Call to Congress to Enact Legislation Ensuring Medicaid Advances the Federal Trust Responsibility to American Indians/Alaska Natives

WHEREAS, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB), established in 1972, serves all Federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribal governments by advocating for the improvement of health care delivery to AI/ANs, as well as upholding the Federal government’s trust responsibility to AI/AN Tribal governments; and

WHEREAS, Tribal Nations are political, sovereign entities whose status stems from the inherent sovereignty they possess as self-governing people predating the founding of the United States, and since its founding the United States has recognized them as such and entered into treaties with them on that basis; and,

WHEREAS, Tribal Nations have a unique government-to-government relationship with the Federal government, and it is required that the Federal government consult with Tribal Nations on any policy or action that will significantly impact Tribal governments and American Indians and Alaska Natives; and,

WHEREAS, in 24 U.S.C. § 1602(a)(1) Congress declared that “it is the policy of this Nation, in fulfillment of its special trust responsibilities and legal obligations to Indians…to ensure the highest possible health status for Indians and urban Indians and to provide all resources necessary to effect that policy”; and

WHEREAS, in 1955, Congress created the Indian Health Service (IHS) in order to help fulfill its trust responsibility for health care to Tribes; and

WHEREAS, the unmet health needs of AI/ANs are severe and the health status of AI/ANs is far below that of the general population of the United States, resulting in an average life expectancy for AI/ANs 4.5 years less than that for the U.S. all races population; and