing what you have shared with 
us. I absolutely believe that generational trauma is something 
that plagues our people. I have experienced it. I have helped 
my daughter through it. And I just hope that we all--you know, 
we have our traditional healing and our elders to help us 
through these things for a purpose.
    And I believe very strongly that going to the people in our 
respective tribes who know how to help us, who know how to take 
that hurt out of our bodies, take what is plaguing us away from 
us and then, from there out, protecting ourselves from those 
awful things poisoning our bodies and our minds. I know that is 
real. And I applaud all of you for staying close to your people 
and staying close to the people who you know can help you. I 
also know that, right now in our history, it is a very 
challenging time.
    My daughter came home the other day crying and saying she 
felt guilty for being so comfortable, for having a warm bed to 
sleep in and a hot shower in the morning, when so many people 
are out there suffering.
    And I want you all to know that there are millions of 
people to share that burden with you. Don't weigh ourselves 
down with so much of the hurt that is going on in our country 
right now. You need to take care of yourselves so that you can 
help other people. You need to be healthy, get your rest, and 
make sure that you are doing everything you can to nurture your 
own bodies and your minds so that you can be of help to your 
peers. That is so important.
    So, I thank you all so much. I am going to try to get 
through some questions because I probably talked too long. I 
will start with you, Marco. Thank you for your testimony. What 
do you believe is the connection between traditional teachings 
and mental wellness?
    Mr. Ovando. Thank you so much for the question, 
Representative Haaland. For me personally, I believe the 
connection between wellness and spiritual connection is the 
simple fact of community. All of our tribal nations, whether 
you are from Florida, Washington, California, we all have this 
strong sense of community, whether we are a large tribe or a 
small tribe. And that interconnectedness of leaning on 
someone's back has always been there. And during that time of 
assimilation and cultural genocide, that sense of community was 
tried to be broken by the atrocities committed by the United 
States. So, for that, to answer your question--our sense of our 
community needs to be re-established, reconnected and tell 
everyone that we are there for them.
    No one is facing anything alone when you are in a Native 
community. We are all in this together. And that term has been 
used so many times throughout the last month, especially in 
this pandemic. But that term has never been more important than 
it is now.
    Ms. Haaland. Thank you so much. Cheyenne, in what ways can 
the Federal health and wellness programs better support tribal 
communities?
    Ms. Kippenberger. Thank you for your question, 
Representative Haaland. I do believe that through Federal 
health and wellness programs, we are able to uplift and support 
these communities all over Indian Country. But again, going 
back to that cultural awareness, that historical understanding, 
I think it really plays into the approach of how we decide to 
implement these programs. I have definitely seen firsthand how 
positive changes that we want to see, when they come from 
within our community, our community members are much more 
inclined to respond to those as opposed to outsiders coming 
into the community trying to implement those things.
    And I do believe with the support of these Federal health 
and wellness programs, if we can do it for our people, by our 
people from the very inside, the heart of the community, we 
will see the successes that we need, and our people will be 
able to break these cycles. Thank you very much.
    Ms. Haaland. Thank you. And Scottie, I just have a few 
seconds left. Why do you believe that your community has had a 
hard time discussing mental health and healing?
    Mr. Miller. We have a hard time honestly, I think, just 
because it is so small and that it is so different from my 
culture--you know, not being vulnerable. But we do have other 
ways of healing, I guess, other than modern medicine, like with 
traditional blessings, cedar. We have a couple different 
religious-type blessings. But I would just say, small 
community, res gossip, just the stigma around it and to help 
take that away, break down the barrier and kind of outreach to 
the community. That would help.
    Ms. Haaland. Thank you very much.
    Chairman, I yield.
    Mr. Gallego. Thank you, Representative Haaland. I also want 
to just make a friendly reminder. Leticia Gonzales is back on 
and is able to answer questions. So, if any Member wants to ask 
her questions the next go around, she is available. Next, I 
have on my list Representative Garcia, Chuy Garcia, from 
Chicago.
    Mr. Garcia. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you so much 
to the panelists who come from different parts of the country 
and the diversity of the Native American communities. We are 
about 4 months into this pandemic. And while much is still 
unknown about COVID-19, we do know that it has devastated our 
country. It is unlike anything we have ever experienced. And we 
also know that certain communities have been more impacted than 
others.
    As an example, while the number of cases among the Navajo 
Nation is on the downward trend, let's not forget that only 
just a few days ago, the tribe had a higher death toll than any 
other single state. COVID-19 did not cause these outcomes, but 
it is certainly exposing the inequities. The disproportionate 
devastation this public health crisis is having on Native 
American communities lays bare the U.S. government's failure to 
adequately address limited health services, broken 
infrastructure, and dire economic crisis. And many tribes are 
