[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17369]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             THE INDIAN COUNTRY EDUCATIONAL EMPOWERMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. STEPHANIE HERSETH

                            of south dakota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 22, 2004

  Ms. HERSETH. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the Indian Country 
Educational Empowerment Act of 2004. This Act will facilitate economic 
growth and development in Indian Country by dramatically increasing the 
incentives for individuals with advanced degrees to work within and for 
Indian Country.
  I am deeply concerned by the fact that Native Americans continue to 
rank at the bottom of every indicator of social and economic well-being 
in America. Unemployment continues to average near 50 percent in Indian 
Country and hovers well over 90 percent on many Reservations. Indian 
Country continues to have some of the highest rates of poverty, poorest 
health, highest mortality rates, and lowest levels of educational 
achievement in the United States.
  A unique legal and political relationship exists between the United 
States and Indian tribes that is reflected in the Constitution, various 
treaties, Federal statutes, Supreme Court decisions, and executive 
agreements. This creates a responsibility for the federal government to 
facilitate and complement tribal governments' efforts to improve the 
quality of life for Native Americans and encourage economic development 
in Indian Country. This bill does just that.
  Numerous external efforts at economic development in Indian Country 
have proven unsuccessful. The most successful efforts have been 
initiated from within native communities themselves. Economic 
development efforts that empower native communities and give them the 
tools to make their own decisions should be encouraged and pursued.
  I believe that education and economic development go hand-in-hand in 
Indian Country. Indeed, higher education is a fundamental form of 
economic development. Yet, an uneducated workforce continues to be a 
cyclical obstacle to economic growth in Indian Country.
  The cycle is vicious. Businesses are often unwilling to locate in to 
Indian Country because of the lack of an educated workforce and Native 
American youth see little value in an advanced degree because there are 
no jobs on the Reservation that would reward one. Those native youth 
that do obtain a higher education often do not return to their 
communities because there are no jobs.
  Higher education is costly to attain. As college and graduate school 
costs continue to swell, students are increasingly shouldering high 
levels of debt to pay for a college education. In fact, thirty-nine 
percent of student borrowers now graduate with levels of debt that 
require monthly payments in excess of eight percent of their total 
monthly incomes.
  Loan repayment assistance for higher education graduates choosing to 
work in Indian Country will help break this cycle of poverty and 
promote economic development. I urge my colleagues to support this 
important legislation.

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