Obama's Decision about the Cultural Freedoms of the Indians - Coursework Example

President Obama’s Indian policies Introduction In 2008, Obama categorically stated that his government would empower the Native American tribes that had been ignored by Washington for quite long time. He articulated that the President of United States should be meeting on a regular basis with the leadership of such Native communities in dignity and respect. At glance, Obama outlined that he would fight for the Indian women health, manage the hunting and fishing rights wisely, extend the health care to Indian veterans, preserve the religious and cultural freedoms of the Indians and expand the health care services provided to the Indian communities (Wilkins and Stark 100). In addition, Obama campaign platform aimed at investing in a balanced education systems for the Indians and protecting the sovereignty and trust responsibility. Obama outlined that the pressing challenges of hundred of the Indian tribes were poor health care, education and sovereignty. In the case of sovereignty, Obama platform stated that Native American tribes were sovereignty and they would enjoy cordial relationships with United States federal government (Wilkins and Stark 100). He clarified that those entities are self-governing political entities. Obama started that his government would honor all treaties and allow Indian tribes govern themselves. In addition, he offered to consult Indian tribal leadership and offered an American Indian policy advisor post in his top administration and also announced plans to hold annual ‘Tribal G8’ meeting that would focus on national Indian policy agenda. He offered to honor trust responsibility in the management of the broken system of managing and administering trust lands and trust assets that belong to Indian tribes (Maranto and McShan , Michael 89). In terms of health care, Obama outlined that Indians were at risk of health problems such as diabetes since they suffered at a rate of 249 percent higher that the prevailing national average. In addition, he outlined that Indians had the highest death rates of suicide and tuberculosis. Obama further asserted that men on Rosebud Reservation and Pine Ridge in South Dakota had the lowest life expectancy after Haiti (Oberg 348). Obama outlined his previous track record in ensuring better health services for Indians by indicating that he had cosponsored Health Care Improvement Act of 2007 that mandated strengthening of urban Indian health facilities and overhaul of Indian health care system. He had also opposed Federal land acquisition programs since they would divert the funds that were made for Alcohol and abuse substance programs for the Indian tribes. In his platform, he outlined that he would provide sufficient funding for the Indian health system (IHS), and offer additional staffing for the facilities. In the education sector, President Obama outlined that his government would honor the resources promised by the federal law and treaty (U.S Department of Interior 2012). He asserted that Indian tribes had the lowest college graduation rates in the nation. Barrack Obama outlined that he would support Native language immersion and preservation since research showed that education in Native languages would improve academic performance of Native Indians. Obama offered to fund the No Child Left Behind Act and amend it to incorporate Title VII, law of Indian, Alaskan education provision and Hawaiian education provision. Obama also indicated that he would support American Indian Head start program in order to foster early childhood education and repair the Indian school buildings. In the same 2008 platform, President Barrack Obama offered to protect Native Indian cultural and religious sacred places including the ancestor’s burial grounds and churches (Maranto and McShan , Michael 89). In 2008, Obama outlined his plan on Indian economic and infrastructure protection that would include an increase in the access of capital, and strengthening both the physical and human infrastructure in order to foster development. He indicated that he would increase the minimum hourly wage to $ 9.50 by 2011 and increase the Earned Income tax credit for the full-time workers. He offered to support Indian Housing Block Grant and protect the gaming rights since they are a major source of employment and income for the poor Indian tribes. In case of Indian women health, President Barrack Obama outlined that he would support reproductive health rights for the Indian women and curb domestic violence (U.S Department of Interior 2012). In addition, he offered to support strengthening of Indian tribal courts. Obama offered to support enhanced Indian veterans’ benefits and combat the abuse of Methamphetamines (Oberg 360). President Obama fulfilled a majority of his 2008 platform promises to the Indian tribes. President Obama appointed a Native American Indian advisor and signed a memorandum signaling a new era in Indian government-federal government relationship in 2009. In December 2011, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) supported the amendment of federal law to allow the Indian tribes request disaster and emergency declarations directly from the President. President Obama signed in to law Affordable Health Care Act that could boost the health care services to the Native American Indians while the First Lady Michelle Obama launched ‘Let’s Move’ campaign that aims at eliminating obesity. Another major legislation was Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA) in 2010 in order to improve safety in Indian communities. The department of Agriculture and Commerce also awarded $ 1.5 billion worth of grants to benefit Indian tribes’ agriculture and commerce. In 2011, President Obama signed an Executive Order that that paved way for the White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native education in order to improve education opportunities in Indian tribes including setting up new universities and colleges (U.S Department of Interior 2012). Between 2009 and 2011, more than 1,000 small business administration supported loans totaling about $ 328 million were offered to Native Indians and Alaska natives. In the first four year term, more than 3.9 million private sector jobs were created for the Native Indians