[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 185 (Tuesday, November 19, 2019)] [House] [Pages H9049-H9052] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2019, the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Haaland) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader. Ms. HAALAND. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Native American Heritage Month. And as part of this acknowledgment, I wish to state that we are on Indian land. The Nacotchtanks, known for trading right here throughout the Chesapeake area, were the original inhabitants of the land we are standing on right now. I am a proud member of the Pueblo of Laguna in the great State of New Mexico. My mother raised me to be a Pueblo woman, and as such, I have an obligation to my people and the quest of all Native American communities to safeguard our cultures and traditions and do all I can to ensure that our people have a government that lives up to its trust obligations. Trust obligations were promises made to all of our Tribes in exchange for the tens of millions of acres of land that became the United States of America. As a child, I was taught to value our open space, our land, our water, and animals. In spite of the tremendous hardships my grandparents faced through their experiences in living through the Indian boarding school era, the assimilation era, and being at the forefront of moving our people into the modern era, I am here to advocate for the issues and policies that will offer a clean planet and opportunities now and for future generations. I am the product of generations of people who planted and harvested since time immemorial. My ancestors cared for the land, respected our air and our water, and passed down those responsibilities to their future generations. It is because of my people and the first people on this continent that we stand here today on this floor. In fact, our Constitution was largely influenced by the Iroquois Confederacy. Tribes here on the East Coast had official relationships with the crowned heads of Europe. When we talk about Native American history, we must recognize that Native American history is American history, and throughout this history, our ancestors held fast to a belief that our people would endure. We are reminded of our resilience by people like: Joy Harjo, from the Muscogee Creek Nation, the first Native American poet laureate in our country's history, named just this year. Our colleague, Sharice Davids, my sister, as one of the first Native American women elected to Congress in our country's history. Ruth Anna Buffalo, is a citizen of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation from North Dakota, a State legislator who is fighting to end the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women and to make her State more equitable for its indigenous citizens. Tommy Orange, a Cheyenne and Arapaho award-winning writer from Oakland. Tatanka Means, a Navajo actor and activist, and so many more. This month is set aside to celebrate the contributions that Native Americans have made to our country and to recognize that there is so much more that the Federal Government must do to ensure that Native nations have every opportunity afforded to every American, which includes healthcare, education, public safety, housing, and economic development. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Kilmer). Mr. KILMER. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Haaland, not just for giving me some time to speak, but for being such a terrific leader and being such an important voice, both for her district, and for people all over this country. She, along with Sharice Davids, are two superstars of the freshman class who have been just terrific in adding their voices to this body. I also want to recognize Gwen Moore who has just been a tremendous champion on behalf of Native Americans and has been a real leader on issues like the Violence Against Women Act and has made a tremendous amount of progress for Native Americans throughout this country. As was mentioned, November marks Native American Heritage Month, a time to honor the first Americans. I am proud to represent 11 Tribes that have called my region home since time immemorial. Each of these sovereign nations has their own unique culture and tradition and stories that add important threads to the fabric of our Nation. I think about some of the most extraordinary moments that I have had as a Representative: Visiting with the Quinault Indian Nation along with the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and having conversations about some of the civil rights challenges, not just facing the Quinault Nation, but Native peoples throughout this country. Visiting the Makah Tribe during Makah Days, and going on a hike with the then-chairman of the Tribe, going out to the northwestern tip of the continental United States. My daughter was with us and she asked the Tribal chair: ``Is this the end of the world?'' And he said, ``We consider it the beginning of the world.'' Visiting the Quileute Tribe and participating in their festival out in La Push, which is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Visiting with the Hoh Tribe and celebrating a water project that that Tribe had led the way on and touring with their Tribe and seeing some amazing assets and also seeing some of the real challenges that they have. Just recently visiting the Chehalis Tribe, seeing some of their enterprises and seeing the value of the work that they do, how much it contributes to the local economy there, and how much it means to their ability to provide services to their Tribal members. Visiting the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and visiting their