facing, of course, intergenerational trauma.
    Even before the pandemic, many of us knew that the 
Indigenous populations in the United States had an increased 
risk of mental health problems. These existing disparities 
coupled with the coronavirus pandemic have undoubtedly resulted 
in worsening mental health, especially for Native youth. Marco, 
how are organizations like UNITY helping Native youth overcome 
obstacles, including mental health issues, in their own 
communities?
    Mr. Ovando. Thank you so much for the question, 
Representative Garcia. Organizations such as UNITY offer a 
bright spot in many of the youths' lives. Even before the 
pandemic, UNITY was always there to provide that bright spot of 
community and self-awareness and ambition, to be something 
bigger than you are, something bigger than your tribe, 
something to represent all of Indian Country.
    It is phenomenal in reaching Native youth through all 
aspects, and especially in social media where social media 
counts more than ever in connecting youth from across the 
country while we are all stuck at home on our home 
reservations, home cities and towns, just at home staying safe 
during this pandemic. A fellow panelist on the panel with me, 
Leticia Gonzales, we met through UNITY. And we provided that 
sense of community and comfort that we needed when we were 
going through some hardships.
    And now she is a lifelong friend and a sister, pretty much, 
from the same sister nation. So, stuff like that has helped us 
greatly, as organizations like UNITY have greatly achieved that 
through their social media platforms and connecting us with 
each other.
    Mr. Garcia. Thank you. In your remarks, you mentioned the 
obligation that Congress has to Indian Country. In what ways do 
you think Congress could support mental and spiritual health of 
Native communities?
    Mr. Ovando. Congress could definitely help with increasing 
funding for mental health, and any sort of funding to 
Indigenous communities across this country in general is a 
great benefit to all the people and part of the obligations of 
the United States to the first peoples of this country through 
the various treaties that have been broken.
    Mental health especially can be especially addressed with 
increased funding, increased access, like Cheyenne said 
earlier, for patients to reach those much-needed clinics, 
psychiatrists, psychologists, to get the necessary resources 
needed to help benefit them and to help benefit their mental 
being.
    Mr. Garcia. Thank you.
    Cheyenne, in your testimony, you mentioned insufficient and 
inaccurate research around mental health care in Native 
communities. What is missing, and how can Congress help bridge 
that gap?
    Ms. Kippenberger. Thank you for your question, 
Representative Garcia. I do think that living in the society 
that we do in this day and age, a lot of the things that we 
move forward on are based on research and data and that 
accuracy of those statistics, for instance. And I do feel like, 
although we are such a small population in the United States--
and I understand the difficulties there may be to conduct some 
of this research, but it needs to be done. And there are a lot 
of factors that need to be taken into consideration when this 
research is conducted.
    As mentioned before, Indian Country is extremely diverse. 
And I guess, being more specific, that could be financial 
stability, location, even cultural teachings, languages. And to 
bridge that gap, I really do believe that we need to have 
people on the ground actively in these communities trying to 
understand all of these different factors, take them into 
account, be able to sit there, look at everything in front of 
them and sit here and say we have an inaccessibility problem. 
We have a funding problem. We have a cultural barrier that we 
need to overcome. And the only way for us to battle the issue 
that we have, which is this mental health crisis, we need to 
have that research to back it. And we need to know what we are 
battling as well as how we can battle it successfully.
    [Speaking in Native language.] Thank you.
    Mr. Garcia. Thank you very much. My time is up. I yield 
back, Mr. Chair.
    Mr. Gallego. I now recognize Representative Soto for 5 
minutes.
    Mr. Soto. Thanks. First of all, I want to welcome Ms. 
Kippenberger. I am representing Florida. We beam with pride 
knowing you are the reigning Miss Indian World. And we know 
Florida has been hard-hit by COVID-19, particularly recently. I 
am speaking here from Kissimmee, Florida as we have this 
meeting.
    The Seminole Tribe and the Miccosukee Tribe have also been 
hit pretty hard by COVID-19, including losing an important 
decorated Vietnam War veteran, Don Osceola, who was born a 
Seminole and became a member of the Miccosukee Tribe. And the 
paper had covered our unfortunate loss of him.
    The Seminole Tribe has been the only government in Indian 
Country that has been approved for disaster declaration by the 
President. And we think there should be more approved. In the 
meantime, does that disaster relief help provide mental health 
services for COVID-19 in Seminole Country, Ms. Kippenberger?
    Ms. Kippenberger. Thank you for your question, 
Representative Soto. I am not knowledgeable on the declaration 
that you are referring to. But of the knowledge I do have in 
regards to the availability and funding that we have for our 
behavioral health, what I do know is it is primarily tribally-
funded.
    I don't want to be incorrect in how I say this, but I do 
know that there is Federal grant money that is flowing through 
these services. I do see that because we have this department, 
this entire facility that is dedicated to treating our 
community members. I do think that we have started to see a 
difference in the mental state of our entire community. I think 
just knowing that it is right there on our own reservation 
