Sens. Schumer, Udall: We Must Build on the Successes of Self-Determination

Last week, in an opinion column posted to Indianz.com, Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), who serves as vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the Democratic leader in the Senate, argued that Tribal self-determination is one of the most successful federal Indian policies in the history of the United States.

“At its core, tribal self-determination recognizes that tribes have the right to govern themselves and that decisions made for Indians by Indians produce the best outcomes for the unique needs, cultures, and beliefs for their communities,” the Senators wrote. “Tribes and Senate Democrats agree: we must build on the successes of tribal self-determination by creating opportunities for further expansion of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act.”

After a meeting between Tribal leaders and Democratic Senators earlier in July, the two Senators said that two overarching points came up over and over – first, that Congress must uphold federal treaty and trust responsibilities to Tribes by ensuring that Native communities have access to federal resources; and second, that there is no “one size fits all” approach to developing legislation that impacts Tribes.

The two Senators also reaffirmed their commitment to fulfilling the trust relationship between the United States government and Tribes and pledged to consult with Tribes to develop legislation that extends contracting authority to additional federal programs benefiting Native Americans and Alaska Natives.

“Above all, we will hold fast to the principles of tribal sovereignty, self-determination, and meaningful consultation in our work in the Senate,” they wrote.