ancestral lands and seeing the dam removal project that occurred there that is giving new birth to the environment there in that region. Visiting with multiple generations of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, visiting their leaders and hearing about the important role that fishing and shellfish growing has meant for their Tribe for generations and generations. Visiting the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe just this past year and hearing about some extraordinarily innovative work that they are doing to try to reduce recidivism in our criminal justice system and give people a second chance. Sitting down just this past year for lunch with the leaders of the Skokomish Tribe in a beautiful Tribal center and hearing about some of the challenges that their Tribe faces and some of the opportunities that they have. Visiting with the Squaxin Island Tribe, visiting their child development center and seeing the investments that they are making in kids and in future generations. Developing a friendship with the Suquamish Tribe with their chairman, Leonard Forsman, who has come into this Chamber for the State of the Union, who has beaten me in basketball, and hearing him speak passionately about treaty obligations. [[Page H9050]] I could talk about others, the Tulalip Tribe that recently hosted an important conversation about protecting Puget Sound and honoring Billy Frank Jr. Madam Speaker, the Snoqualmie Tribe, from your district, visited with me just today. That is a Tribe that is very important in our region, and in their ancestral homelands is where I almost proposed to my wife before I chickened out. These communities have shown us the importance of caring for iconic natural resources like salmon and shellfish that are found throughout the Pacific Northwest and have fought to protect our land and waters, not just for themselves, but for future generations. They have shown all of us the importance of honoring and respecting the role of our elders, and never forgetting the time-honored traditions that are passed down. They have defended our freedom by putting on the uniform of the United States military. They play a key role in driving our local economies. This month, Native American Heritage Month, reminds us that we have an opportunity to build a foundation of cooperation as partners to secure a brighter future for Tribes, not just in the Pacific Northwest, but all around this country. Unfortunately, the Federal Government has failed to uphold the promises made to these communities far too often. So, today, as we mark Native American Heritage Month, I want to affirm my commitment, and I think all of my colleagues want to affirm their commitments, to ensuring that the Federal Government honors its treaty and trust obligations. I am grateful that earlier today the House Natural Resources Committee held an oversight hearing on the recent U.S. Commission on Civil Rights report called: ``Broken Promises: Continuing Federal Funding Shortfall for Native Americans.'' A couple of years back I called on the Commission on Civil Rights to produce this report, to give Congress a roadmap for how to meet its treaty and trust obligations for Indian Country. I am proud to see Congress taking concrete steps to address the recommendations outlined in this report. The decisions we make today should be with an eye toward how they will affect our children seven generations into the future. So I want to invite those at home and my colleagues to join us in celebrating the history and culture of our Tribes and all Tribes around this country. Let's recommit to working with our Tribal partners to make a brighter future for all. Ms. HAALAND. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore), my friend and colleague. Ms. MOORE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New Mexico for yielding. I am so very pleased to join my colleague, Deb Haaland, as one of the first Native American women--it is about time--to join this body in celebrating Native American Heritage Month. It is fitting here in November, as we think about Thanksgiving, to celebrate Native American Heritage Month, considering the welcoming of foreigners to this land first inhabited by the Native peoples. This month really allows us the opportunity to formally remember the great contributions that Native Americans have made, and they continue to make to bridge our communities and to improve our Nation. All you have to do is walk right down the street to the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian to just get a glimpse of the many ways that Native Americans have contributed to the fabric of our Nation, despite the many hardships, the broken promises, and trials they have faced. {time} 1645 Indeed, as you walk through that museum, you will see the dozens and dozens and dozens of documentation of the treaties that have been executed and violated in this country. But the rich culture and heritage of Native Americans have still come through all of these hardships. They have been an indelible and undeniable impact on the American way of life. I am reminded of that every single day in my community. In fact, I hail from Wisconsin, where Earth Day was inaugurated by the late, great Senator Gaylord Nelson because, indeed, one of the things we have learned in Wisconsin from our Native community is to have stewardship over our environment, one of the legacies of the Native peoples. My home State is proudly home to 11 federally recognized Native American Tribes, and I am so proud of the many contributions that these Tribes have made to the cultural and economic richness of my State. In fact, the city of Milwaukee, which I represent, has a name that is derived from some of the Native