White House Senior Policy Advisor Kimberly Teehee for Native American Affairs today said that the Obama administration is committed to promote economic and social development in Native American communities.
At the Tenth Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Ms. Tehee said that she is a member of the Cherokee Nation. She said that the United States was pleased to receive the invitation to address the Forum on its Tenth Anniversary.
Ms. Teehee underscored that the Obama administration sees the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues as an important venue for exploring how those who are committed to addressing the many challenges faced by indigenous peoples around the globe can learn from each other and move forward to address those challenges.
"The Permanent Forum has made many significant contributions both by raising the international profile of indigenous issues generally and by doing important work on many specific issues. As President Obama stated: "The aspirations [the Declaration] affirms - including the respect for the institutions and rich cultures of Native peoples - are one[s] we must always seek to fulfill."-Ms. Tehee
Ms. Teehee also reiterated that President Obama is committed to strengthening the unique government-to-government relationship between the U.S. Government and the 565 federally recognized Indian tribes.
"This unique relationship is not only set forth in U.S. law; it also reflects the enormous contributions that tribes have made and continue to make to the cultural, social, and political traditions of our country."-Ms. Tehee
Ms. Teehee said that Obama Administration has proposed changes to U.S. law to enhance the role of tribes in the education of their youth and to give them greater flexibility in the use of federal funds to meet the unique needs of Native American students.
Source: U.S. Department of State
No comments:
Post a Comment