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Prayer
News Alert
Jean Steffenson,
who has worked with Native American leaders for years over
broken covenants and land issues in our nation, emailed me the
following
information on a resolution of apology developed by Senator Brownback.
This is a
very important document that could change the course of our nation.
Please pray
periodically over this document that it becomes a fully signed
resolution.
We will keep you updated as we learn more.
Blessings,
Chuck D. Pierce
*********************
JOINT RESOLUTION OF APOLOGY TO NATIVE PEOPLES
INTRODUCED IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE, MAY 6, 2004
In his opening
remarks on the Senate floor, Senator Brownback stated, "This
is a resolution of apology and a resolution of reconciliation.
It is a first
step toward healing the wounds that have divided us for so long
- a potential
foundation for a new era of positive relations between Tribal Governments
and
the Federal Government….Before reconciliation, there must
be recognition and
repentance. Before there is a durable relationship, there must
be understanding.
This resolution will not authorize or serve as a settlement of
any claim
against the United States, nor will it resolve the many challenges
still facing the
Native Peoples. But it does recognize the negative impact of numerous
deleterious Federal acts and policies on Native Americans and their
cultures."
Senator Brownback and the initiators of this Resolution are asking
for
concerted prayer and action that many Senators will quickly sign
on as co-sponsors,
that it will be passed by both chambers and acted on by President
George W.
Bush (see Section 1 – (6) of the Resolution) before the September
21, 2004
formal opening of the new National Museum of the American Indian
which is nearing
completion on the Mall in Washington, DC.
Please pray for Senators Brownback, Inouye, and Campbell their
families and
staff. Pray for a Representative to sponsor this Resolution of
Apology in the
House. Please pray for great favor with the members of Congress,
the President
and the press. Many people believe that this apology for the injustices
against Native Americans is essential in the healing of this nation
and the land.
You can track the progress of this Joint Resolution by visiting
the Library
of Congress website http://thomas.loc.gov and typing in the Bill
Number, S.J.
Res. 37.
REMARKS ON SENATE FLOOR AND TEXT OF RESOLUTION S.J. RES. 37
From the Congressional Record, May 6, 2004
MR. BROWNBACK:
Mr. President, I rise today to introduce before this body a
joint resolution that seeks to address an issue that has long lain
unresolved.
That issue is our Nation's relationship with the Native peoples
of this land.
Long before
1776 and the establishment of the United States of America, this
land was inhabited by numerous nations. Like our Nation, many
of these peoples
held a strong belief in the Creator and maintained a powerful spiritual
connection to this land. Since the formation of the American
Republic, there have
most certainly been numerous conflicts between our Government and
many of these
Tribes--conflicts in which warriors on all sides fought courageously
and in
which all sides suffered. However, even from the earliest days
of the Republic,
there existed a sentiment that honorable dealings and peaceful
coexistence
were preferable to bloodshed. Indeed, our predecessors in Congress
in 1787
stated in the Northwest Ordinance, "The utmost good faith shall
always be observed
toward the Indians."
Many treaties
were made between this Republic and the American Indian Tribes.
Treaties, as my colleagues in this Chamber know, are far more
than words in a
page. Treaties are our word, our bond. Treaties with other governments
are
not to be treated lightly. Unfortunately, too often the United
States of America
did not uphold its responsibilities as stated in its covenants
with the
Native American Tribes. Too often, our Government broke its oaths
to the Native
peoples.
I want my fellow
Senators to know that this resolution does not dismiss the
valiance of our American soldiers who bravely fought for their
families in wars
between the United States and different Indian Tribes. Nor does
this
resolution cast all the blame for the various battles on one side
or another. What
this resolution does do is recognize and honor the importance of
Native Americans
to this land and to our Nation--in the past and today--and offers
an official
apology to the Native peoples for the poor and painful choices
our Government
sometimes made to disregard its solemn word.
This is a resolution
of apology and a resolution of reconciliation. It is a
first step toward healing the wounds that have divided us for so
long--a
potential foundation for a new era of positive relations between
Tribal governments
and the Federal Government. It is time--it is past time--for us
to heal our
land of division, all divisions, and bring us together as one people.
Before reconciliation,
there must be recognition and repentance. Before there
is a durable relationship, there must be understanding. This resolution
will
not authorize or serve as a settlement of any claim against the
United States,
nor will it resolve the many challenges still facing the Native
peoples. But
it does recognize the negative impact of numerous deleterious Federal
acts and
policies on Native Americans and their cultures.
Moreover, it
begins the effort of reconciliation by recognizing the past
wrongs and repenting for them.
Martin Luther
King, a true reconciler, once said, "The end is
reconciliation, the end is redemption, the end is the creation
of the beloved community."
This resolution is not the end. But, perhaps it signals the beginning
of the
end of division and the faint first light and first fruits of the
creation of
beloved community.
I have worked
with the chairman and ranking member of the Indian Affairs
Committee, Senator Campbell and Senator Inouye, in the crafting
of this
resolution, I also reached out to the Native Tribes as this bill
was being formed, and I
continue to receive helpful and supportive feedback. I ask that
my colleagues
in this Chamber, and those in the House of epresentatives, join
together in
support of this important resolution.
I ask unanimous
consent that the text of the joint resolution be printed in
the Record.
