Presentation Transcript

1. Protecting Tribal Sovereignty Since 1944
2. A Unified Voice For Indian Country National Congress of American Indians Founded in 1944 Serves the broad interests of tribal governments and communities. A representative congress of American Indian and Alaska Native tribes United to protect and enhance treaty and sovereign rights while securing our traditional laws, cultures, and ways of life for our descendents. Advance a common understanding of the rightful place of tribes in the family of American governments.
3. NCAI Agenda: Census Data for Indian Country NCAI as a Census Information Center Tribes in the United States Education and Advocacy Uses of Census Data NCAI Education and Outreach: 2010 Census Native Vote Census for Policy Advocacy Fiscal Cliff Federal Budget and Appropriations Department of Education, Race Categories
4. Tribal Nations & the U.S. ConstitutionCommerce clause (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3). The United States Congress shall have power"To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes"
5. Tribes & The American Family of Governments Executive Order On Consultation
6. Sovereign Nations Today 566 Federally recognized tribal nations 229 of those tribes and villages located in Alaska; Remaining tribes are located in 34 other states 5.2 million people or 1.7 percent of the US population 100 million acres - total land mass under American Indian or Alaska Native control; Indian Country the fourth largest state in the United States.
7. History in One Minute “A story of resurgence, cultural survival, hope, and a vibrant future.” Pre Contact Estimates range between 10 and 20 million Thousands of tribes, bands, sub-tribes 300 - Estimate of languages among precontact tribes for North America Native Population (North America) Today + 5 million American Indians and Alaska Natives 566 Federally Recognized Tribes (30 or so state recognized groups) Language and cultural revival underway
8. Timeline of Federal Policy Toward Indian Nations INDIAN COUNTRY 1492 1934–1945 Pre - 1492 Indian Reorganization Period 1944NCAI 1945 – 1965 1492-1828 Termination Period 1965–2000 1828 - 1887 Self Determination Period INDIAN COUNTRY TODAY 2000- Present 1887-1934 Nation-to-Nation Period
9. Introduction to Indian Country
10. American Indian and Alaska Native as a Percentage of County Population: 2010
11. NCAI Activities, Advocacy and Initiatives Legislative and Policy Advocacy Public Safety, Health Care, Education, Social Services, Economic Development, Trust and Treaty Promises, Federal Budget, Taxation Policy Research Rapid Response, Fact Sheets, Demographic and Geographic Profile Training/TA and Meetings Initiatives Native Vote and Civic Engagement Our Natural Resources Native Financial Education Coalition Protect Native Money Keepseagle Settlement Cobell Settlement Tribal Trust Settlements
12. American Indians: A Hard to Count PopulationAIAN vs. all races living in “Hard to Count” Census tracts Chronic Undercounts Language Barriers Remote/Unmarked Addresses Difficult travel and Transportation Mistrust of Government
13. Grassroots and National Education Initiatives
14. Percentage Net Undercount by Race and Hispanic Origin
15. The AI/AN Population is Very Young
16. ENSURING ACCESS TO THE BALLOT FOR AMERICAN INDIANS & ALASKA NATIVES The voter participation rate of the first Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives, is among the lowest of any ethnic group in the country. 
17. States with Highest % of AIAN (18 and over) Populations
18. Native Vote is Significant in Many Senate Races Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) credits her victory in the 2010 elections to the Native Vote. She was only the second successful write-in candidate for the US Senate seat. “With almost half the tribes in the United States located in Alaska, Senator Begich understands the importance of the federal trust responsibility with the first peoples of this country.  As he has stated before, “We cannot have a strong urban Alaska unless rural Alaska is thriving, too.” He believes that through strong government-to-government consultation and partnership, we can empower rural and remote communities toward another 10,000 years of success. ” -Begich “The Native American vote is going to be really important in this election. Every vote is going to count.” Senator Tester, 2012
19. Congressional Districts with Highest AIAN Populations
20. Census Data in Policy Advocacy – 2 examples Federal Budget and Appropriations Issues Violence Against Women Act, Tribal Provisions
21. FY 13 Budget IHS 0.12% BIA 0.07% Discretionary Mandatory
22. Impacts on Programs The blunt mechanistic savings from sequestration is not good public policy and should be averted. Due to declines in recent years, the ATB cuts will be worse than 8.2% compared to FY10: Indian Housing Block Grant -21%; Indian Student Education, -13%; Tribal Community Oriented Policing Grants, -25%; BIA, Operation of Indian Programs cut by 14%; Also, Indian Health Service is subjected to the higher 8.2% cut, not the 2% special rule that the CRS reported in August.