makes a very large difference. As of right now, it is only on 
our Hollywood Reservation.
    One of my dreams is to see it on all of our reservations. 
But I do think even if someone is in the state of contemplation 
of should I go in there, should I make an appointment, should I 
make a call and maybe just see what it is, that, I believe, is 
already tackling that first step of the stigma. I think that my 
Tribe has been very proactive in trying to implement this, in 
trying to get our community members to utilize it.
    Mr. Soto. Thank you, Ms. Kippenberger. And the Committee 
should note unfortunately Florida ranks last or near last in 
mental health spending statewide. So, the Federal health and 
wellness programs are absolutely critical for our Native 
American tribes in Florida because of the lack of funding. I 
wanted to ask is there any unique mental trauma that Native 
American girls face, Ms. Kippenberger, that we may or may not 
be aware of?
    Ms. Kippenberger. Yes, and I greatly appreciate this topic 
being brought up. Our Indigenous women here in the United 
States, as well as Canada, are being affected by an epidemic 
called the ``Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.'' 
Our women not only are hyper-sexualized, but they are 
vulnerable in these instances. And we are being hit extremely 
hard by human trafficking or having high rates of women and 
girls going missing.
    We are not having recovery of these things early enough or 
even at all. Our women are extremely vulnerable to many of 
these things. And I have mentioned before it is an epidemic. I 
do think that it is something that needs to be more well-known 
to everybody. I do have a general knowledge of ``Missing and 
Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls,'' but there are other 
people that are much more knowledgeable. And I do feel that it 
would be more respectable for me to be able to allow those 
people to speak on that, but thank you.
    Mr. Soto. Thank you.
    Mr. Ovando and Mr. Miller, we know broadband is key to 
connect Indian Country isolation; it can cause mental health 
issues, barriers to education, and starting a business. But how 
important is it that we improve broadband in Indian Country? I 
will start with Mr. Ovando and go to Mr. Miller.
    Mr. Ovando. Thank you for the question, Representative 
Soto. Broadband, especially for my reservation, is critical. It 
is a lifeline for the outside world. My reservation is 100 
miles north and south of the next largest town. And even then, 
those towns are small compared to the metropolises of the West 
Coast.
    For us, broadband is a way for us to connect with our 
banking, our families off the reservation, and just engage with 
outside life in general. And access to broadband has been 
evermore the topic of my Tribe's agenda to address to increase 
because they see how vital it is for our students to succeed, 
our elderly to connect with their friends from across the 
country, and just for people in general to enjoy what the rest 
of America has to offer. So, for us, broadband is a lifeline.
    Mr. Soto. Mr. Chairman, with your indulgence, can we have 
Mr. Miller answer? Thank you.
    Mr. Miller. Thank you. On my reservation, we do have 
limited broadband. We do have a casino at our tribal offices. 
But other than that, it is really hard to get. We don't have 
much phone service either. There is only one Wi-Fi company who 
is almost willing to serve half the rez. And it is really hard 
to access. But like Marco said, it would really help our 
education and other services that we have.
    But sometimes it is almost scary going to other places on 
the reservation because my phone won't work. So, if there is an 
accident or something happens, I don't know what I am going to 
do, but yes.
    Mr. Soto. Thank you, Mr. Miller. My time has expired.
    Mr. Gallego. Thank you, Representative Soto.
    I would like to now give an opportunity to Leticia 
Gonzales. I think we have taken care of all the comms issues 
which does highlight, I think, what Representative Soto was 
trying to get at, that probably one of the basic things we can 
do is bring broadband to Indian Country, if anything, both for 
obviously economic reasons, educational reasons. But, yes, you 
can even receive mental health care through the internet. I 
suffer from PTSD and sometimes receive my therapy through my 
therapist over my iPad. So, there are a lot of people that can 
benefit from that.
    Leticia, I apologize. But you do have your 5 minutes.
    Ms. Gonzales. OK. I just want to make sure that everyone 
can hear me OK.
    Mr. Gallego. Yay.
    Ms. Gonzales. Perfect. Thank you. OK. Thank you very much 
for having me. I am very excited to be here. And I apologize 
for the connectivity issues.
    [Speaking in Native language.] Hello. My name is Leticia 
Gonzales. I come from the Bishop Paiute Tribe in Bishop, 
California. I am a member of the Bishop Paiute Tribe, and I 
reside here in Bishop, California on the Bishop Paiute 
Reservation.
    I am very honored to be here to speak on behalf of such an 
important issue that plagues our Indigenous communities all 
across this Nation. And as I was formerly speaking about, I was 
wanting to address intergenerational trauma and how this is 
affecting us in today's current events with the novel 
coronavirus plaguing many of our tribal communities, so hitting 
us very hard in our communities that face mental health 
disparities at high rates, alarmingly high rates.
    We need to do what we can to bring mental health resources 
to our communities and help our people heal and turn this into 
something that doesn't turn into intergenerational trauma for 
our future generations because it is something that can 
definitely turn into trauma for many more generations to come. 
That is why I think it is super important for our people to 
have the mental health care and bring mental health care to the 
forefront for our Indigenous communities. Thank you.