brothers and sisters who inhabited the region: the gathering place by the water, the beautiful land, or the pleasant land. In fact, the host committee from the Democratic National Convention is called the Good Land Committee. These Tribes have helped refine and strengthen our State. In my home city of Milwaukee, the Forest County Potawatomi Foundation has not shied away from helping to address some of the most intractable problems facing our communities, including high unemployment, access to basic and higher education, ensuring better access to healthcare, and reducing health disparities, among other things. I am so inspired by the dedication of the Forest County Potawatomi to invest in Milwaukee and to give a helping hand to those serving the most vulnerable in the broader community, from young children to seniors in our community. In my life as an elected official, first at the State level and now in Congress, I have had so many wonderful friends and allies in the Tribal community. As a matter of fact, I grew up in a community where I had many friends, and I learned so many things from my Native friends. I am extremely honored to now serve in this body with the first Native American women--what a difference one session makes--who have been elected to this body and to be able to work across the aisle, even before they arrived, with concerned colleagues with Native backgrounds, such as Mr. Cole and Mr. Young, on legislation to address the needs of Native Americans. Madam Speaker, I want to take just a few seconds, if the gentlewoman from New Mexico will indulge me, to reinforce my commitment to the first peoples of this Nation. As they are citizens of this Nation, I want to remind the body that Native people are dual citizens. Because of their treaty rights--and it is in the Constitution--they are sovereign nations, and we ought to double down on our efforts of the Federal Government to fully live up to these trust obligations. Unfortunately, the history of our country is not the same as our aspirations. Our country's policies toward our Tribal communities is not a proud one. It actually is quite horrifying, which is why remembering, commemorating, and celebrating our Native brothers and sisters is so important, in order to remember the great things but also to remind us of where we have fallen short so that we learn from our past and that our history never repeats itself. You have heard some of the things that my sister Deb Haaland has talked about here. She talked about the abrogation of families and moving Native American people into assimilation programs. Part of that legacy has come to pass because we have not protected the sanctity of our Tribal obligations, respected sovereignty, and promoted the political, economic, and social self-determination for Native American communities. This is of paramount importance if we are not to repeat the same negative legacy. As we celebrate this month, let us rededicate ourselves to the numerous bills and initiatives that can help make a difference to our Native brothers and sisters. Let this not be just some moment, some little 5 minute or Special Order talking about how wonderful Native Americans are. One of our key legislative priorities this year is a strong reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. For too long, non- Native men could assault Native American women with impunity. The Violence Against Women Act that passed the House earlier this year, sitting over in the Senate graveyard, would take more steps to end this [[Page H9051]] scourge by empowering Native law enforcement and Native courts to protect Native American women and children from domestic violence. The need for affordable housing in Indian Country cannot be overstated. Some of the poorest and most remote communities in this country are Native American communities. Native American elders and children are living in deteriorated housing with mold and structures that cannot protect them against the harsh environment. NAHASDA, the Native American Housing Assistance and Self- Determination Act, provides Tribal governments the ability to provide safe and affordable housing to Tribal communities that is consistent with their status as sovereigns. We need to stop punting and finally undertake a real reauthorization to unlock the potential of these programs to improve housing for all Native Americans. I continue to work with House and Senate colleagues to find a path forward so we can finally have this program reauthorized. Ms. HAALAND. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Mucarsel-Powell). Ms. MUCARSEL-POWELL. Madam Speaker, each November, we take time to reflect upon the lasting contributions of Native Americans in our country. The rich traditions and history of indigenous peoples shaped our Nation's democracy and cultural fabric long before the writing of the Constitution. Today, they continue to impact all facets of American life and have endured despite centuries of injustices. We must remain mindful of our past failures while moving forward to build a peaceful, mutually sustainable relationship between our government and Tribal nations. At home, in Florida's 26th Congressional District, it is an immense privilege to work with the Miccosukee Tribe in Florida. The Miccosukee people are dedicated to the protection of their homeland, the Florida Everglades, and have been a crucial partner in the fight for clean water and the restoration of the natural flow of water from the Kissimmee River to the Florida Bay. I am proud to have the Miccosukee Tribe in my district, and I am so grateful for their vital participation in the protection and the prosperity of south Florida. As our country faces new challenges, we should strive to include indigenous voices in our national conversation. This month, let's commit to honoring the legacy of Native nations and celebrating the indispensable contributions of the first Americans. Ms. HAALAND. