Nov. 30 (UPI) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday touted his administration’s efforts to address the needs of Native Americans, including infrastructure, the economy and helping those communities overcome the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Biden made the remarks Wednesday morning at the White House Tribal Nations Summit, accompanied by Deb Haaland, the first Native American to serve as head of the Department of the Interior.
“Together, we are continuing to make a difference,” Biden told the crowd at the White House. “We’ve made the largest single investment in infrastructure since [President Dwight] Eisenhower. [My administration made] the biggest investment in Native American infrastructure in history.”
Biden’s comments come as he signed a presidential memorandum on Wednesday establishing uniform standards to be implemented across all federal agencies regarding how Tribal consultations are conducted. That announcement by Biden during his speech received a strong round of ovations.
The White House also announced the release of a new best-practices report to integrate Tribal treaties and reserving the rights into agency decision-making practices. The report was done in coordination with 17 federal agencies and the White House Council on Native American Affairs.
“Federal agencies should strive to reach consensus among the Tribes,” Biden said. “There should be adequate time for ample communication. Tribal nations should know how their contributions are influencing decision-making.
“Everyone is entitled to be treated with respect and the dignity that comes with who you are. That is especially true with Tribal nations. The United States owes a solemn trust and treaty obligations that we haven’t always lived up to.”
The new tribal consultation standards were created with input received from Tribal Nations regarding Tribal consultation and ensure more consistency in how agencies initiate, provide notice for, conduct, record, and report on Tribal consultations.
The memorandum will also require annual training regarding Tribal consultation for federal employees who work with TribalNations or on policies with Tribal implications, the White House said.
The White House said Tribal communities have been designated $32 billion from the American Rescue Plan, $13 billion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and $700 million in the Inflation Reduction Act.
