Heitkamp, Murkowski Bill to Stand up for Native Children Unanimously Passes in U.S. House of Representatives Committee

U.S. Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today announced that their bipartisan bill to improve the lives of Native American children unanimously passed in the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources -- the final step before a vote in the full U.S. House of Representatives. Their bill passed in the Senate last year.

In May, Heitkamp testified before the Committee about the urgent need to pass their bill to implement solutions that would address the overwhelming obstacles Native children face -- including experiencing levels of post-traumatic stress similar to newly returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan dramatically increased risks of suicide, and lower high school graduation rates than any racial or ethnic demographic in the country. Heitkamp and Murkowski's bill would work to address these and other challenges with lasting policies and resources to promote better outcomes for Native youth.

Specifically, Heitkamp and Murkowski's bill would create a Commission on Native Children to identify the complex challenges facing Native children in North Dakota, Alaska, and across the United States by conducting an intensive study on these issues -- including high rates of poverty, staggering unemployment, child abuse, domestic violence, crime, substance abuse, and dire economic opportunities -- and making recommendations on how to make sure Native children get the protections, as well as economic and educational tools they need to thrive.

"Too often, Native young people are overlooked when it comes to federal resources and attention, even though they face some of the greatest obstacles to overcome," said Heitkamp. "No child in America should be left to beat the odds alone -- and today, our bill took another important step forward and is continuing to build momentum to help confront the disproportionate challenges Native children face. From living in dilapidated homes with scant educational and economic opportunities, Native young people experience some of the highest rates of suicide and post-traumatic stress in the country, yet they are often forced to overcome these barriers on their own. It's my hope that as the full House considers this bill, it does so with the urgency of these problems in mind. Together, we can promote the better outcomes Native young people deserve."

"This bill will create a commission to make recommendations on how to ensure that Native children are better taken care of and given the opportunities needed to thrive," said Murkowski. "I am immensely proud of this legislation that bears the namesake of Reverend Dr. Walter A. Soboleff, a treasured Native elder and culture-bearer who fought for education, human rights, and for upholding traditional native values. I thank Congressman Young for his support in the House as this critical piece of legislation moves closer to being signed into law."

As a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Heitkamp first introduced the bill in 2013 to create a Commission on Native Children as her first bill in the U.S. Senate where it quickly gained bipartisan momentum. In June 2015, Heitkamp's bill unanimously passed in the U.S. Senate and was introduced by both Republican and Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Since her time as North Dakota's Attorney General, Heitkamp has been committed to working with both sides of the aisle to develop policies that advance Native American priorities and improve the lives of Native youth for generations to come.

The Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children, named for the former Chairwoman of Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Nation in North Dakota, and Alaska Native Elder and statesman, respectively, has gained widespread praise by a cross-section of tribal leaders and organizations from North Dakota, Alaska, and around the country. It has been lauded by former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Byron Dorgan, the National Congress of American Indians, and the National Indian Education Association, among others.

Background:

Conditions for young people in Indian Country are tragic. For example:

More than one in three American Indian and Alaska Native children live in poverty.
Suicide rates for Native children ages 15-24 years old are 2.5 times the national average and is the second-leading cause of death in that age group.
While the overall rate of child mortality in the U.S. has decreased since 2000, the rate for Native children has increased 15 percent.
At 67 percent, American Indian and Alaska Native students had the lowest four year high school graduation rate of any racial or ethnic group in the 2011-2012 school year.
60 percent of American Indian schools do not have adequate high-speed internet or digital technology to meet the requirements of college and career ready standards.

Tribal governments face numerous obstacles in responding to the needs of Native children. Existing programmatic rules and the volume of resources required to access grant opportunities stymie efforts of tribes to tackle these issues. At the same time, federal agencies lack clear guidance about the direction that should be taken to best address the needs of Native children to fulfill our trust responsibility to tribal nations.

To help reverse these impacts, the Commission on Native Children would conduct 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. Then, the 11-member Commission would issue a report to address a series of challenges currently facing Native children. A Native Children Subcommittee would also provide advice to the Commission. The Commission's report would address how to achieve:

Better Use of Existing Resources -- The Commission will identify ways to streamline current federal, state, and local programs to be more effective and give tribes greater flexibility to devise programs for their communities in the spirit of self-determination and allow government agencies to redirect resources to the areas of most need.
Increased Coordination -- The Commission will seek to improve coordination of existing programs benefitting Native children. The federal government houses programs across numerous different agencies, yet these programs too often do not work together.
Measurable Outcomes -- The Commission will recommend measures to determine the wellbeing of Native children, and use these measurements to propose short-term, mid-term, and long-term national policy goals.
Stronger Data -- The Commission will seek to develop better data collection methods. Too often Native children are left out of the conversation because existing data collection, reporting, and analysis practices exclude them.
Stronger Private Sector Partnerships -- The Commission will seek to identify obstacles to public-private partnerships in Native communities.
Implementation of Best Practices -- The Commission will identify and highlight successful models that can be adopted in Native communities.

Source