    [The prepared statement of Ms. Gonzales follows:]
    Prepared Statement of Letitia Gonzales, UNITY/OJJDP Peer Guide 
                    Ambassador, Bishop Paiute Tribe
    As a Native Youth in today's world so much comes to mind when I 
hear ``Mental Health''. There are many disparities that the Indigenous 
people of these lands face that have harmful effects on their mental 
health, Intergenerational Trauma, being at the forefront of these many 
issues. A psychological term which asserts that trauma can be 
transferred in between generations--is the definition that appears when 
searching the very term on the internet. As a California Native 
American trauma that generations, not so far ahead of my own, have 
faced being forced assimilation--more specifically to my own tribal 
people, Bishop Paiute (Nuumu), the land we inhabit is rich in many 
natural resources that settlers sought to deem their own, said settlers 
lured the Nuumu to Fort Independence, CA on the 4th of July for a 
``celebration'' where the Paiute people where then marched at gunpoint 
over 200 miles to Fort Tejon, south of what is known today as 
Bakersfield, CA with temperatures that reach over 100 degrees. 200 plus 
Paiute's lost their lives in that march and as a result of the March. 
This story is my tribes own, although, sadly many other tribes have 
similar traumas that were brought upon their people as well. Something 
many of the tribal people of the United States sadly share in common 
relating to Intergenerational Trauma is, Boarding Schools, the U.S. 
Government used this tactic, removing children from their parents, 
culture, and traditional language, to strip these children of their 
roots and further more assimilate them. Indigenous Children were ripped 
away from their families and way of life, violently mistreated for 
speaking their only known language and worse if caught doing so in 
these Boarding Schools. Today, when we speak of the effects these 
majorly misfortunate events have on our people we speak about how it 
impacts not only those who suffered from firsthand but also those 
generations that follow. Substance Use Disorders, Suicide rates are 1.6 
times higher than the U.S. all--races rate, higher domestic violence 
rates, and a variety of other Mental Health issues. These are all the 
issues that I believe is the product of these specific traumas 
resulting in intergenerational trauma. In terms of today's traumas 
intertwining with intergenerational trauma, today the Novel Corona 
Virus that plaguing many of our tribal communities at highly alarming 
rates, all points back to when Indigenous peoples were exposed to 
infectious diseases when coming in contact with European Settlers, as a 
Prevention Worker in a behavioral health clinic I knew I had to do my 
part in making sure our youth aren't impacted as severely as their 
ancestors were, although there still is trauma relating back to the 
experiences that our ancestors faced almost so similarly. Although, 
having to convert to remote and virtual sessions we oftentimes use 
culture as prevention, relying on teachings of our traditional values 
to aid our mental health.

