Honoring Native American Heritage

By U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)
Nov. 9, 2017

The rich and vibrant history of Native Americans is deeply woven into the fabric of America, especially in South Dakota. I believe we should celebrate our diversity. To honor their culture and the countless contributions Native Americans have made to our society, President Trump recently designated November as National Native American Heritage Month.

Native Americans called South Dakota home long before Europeans settled in the West. South Dakota was originally a part of the vast territory of the Dakota, Lakota and Nakota people. A number of other tribal nations include the Dakota Territory in their histories as well.

Today, our state is home to nine sovereign tribal governments, comprising more than 70,000 enrolled members. I have appreciated the opportunity to work closely with tribal government leaders on a number of initiatives both during my time as governor and now as a senator.

One priority of mine has been to improve the quality of care at Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities in South Dakota. It is well-known that IHS has failed to live up to its trust responsibility to provide health care services to Native Americans, particularly in the Great Plains Region which includes our state. Decades of mismanagement and poor leadership at IHS have resulted in a health care crisis created by government bureaucrats.

The IHS facilities within the Great Plains Region have the worst health care outcomes of any of the 12 regions nationwide, including the lowest life expectancy, highest diabetes death rate, highest tuberculosis death rate and the highest overall age-adjusted death rate. This is unacceptable.

I have repeatedly said that the first step to fixing the crisis is to understand where the problems lie within the agency itself. For this reason, I introduced a bill that calls for an outside assessment of IHS. My bill would require an in-depth look at the overall financial structure, organizational structure and quality of care at the agency. The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs recently held a legislative hearing on our bill. The hearing was productive, and the testimony from Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Chairman Dave Flute in support of our IHS assessment bill was helpful in educating committee members about the severity of the problems at Great Plains Region IHS facilities.

Our proposal is now moving forward in the Senate. The problems at IHS are at a crisis level, and our bill is a first step toward getting the agency back on track. The federal government must live up to its trust and treaty responsibility to provide quality health care to Native American citizens.

This month, as we honor the culture of our Native American friends and neighbors, I encourage South Dakotans to also acknowledge the hardships they have faced throughout history and those they continue to face today. The health care crisis at IHS is just one example of how the government has failed to follow through on its obligations to tribal members, and I will continue fighting to fix this problem.

Celebrating the Generosity of Native American People By Sen. John Thune

Celebrating the Generosity of Native American People

By Sen. John Thune

When Thanksgiving approaches each year, I’m reminded of the kindness and generosity Native Americans extended to the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock nearly 400 years ago. With the help of Native Americans, Pilgrims learned how to cultivate corn, where to hunt and fish, how to extract sap from maple trees, and many other skills that helped these early settlers survive and prosper.  

While each tribe has its own unique set of customs, traditions, and language, it seems like the common thread among tribes is an enormous sense of generosity. In South Dakota, the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota people have taught us that family should be at the center of life, relationships are more precious than any material gain, and standing up for what we believe in is an important quality in life.  

While South Dakota is one of the few states that celebrates Native American Day rather than Columbus Day, I don’t think one day is enough to honor their contributions to our state and nation. That’s why I’m a proud cosponsor of a recently passed congressional resolution recognizing November as National Native American Heritage Month. November is designated each year as the month to reflect on Native American sacrifices, contributions, history, and shaping of America. And as South Dakotans know, we have plenty of that to celebrate across the state.

As South Dakotans, we have the unique opportunity to witness and learn firsthand about the authentic and rich cultures of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota ways. Attending a powwow or visiting a tribal community are great examples. Some of the earliest tribal traditions of song and dance are displayed throughout the state, and memorials like the Crazy Horse monument will forever remind us of the legacy of the courageous Lakota warrior.

Just recently, Dignity, a breathtaking statue of a Native American woman with a starquilt draped over her shoulders, was unveiled, and according to the sculptor, it’s a tribute to “the pride and strength and durability of the native cultures.” And the Lakota Nation Invitational — where sports fans have gathered to see some of our best Native youth display their incredible athletic talent for more than 40 years — is a favorite event of mine.

I hope all South Dakotans take time this November to reflect on the numerous contributions Native Americans have made to the rich heritage of our state. We have a lot to celebrate, so be sure to get out there and take advantage of these opportunities.

Undoing Historical Wrongs to Our Native American Citizens

By U.S. Senator Mike Rounds
September 23, 2016

Washington, DC – Imagine a scenario today in which the federal government, with no due process, forcibly removes children of a specific race from their homes and places them into a boarding school more than a thousand miles away from their family and friends. Or imagine the outcry if the federal government were to subject a certain race of citizens into forced labor as a condition of receiving benefits he or she has a treaty obligation to receive. Such patronizing superiority would not be tolerated in today’s society, and there would be a public outcry against such blatant discrimination. Yet these are examples of federal laws which are still on the books today with regard to our Native American citizens. It is time to officially remove these historical wrongs from the books.