108th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. J. RES. 37
To acknowledge
a long history of official depredations and ill-conceived policies
by the United States Government regarding Indian tribes and offer
an apology to all Native Peoples on behalf of the United States.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 6, 2004
Mr. BROWNBACK
(for himself, Mr. CAMPBELL, and Mr. INOUYE) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee
on Indian
Affairs
JOINT RESOLUTION
To acknowledge
a long history of official depredations and ill-conceived policies
by the United States Government regarding Indian tribes and offer
an apology to all Native Peoples on behalf of the United States.
Whereas the
ancestors of today's Native Peoples inhabited the land of the
present-day United States since time immemorial and for thousands
of years before
the arrival of peoples of European descent;
Whereas the
Native Peoples have for millennia honored, protected, and
stewarded this land we cherish;
Whereas the
Native Peoples are spiritual peoples with a deep and abiding
belief in the Creator, and for millennia their peoples have maintained
a powerful
spiritual connection to this land, as is evidenced by their customs
and
legends;
Whereas the
arrival of Europeans in North America opened a new chapter in
the histories of the Native Peoples;
Whereas, while
establishment of permanent European settlements in North
America did stir conflict with nearby Indian tribes, peaceful and
mutually
beneficial interactions also took place;
Whereas the
foundational English settlements in Jamestown, Virginia, and
Plymouth, Massachusetts, owed their survival in large measure to
the compassion
and aid of the Native Peoples in their vicinities;
Whereas in the
infancy of the United States, the founders of the Republic
expressed their desire for a just relationship with the Indian
tribes, as
evidenced by the Northwest Ordinance enacted by Congress in 1787,
which begins with
the phrase, 'The utmost good faith shall always be observed toward
the
Indians';
Whereas Indian
tribes provided great assistance to the fledgling Republic as
it strengthened and grew, including invaluable help to Meriwether
Lewis and
William Clark on their epic journey from St. Louis, Missouri, to
the Pacific
Coast;
Whereas Native
Peoples and non-Native settlers engaged in numerous armed
conflicts;
Whereas the
United States Government violated many of the treaties ratified
by Congress and other diplomatic agreements with Indian tribes;
Whereas this
Nation should address the broken treaties and many of the more
ill-conceived Federal policies that followed, such as extermination,
termination, forced removal and relocation, the outlawing of traditional
religions, and
the destruction of sacred places;
Whereas the
United States forced Indian tribes and their citizens to move
away from their traditional homelands and onto federally established
and
controlled reservations, in accordance with such Acts as the Indian
Removal Act of
1830;
Whereas many Native Peoples suffered and perished--
(1) during the
execution of the official United States Government policy of
forced removal, including the infamous Trail of Tears and Long
Walk;
(2) during bloody
armed confrontations and massacres, such as the Sand Creek
Massacre in 1864 and the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890; and
(3) on numerous Indian reservations;
Whereas the
United States Government condemned the traditions, beliefs, and
customs of the Native Peoples and endeavored to assimilate them
by such
policies as the redistribution of land under the General Allotment
Act of 1887 and
the forcible removal of Native children from their families to
faraway boarding
schools where their Native practices and languages were degraded
and
forbidden;
Whereas officials
of the United States Government and private United States
citizens harmed Native Peoples by the unlawful acquisition of recognized
tribal
land, the theft of resources from such territories, and the mismanagement
of
tribal trust funds;
Whereas the
policies of the United States Government toward Indian tribes
and the breaking of covenants with Indian tribes have contributed
to the severe
social ills and economic troubles in many Native communities today;
Whereas, despite
continuing maltreatment of Native Peoples by the United
States, the Native Peoples have remained committed to the protection
of this great
land, as evidenced by the fact that, on a per capita basis, more
Native
people have served in the United States Armed Forces and placed
themselves in
harm's way in defense of the United States in every major military
conflict than
any other ethnic group;
Whereas Indian
tribes have actively influenced the public life of the United
States by continued cooperation with Congress and the Department
of the
Interior, through the involvement of Native individuals in official
United States
Government positions, and by leadership of their own sovereign
Indian tribes;
Whereas Indian
tribes are resilient and determined to preserve, develop, and
transmit to future generations their unique cultural identities;
Whereas the
National Museum of the American Indian was established within
the Smithsonian Institution as a living memorial to the Native
Peoples and their
traditions; and
Whereas Native
Peoples are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
rights, and that among those are life, liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by
the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States
of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND APOLOGY.
The United States, acting through Congress--
(1) recognizes
the special legal and political relationship the Indian tribes
have with the United States and the solemn covenant with the
land we share;
(2) commends
and honors the Native Peoples for the thousands of years that
they have stewarded and protected this land;
(3) acknowledges
years of official depredations, ill-conceived policies, and
the breaking of covenants by the United States Government regarding
Indian
tribes;
(4) apologizes
on behalf of the people of the United States to all Native
Peoples for the many instances of violence, maltreatment, and neglect
inflicted
on Native Peoples by citizens of the United States;
(5) expresses
its regret for the ramifications of former offenses and its
commitment to build on the positive relationships of the past and
present to move
toward a brighter future where all the people of this land live
reconciled as
brothers and sisters, and harmoniously steward and protect this
land together;
(6) urges the
President to acknowledge the offenses of the United States
against Indian tribes in the history of the United States in order
to bring
healing to this land by providing a proper foundation for reconciliation
between the
United States and Indian tribes; and
(7) commends
the State governments that have begun reconciliation efforts
with recognized Indian tribes located in their boundaries and encourages
all
State governments similarly to work toward reconciling relationships
with Indian
tribes within their boundaries.
SEC. 2. DISCLAIMER.
Nothing in this
Joint Resolution authorizes any claim against the United
States or serves as a settlement of any claim against the United
States.
END
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