23. Various Approaches Accepting the deal reached in the Budget Control Act of 2011 Modifying the Budget Control Act only to protect defense House Republican leadership’s budget proposal to replace the sequester The President’s budget proposal to replace the sequester
24. Non-Defense Discretionary Spending
25. Why Sequester Disproportionately Hits Indian Country Treaty obligations to education, health, public safety and others are federal responsibilities Some tribes have developed other revenue sources to supplement federal sources, but that should not negate need to meet trust responsibility.
26. Governmental Revenue Sources Source of State and Local Government General Revenue: 2010 Source: Census, 2010 Annual Surveys of State and Local Government Finances Reservation Revenue Sources, Montana $1 billion in expenditures to MT economy
27. Diversity in Tribal Revenues Sources of WA Tribal Government General Revenue Sources of an AK Tribal Government General Revenue $25 million overall budget, serving 28,000 tribal citizens
28. Native Students Majority of Native students in Public Schools During the 2010-11 school year, there were 378,000 AI/AN (alone) students in the U.S. public school system. During the 2010-11 school year, there were 49,152 students in Bureau of Indian Education Schools
29. Education in Indian Country Austerity Hits Schools in Indian Country Hardest Nearly the entire top 25 districts nationally who are most reliant on federal funding are on or just off Indian reservations –largely due to the funding received through Impact Aid. Unlike other Title programs, Impact Aid is not forward funded, meaning the funding cuts will take effect in the middle of the current 2012-2013 school year. The over $60 million in cuts to Impact Aid will directly affect the operation of 710 schools and the services provided to approximately 115,000 Native students.
30. What’s at Stake for Native Students
31. What’s at Stake for Native Students
32. Tax Fiscal Cliff If all tax cuts expire, overall tax liability will jump 20%. 90% of households would face tax increases of $3,500. Mid income would face $2,000 more. Different tax provisions affect Indian people differently. Most disputed: expiring tax cuts for high income households and the 2009 stimulus tax credits. Also, the health reform law taxes are disputed.
33. Household Income in Last 12 months Source: US Census Bureau, 2006-2010 American Community Survey data
34. Expiring Taxes Payroll Tax Cut: Candidates, Congress will let lapse Health Reform: Candidates, Congress won’t repeal Capital Gains, Dividends: Pres Rep High Income deduction limitation: Pres Rep Stimulus, EITC, CTC: Pres Rep Extenders: Likely to avoid Estate tax: Likely to avoid Low, middle income Bush Tax Cuts: Pres/Congress Alternative Minimum Tax: Pres/Congress
35. Average Federal Tax Rate by Cash Income Percentile, 2012 Source: Urban Brookings Tax Policy Center
36. Tax Increases by Fiscal Cliff Components Low, Middle Income Bush Tax Cuts High Income Bush Tax Cuts 2009 Cuts: EITC, CTC SS Payroll Tax Cut
37. Indian Affairs Funding as a Percentage of the Federal Budget
38. Percentage of Population in Poverty Source: U.S. Census Bureau, “2007-2012 American Community Survey Estimates,” Table B17001 and B17001C
39. Employment Rates Source: Austin, Algernon. 2013. “Native Americans and Jobs: The Challenge and the Promise.” EPI
40. Industry for the Civilian employed population 16 years and over
41. Dept. of Ed Implementation of OMB Standards for Racial & Ethic Data Reporting Aggregate categories for reporting Hispanic/Latino of any race Non-Hispanic/Latino American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Black or African American Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander White Two or more races Definitions A “person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment.”
42. AI/AN Population from 2010 Census 57% AIAN are either Hispanic or Multi-Race
43. Leveraging Partnerships
44. Working with Media
45. Violence Against Women Act, Tribal Provision Major Victory for Indian Country "Indian Country has some of the highest rates of domestic abuse in America.  And one of the reasons is that when Native American women are abused on tribal lands by an attacker who is not Native American, the attacker is immune from prosecution by tribal courts.  Well, as soon as I sign this bill that ends," said President Barack Obama, moments before signing the bill. "Tribal governments have an inherent right to protect their people, and all women deserve the right to live free from fear.  And that is what today is all about."
46. www.NCAI.org