The other day when I wrote to our President about my concern for the Lakota Indians I was hoping to get him to take some action to help them. While I did not get exactly what I was trying to get, at least I was successful in getting the information and my concerns heard. Today I received the following email from him. Thank you for writing. I have heard from many people concerned about issues affecting Native Americans, and I appreciate your perspective. Native Americans’ dynamic spirit and heritage are integral to America’s rich history and essential to our future prosperity. As we confront our most pressing challenges, we must address the struggles and aspirations of Native Americans, who have suffered disproportionately from poverty, high unemployment, and poor health for too long. To improve living conditions and ensure fair representation, I am committed to strengthening and building on the nation-to-nation relationship between the United States and tribal nations. My Administration has acted on this commitment, and we will continue to stand with Native Americans. I worked closely with Congress to secure more than $3.1 billion in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for tribal set-asides. On reservations across our country, these funds are supporting housing and energy efficiency grants, Early Head Start programs and school repairs, and health facilities and policing services. I also called for significant investments to help Native communities address pressing local needs. While funding increases cannot make up for past deficiencies, I am determined to work with tribal leaders to reevaluate our spending priorities and include Native Americans in the national dialogue. Listening to and learning from Native American leaders, my outstanding team of experts will also help foster a respectful partnership, and they will remain actively engaged in the development and empowerment of Native American communities. For more information on this and other important issues, please visit WhiteHouse.gov/nativeamericans. Thank you, again, for writing. Sincerely, Barack Obama
Posted on: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 23:32:24 +0000
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