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Case). (Mr. CASE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.) Mr. CASE. Madam Speaker, I deeply appreciate my friend and colleague from New Mexico leading this Special Hour and yielding me time to join in recognizing November as Native American Heritage Month, a time for us to reflect on and celebrate the rich histories and diverse cultures of our Nation's indigenous peoples. It is said that cultural heritage is the sum total of the unique ways of living of a culture handed down from generation to generation, be they customs, practices, places, objects, artistic expressions, language, and values, all amounting to a distinct identity and integrity as a people. By that measure, most Americans have some familiarity with the rich cultural heritage of the indigenous peoples of the continental United States and Alaska. It is indeed gratifying to listen to my colleagues speak of the rich diversity within our continental United States, from New Mexico to Florida to Washington and Wisconsin. As we celebrate the heritage, identity, and integrity of these great peoples this month, I want to highlight that of another indigenous peoples of our country, the Native Hawaiians. Because of Hawaii's geographical distance from the U.S. mainland and our unique history with the United States, most Americans are not aware of the almost 600,000 among us who identify, in whole or in part, as Native Hawaiian. Some 50 percent still live in my home State of Hawaii, and I am deeply humbled to represent a native group with such a deep and rich heritage all its own. Today's Kanaka Maoli are descendants of the original voyagers who made the incredible journey from Kahiki, today's Tahiti and the Marquesas, somewhere around 1,500 years ago, a full 1,000 years before the universally recognized indigenous peoples of New Zealand, the Maori, arrived in Aotearoa. By the arrival of the West through Captain Cook in 1778, Native Hawaiians had already long developed, practiced, and handed down a truly unique cultural heritage, from their own language, dance, and music to customs and practices, values, and religion. They were truly their own people, in every sense of the word. However, like virtually all other indigenous peoples throughout our country and world, the Kanaka Maoli endured cultural marginalization and discrimination to the point that, by the middle of the 20th century, their cultural heritage was at risk for extinction, as has happened with most other indigenous cultures throughout our history. Beginning in the mid-1960s, though, a renewed interest in traditional Hawaiian arts and culture began to emerge, driving deep cultural pride and resurgence. The ranks of prominent Native Hawaiians include figures such as George Na'ope, a kumu hula who, with others, brought back the study and practice of ancient hula. I had the honor of presenting ``Uncle George'' as a 2006 National Heritage Fellow here, our Nation's highest honor in folk and traditional arts. The Hawaiian language itself had virtually disappeared after statehood. But in 1982, a small group of Hawaiian language educators came together and formed the Punana Leo preschools, which focused on nurturing a new generation of Native Hawaiian speakers through education in the Native Hawaiian language, the Olelo. The first school was established in 1984 in Kekaha, Kauai. Today, there are many such schools and thousands of Native Hawaiian language speakers. Another ancient practice prominent in the Hawaii renaissance was the art of Polynesian voyaging. Hundreds of years had passed since the last voyage, and the ancient ways of navigating had been lost. But in 1975, the Polynesian Voyaging Society built the Hokule'a, a traditional outrigger canoe first captained by Elia Kawika David Ku'ualoha, whose mission was to follow in the footsteps of Native Hawaiians and sail unaided across Polynesia. Today's voyaging canoes sail freely across the Pacific and even around the world in the ancient ways, an amazing symbol of cultural recovery. These kanaka are just a few of the tens of thousands of Native Hawaiians and others who simply decided that the rich cultural heritage of the indigenous peoples of Hawaii would not die but would be carried forward into generations to come. Their stories, and the story of all Native Hawaiians, should not be left unrecognized by this Congress, either today or in the laws of our country focused on indigenous peoples. I am honored to recognize them and their special contributions and legacy to our great country and to join all of my colleagues who advocate so forcefully for our indigenous peoples. Madam Speaker, again, ``mahalo nui loa,'' thank you very much, to the gentlewoman from New Mexico for bringing us together to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. May all Americans reflect on the diverse cultural legacy gifted to all of us by all indigenous peoples of our Nation. {time} 1700 Ms. HAALAND. Madam Speaker, this Native American Heritage Month, let us pay honor and respect to those who came before us. Let us never forget the genocide and racism that is so much of our history. Let us all work together to ensure that the future for the Native Americans and Native Hawaiians in our country is as promising as it is for any American living here currently. General Leave Ms. HAALAND. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from New Mexico? There was no objection. Ms. HAALAND. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. [[Page H9052]] ____________________