In April 2016, I introduced the Repealing Existing Substandard Provisions Encouraging Conciliation with Tribes Act, or the RESPECT Act, and it recently passed unanimously out of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. The RESPECT Act would reverse a list of outdated, offensive laws against Native American citizens in the United States. In addition to laws that would allow for the forced removal of Native American Children who can be forced into boarding schools and subjecting Indians into forced labor, a law currently exists today where the president is authorized to declare all treaties with such tribes “abrogated if in his opinion any Indian tribe is in actual hostility to the United States.” Another statute calls for the “withholding of moneys or goods on account of intoxicating liquors,” meaning Native Americans can be denied annuities, money or goods if they are found under the influence of alcohol.

These and other statutes that would be repealed under the RESPECT Act are a sad reminder of the hostile aggression and overt racism displayed by the early federal government toward Native Americans as the government attempted to “assimilate” them into what was considered “modern society.” In many cases, these laws are more than a century old and do nothing but continue the stigma of subjugation and paternalism from that time period. Clearly, there is no place in our legal code for such laws. The idea that these laws were ever considered is disturbing, but the fact that these laws remain on our books – is at best – an oversight. I thank Senate Indian Affairs Committee Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) for all he has done to move the RESPECT Act forward, as well as Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) for introducing companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

During a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing in June, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribal Chairman David Flute of South Dakota testified in support of the RESPECT Act, saying that “Native Americans should all be fully included in America as U.S. citizens and citizens of our Native Nations, with respect for our rights to Freedom, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”  I could not agree more. While we can’t change history, we should do everything we can to make the future better for all Americans. The RESPECT Act is but one long-overdue step we can take in that ongoing effort. 

Undoing Historical Wrongs to Our Native American Citizens

Undoing historical wrongs to our Native American citizens
By U.S. Senator Mike Rounds

Washington, DC – Imagine a scenario today in which the federal government, with no due process, forcibly removed children of a specific race from their homes and placed them into a boarding school more than a thousand miles away from their family and friends.

Or imagine the outcry if the federal government were to subject a certain race of citizens into forced labor as a condition of receiving benefits he or she has a trust and/or treaty obligation to receive. Such patronizing superiority would not be tolerated in today’s society, and there would be a public outcry against such blatant discrimination.

Yet these are examples of federal laws that are still on the books today with regard to our Native American citizens. It is time to officially remove these historical wrongs from the books.

In April 2016, I introduced the Repealing Existing Substandard Provisions Encouraging Conciliation with Tribes Act, or the RESPECT Act, and last Wednesday it passed unanimously out of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. The RESPECT Act would reverse a list of outdated, offensive laws against Native American citizens in the United States.

In addition to laws that would allow for the forced removal of Native American children who can be forced into boarding schools and subjecting Native Americans into forced labor, a law currently exists today where the president is authorized to declare all treaties with such tribes “abrogated if in his opinion any Indian tribe is in actual hostility to the United States.”

Another statute calls for the “withholding of moneys of goods on account of intoxicating liquors,” meaning Native Americans can be denied annuities, money or goods if they are found under the influence of alcohol.

These and other statutes that would be repealed under the RESPECT Act are a sad reminder of the hostile aggression and overt racism displayed toward Native Americans by the early federal government as it attempted to “assimilate” them into what was considered “modern society.”

In many cases, these laws are more than a century old and do nothing but continue the stigma of subjugation and paternalism from that time period. Clearly, there is no place in our legal code for such laws. The idea that these laws were ever considered is disturbing, but the fact that they remain on our books is at best an oversight.

I thank Senate Indian Affairs Committee Chairman John Barrasso, R-Wyo., for all he has done to move the RESPECT Act forward, as well as Rep. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., for introducing it in the House of Representatives last week.

During a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing in June, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribal Chairman David Flute of South Dakota testified in support of the RESPECT Act, saying that “Native Americans should all be fully included in America as U.S. citizens and citizens of our native nations, with respect for our rights to freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

I could not agree more. While we can’t change history, we should do everything we can to make the future better for all Americans.

While legislative bodies before us have taken steps to rectify our previous failures relative to Native Americans, these laws unfortunately remain. Out of a sense of justice, they must be repealed.

With more than 5 million Native Americans and Alaska natives living in the United States today, it is critical that we strive to work together to constantly improve relationships and mend our history through reconciliation and mutual respect.

It is not always easy, but with our futures tied together and with our children in mind, continued reconciliation is something all of us should commit ourselves to. The RESPECT Act is but one long-overdue step we can take in that ongoing effort.