https://www.ihs.gov/sites/newsroom/themes/responsive2017/
display_objects/documents/factsheets/BehavioralHealth.pdf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK44242/

                                 ______
                                 

    Mr. Gallego. Trying on the technological side, did you want 
to just kind of fill in or answer the question about how 
broadband would help improve the situation, especially for our 
Native American youth on tribal lands?
    Ms. Gonzales. Yes, most definitely. Thank you for that 
question. It is so important, especially since everyone is 
social distancing. And in order for our people to receive the 
mental health care that they need, they need the connectivity. 
And they need to be able to be connected with the resources 
that bring them to their therapist or their psychologist, and 
so on and so forth. So, it is a huge issue and something that 
really needs to be brought forth for our people to receive the 
mental health care that they need.
    Mr. Gallego. Thank you, Leticia. And I just want to check. 
Do we have any other new Members that joined since we started? 
I just wanted to make sure if there are any Members--I do not 
see any. Staff cannot actually answer this question, so I am 
just looking through. I do not see any other Members, and no 
one has spoken up.
    So, I would like to thank all of our witnesses for sharing 
their incredible knowledge and stories with us today. And, 
again, thank you to those watching on livestream. As I stated 
before, members of the Committee may have some additional 
questions for the witnesses. We will ask you to respond to 
these in writing. Under Committee Rule 3(o), members of the 
Committee must submit witness questions within 3 days following 
the hearing, and the hearing record will be open for 10 
business days for these responses.
    If there is no further business, without objection, the 
Committee stands adjourned.

    [Whereupon, at 3:59 p.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]

            [ADDITIONAL MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD]

