For Immediate Release

Thursday, March 11, 2021

Native American Groups Praise COVID-19 Rescue Package for Indigenous Americans

WASHINGTON — The Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council, Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association and the Global Indigenous Council praised President Biden for signing into the law today what is being described as the single-largest federal investment ever made toward Native Americans’ healthcare, coming in response to the devastation that COVID-19 caused for the Indigenous communities.

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act includes $31.2 billion for Native Americans, with $20 billion of the package set aside for direct relief.

“This money comes not a moment too soon for the tribes and nations,” said Bill Snell, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council. “We are grateful to President Biden and the leaders and rank and file members in Congress who recognized the catastrophic impact COVID-19 had on Native Americans.”

The disbursement for Native Americans also includes $6 billion for Indian Health Service and $1.28 billion for tribal and Native Hawaiian housing programs to help offset some of the economic plight Indigenous Americans have suffered because of the fallout of the coronavirus.

“It has been long, hard fight to get Washington to see that Indian Health Services was woefully underfunded to handle a crisis of this magnitude, especially when you are talking about people who are traditionally at-risk to disease and sickness that invade North America,” said Tom Rodgers, president of the Global Indigenous Council. “It took a pandemic to give this country a history lesson.”

Gay Kingman, executive director of the Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association, also hailed the White House and Congress for the much-needed coronavirus aid. “This federal investment gets us closer to leveling the playing field for Native American healthcare, but we are confident that we now have partners in Washington that are enlightened to the neglect the health care system serving Indigenous Americans has had to endure,” Kingman said.

The American Rescue Plan Act also includes $900 million for Bureau of Indian Affairs programs, more than $1.1 billion for education, and $20 million to rebuild Native languages gutted sadly through the loss of Elders and other Native speakers taken by COVID-19.

• 30-

CONTACT:

Tom Rodgers, president Global Indigenous Council, Tom@Carlyleconsult.com