[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18498]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

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                            HON. JAY INSLEE

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 30, 2011

  Mr. INSLEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Native 
American Heritage Month and to celebrate the rich heritage of Native 
Americans in Washington state, which is home to 29 federally recognized 
tribes. These tribes have emphasized the importance of further 
empowering tribal governments to be able to serve their members in a 
variety of areas, including: housing, social programs, courts, natural 
resource management, education, and health care. Over the years I have 
worked hard to address these issues by supporting tribal governments 
and the positive work they do for their communities, and I will 
continue to do so in my capacity as the Vice-Chair of the Native 
American Caucus.
  Northwest Coast tribes have a rich history and continue to share that 
with their surrounding community. Earlier this fall, a carver from the 
Lummi Indian Reservation traveled across the country with his 20 foot 
cedar healing pole bound for the National Library of Medicine in 
Bethesda, Maryland. This summer I stopped by the Tulalip Tribe's new 
Hibulb Museum. The museum--one of ten tribal museums throughout 
Washington state--teaches visitors about the traditions and history of 
the Tulalip tribe through art that is emblematic of the region's tribal 
history and coastal environment, such as cedar totem poles and 
ceremonial masks.
  In Washington state, education offered by the tribes and other 
related institutions plays an integral role in maintaining traditions, 
fighting unemployment, and raising awareness about tribal issues. 
Educational programs include ten tribal primary and secondary schools, 
a number of Northwest Indian Colleges and other tribal colleges, as 
well as American Indian Studies and native language programs offered at 
the Evergreen State College, Washington State University, and the 
University of Washington's Department of American Indian Studies.
  Despite achievements in education and other fields, Native American 
communities still suffer from greater health disparities, including 
high rates of diabetes, tuberculosis, and alcoholism. To improve the 
quality of the health care system for tribes, I supported the Indian 
Health Care Improvement Act that was passed into law as a part of the 
Affordable Care Act, and I will continue to work to protect that law. 
With 23 tribal clinics in Washington state alone, there is already an 
existing health care infrastructure in Native American communities, and 
as we work to improve the quality of our own health care system we 
should continue advocating for better, and self-governed, health care 
for tribes.
  As we look to improve health care, education, and the economy in 
Indian Country, I will strongly support self-governance as a way to 
achieve these goals. To that end, I have cosponsored H.R. 2444, the 
Department of the Interior Tribal Self-Governance Act, as well as 
related legislation to restore the integrity of government-to-
government relationships and promote opportunities for tribal self-
determination. I believe that we should support tribal governments to 
find ways to best serve their communities and protect their heritage.

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