                        Supplementary Testimony
                        by Gloria O'Neill, Chair
  Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children
    in response to testimony presented at the July 16, 2020 Hearing
    Chairman Gallego and members of the Committee, thank you for the 
opportunity to provide supplemental testimony on the topic of mental 
health and healing as it relates to Native youth on behalf of the Alyce 
Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children. The 
Commission is charged with conducting a comprehensive study on the 
programs, grants, and supports available for Native children, both at 
government agencies and on the ground in Native communities, with the 
goal of developing a sustainable system that delivers wrap-around 
services to Native children. The Commission will examine the unique 
challenges Native children face and make recommendations on improving 
the current system by building on the strengths and leadership of 
Native communities.
    We appreciate Chairman Gallego and the Committee's understanding 
and concern for the topics addressed by the testimonies of four Native 
youths which mirror those of the Commission and are consistent with the 
goal of the Commission's work. The testimony provided by Marco Ovando, 
Letitia Gonzales, Cheyenne Kippenberger, and Robert ``Scottie'' Miller 
reflects the critical nature of this issue within Native communities 
and demonstrates the urgent need for accessible mental health care for 
youth on reservations and in rural and urban Native communities. We 
also appreciate the interest of Chairman Gallego and the Committee in 
improving mental health services in Indian Country and their 
willingness to take the time to listen to those most affected, our 
youth.
    Mental health issues linked to intergenerational trauma are not 
uncommon in Native communities, and the need for community-based and 
culturally informed healing processes, especially where the effects of 
intergenerational trauma are concerned, cannot be emphasized enough. 
Furthermore, mental health care providers in Indian Country need to 
understand not only historical trauma, but cultural differences and 
ways of healing to ensure that the healing process has a component of 
cultural connection in order to fully support mental wellness.

    However, the healing process is hindered by the lack of mental 
health resources and care available in Indian Country; for some 
communities, there are no accessible mental health resources. Building 
tribal capacity with programs and resources doing work in Native 
communities is essential to develop and implement the programs that 
will incorporate culture and address mental health issues in the most 
effective way. Given the diversity of Native communities, both urban 
and rural, and reservations, it is important to remember that each will 
have their own needs and best practices for addressing the challenges 
in their communities.

     Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the inaccessibility of 
            mental health resources has become even more prevalent. The 
            negative mental effects of social distancing measures 
            disparately affect Native youth. The lack of in-person 
            socializing is keeping youths from seeing their friends, 
            extended family members, and the support of community 
            cultural activities that have been put on hold or canceled. 
            While face-to-face interactions have decreased for safety 
            reasons, this has led to a decline in mental health. In 
            regard to the use of digital platforms for social and 
            educational purposes, it is important to note that not all 
            communities have reliable broadband service, which makes 
            staying connected more difficult. The increasing use of 
            telehealth coupled with broadband issues in rural Native 
            communities and reservations have posed challenges for not 
            only health care, but also mental health services. 
            Expanding broadband services in these communities is 
            essential for community connectedness and the delivery of 
            resources across Indian Country to provide the care that 
            Native youth not only need, but deserve.

     Mental health support should be made more readily 
            available in academic institutions in order to provide more 
            comprehensive aid in all aspects of a child's life. Trauma 
            can occur to children at any age, and so appropriate mental 
            health resources and programs need to be ready to provide 
            services from early childhood onwards. Bureau of Indian 
            Education (BIE) schools have behavioral health resources 
            for their students, which should work in collaboration with 
            other mental health services for consistent care. Mental 
            health support in schools is a practice which should be 
            expanded and offered to all Native youth in their academic 
            endeavors, whether kindergarten through 12th grade, 
            vocational training, or secondary schooling. Supporting 
            mental health in educational settings is a critical tool to 
            decrease the achievement gap. Education surrounding mental 
            health should also be increased in order to lessen the 
            stigma surrounding mental health and finding support.

     It is important to note the mental health considerations 
            when Native youth interact with the justice system. 
            Victimization, domestic violence, and substance use can 
            result in interactions with the justice system in which 
            Native youth will need mental health support.

     The Department of Health and Human Services oversees many 
            different administrations, offices, and programs that 
            interact with Native youth. For example, the Administration 
            for Children and Families has several offices which are 
            focused on the well-being of children and the issues of 
            trauma as they affect the mental of children and families, 
            but there is little coordination between the programs, even 
            if they are serving the same communities. The existing silo 
            structure for programs can be improved through 
            communication and collaboration between existing 
            administration, offices, and programs; Native communities 
            and their youths would benefit from coordinated efforts 
            between government programs to ensure care and support is 
            provided in effective ways.

     Refining and implementing the most supportive healing 
            processes is contingent on research and data on Native 
            communities and their available resources. However, more 
            accurate research is necessary. The current lack of 
            research makes it difficult to comprehensively support 
            communities; in order to fully understand the level of 
            need, accurate statistics are necessary not only to know 
            the most pressing community-specific needs, but to direct 
            funding and other resources in ways that are most effective 
            for these challenges facing Native youth today.

            --  Mental health factors include suicide, drug and alcohol 
        abuse, domestic violence, etc., which can be results of 
        unresolved intergenerational trauma; all of these factors 
        should to be taken into consideration and respectfully 
        researched so that programs and resources can be distributed 
        accordingly.

            --  Without accurate research and data, these components of 
        mental health will perpetuate and make it even more difficult 
        for the healing process to take place.
Conclusion
    The focus of the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission 
on Native Children is the health and well-being of Native children. 
Increasing funding is also critical to address the escalated needs of 
Native communities due to the challenges caused by the COVID-19 
pandemic. The challenge is to align the multiple agencies and 
departments serving Native youth, break down silos, and coordinate ways 
in which they can collaborate in order to best serve Native youths 
through a wide, but cohesive array of programs. The government programs 
and resources that are in place need to be fully funded and include 
flexibilities and tribal set-asides so that culturally informed and 
community-specific practices can be put in place. More research needs 
to be conducted so that the care being provided is supportive of the 
mental health of Native youth and more effective in treating, 
educating, and providing them with resources so they cannot only heal, 
but thrive. Increasing efforts to understand not only community 
cultures, but their historical traumas will yield more positive 
results. It is vital that we support the mental health of Native youth 
disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond as they 
and their communities heal from intergenerational trauma and other 
factors which negatively affect mental health. We need to support our 
most vulnerable populations and ensure that Native youth, the stewards 
of our future, have access to mental health resources so that they can 
heal and overcome the challenges they face in a manner that aligns with 
their cultures and communities.

                                 ______
                                 
                        Supplementary Testimony
                 Submitted on behalf of Chicago Ozeena
    in response to testimony presented at the July 16, 2020 Hearing
    Chicago is an 18-year-old, Athabascan young adult. He currently 
resides at Rights of Passage after 2 months at Covenant House. He grew 
up traveling back and forth between Nome and Anchorage, Alaska. His 
parents separated when he was 7. At 8 years old, he lived in Anchorage, 
at 9 he lived in Nome, at 11 years old in Anchorage, and then back in 
Nome. His mother lived in Anchorage; father lived in Nome. He has two 
older siblings and two younger siblings. At 17 years old, he decided to 
live with friends and, currently, has no relationship with his 
siblings. He states there was ``too much going on, life situations.'' 
Chicago reports that ``Nome is a crazy town. You have to be careful of 
certain people.'' He dropped out of school during his senior year 
because ``it was annoying and too hard.'' He is still in contact with 
both parents. He spoke with his father this morning and his mother 2 
weeks ago. His mother currently lives in Fairbanks.
    When Chicago turned 18, he moved out of Alaska. He lived in 
Chicago, New York City, London, and visited 19 states. He reports that 
Starbucks transferred him to various locations as a barista. He would 
like to leave Alaska again, but is waiting for the Pandemic to end.
    When asked, Chicago reports alcohol and marijuana use for both 
parents. He states that his home life was ``busy--did not like the 
feeling of home''. He clarifies that he felt safe, but there were 
arguments and substance use.
    Chicago is in his third month of employment at Walmart. His goal is 
to become CEO of Walmart as he enjoys the business industry and is 
happy with his job. He currently is in the maintenance department.
    When asked about experience with mental health services in Alaska, 
Chicago reports that he received counseling through Southcentral 
Foundation from ages 10 to 14. He states that the services were for 
anger management due to home situations and school. Chicago reports 
``counseling was all right, but mom was always present, so it was hard 
to express myself.'' Chicago feels that counseling would have been more 
effective if it focused on him as a person and his mother was not 
present for the sessions.

                                 [all]