through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and other initiatives. Interestingly, President Obama supported the bipartisan tax cut agreement that secured tax relief for American Indians and other Native tribes in December 2010. President Barrack Obama has ensured that the federal government upholds government-to-government relationships that support American Indian sovereignty as outlined in US constitution, court decisions and treaties. President Obama has settled some of the long outstanding sovereignty issues facing American Indians settlements. In December, 2009, the Department of Interior and Department of Justice concluded the settlement in the case of Cobell v. Salazar class-action lawsuit. The case was about the poor accounting of federal Indian trust assets. The parties had tried unsuccessfully to settle the case for more than thirteen years. The Secretary of Interior, Salazar outlined that President Obama’s government is committed to working in good faith in order to arrive at a settlement that addresses the historical educational, economic development and law enforcement challenges that affect the Indians. The settlement required approval of the U.S District Court for the District of Columbia and Congress legislation in order to be fully implemented. $ 1.4 billion would be distributed among class members for the improprieties in historical trust accounting. In addition, $ 2 billion fund was established for the consolidation and buy-back of the fractioned land interests. The Department of Interior also settled the Water Rights cases while President Obama signed in to law the Omnibus Public Law Act which authorised the long standing water rights claims (U.S Department of Interior 2012). President Barrack Obama’s government allocated $ 500 million to the Office of Indian affairs in order to renovate the Indian schools, construct more houses and spur economic development in Indian communities. In 2009, $ 1.9 million was allocated to the Housing Improvement Program for the construction of new houses for the Indian families while $ 5.7 million was allocated for manpower training in order to enable more Indians establish careers in the construction industry and small businesses. In addition, $ 142.5 million was provided for road maintenance while $ 134.6 million was provided for renovating the Bureau-funded schools. The program also provided $ 9.5 million for the Indian Guaranteed loan program in order to enable Indian entrepreneurs tap new market opportunities and boost the small businesses (U.S Department of Interior 2012). President Obama signed the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership (HEARTH) Act of 2011 that amended the Indian long-term leasing Act of 1955. The new law grants Indian tribes more control of their lands since they can handle the long-term leasing without the approval of the federal government. The law grants the Indian tribes the authority to expand housing and economic development on the lands thus enhancing the sovereignty of Indian tribes (U.S Department of Interior 2012). Obam also signed the Obamacare that permanently reauthorizes the Indian Health Care improvement Act (IHCIA) and extends the health care coverage to include diseases such as alcoholism, diabetes, influenza and tuberculosis which are common among the Native American Indians. Obama spearheaded the passage of Violence Against Women Act, that includes important provisions for curbing violence against women in tribal communities such as Indian communities. The Act provides greater protection against rape, homicide, assault and battery of Indian women in their homes and workplace. The Act recognizes tribal courts’ jurisdiction on tribal lands especially in cases of violence against women regardless of the race of the perpetrator. Obama has requested the federal government to hire more tribal police officers, and increase funding to the tribal courts that were constructed under the stimulus package in order to ensure a high level of security and order in Indian Country (U.S Department of Interior 2012). In his campaign platform in 2012, President Obama outlined that he would extend his development agenda for Indians to include investments in green-energy sources like wind power in order to create more jobs for the Indians. In addition, Obama offered to spur economic development in Native American Indian communities through investments in roads, railway network and high-internet connectivity. President Obama has granted funds for renovations in broadband and road expansion under the Indian Reservation Roads Program. The President has also addressee the concerns surrounding the Keystone Pipeline including the impact of the pipeline on Indian community health, water sources, and the negative impact on the cultural resources and issues of climate change. In 2012, Obama proposed to increase the amount of Indian grants by 10 percent starting in 2012 and fund the access to K-12 education and access to college education (U.S Department of Interior 2012). In early 2013, President Obama signed in to law the Sandy recovery Improvement Act 2013 that places the Indian tribes at equal level with other states in requesting disaster declaration and emergency aid directly from the President. The tribal leaders has voiced their concerns on the federal response to disasters that occur in Indian reservations since they could only request disaster aid from the federal government instead of directly communicating with the President for disaster support. The tribal governments can now receive disaster assistance regardless of their ability to pay back the emergency aid (U.S Department of Interior 2012). Obama has successfully handled the Cherokee freedmen issue. President Obama has maintained that Cherokee nation should allow the Cherokee freedmen the right to vote according to Treaty of 1866 since the former slaves and descendants were made members of the Cherokee nation and granted voting rights (Olafson 2012). The federal government maintains that Cherokee freedmen belong to the Cherokee tribe and no blood link citizenships that should be required as a right to vote. Although sovereign Indian nation asserts that it has the right to determine its own citizens, the Department of Interior maintains that Cherokee freedmen are safeguarded by the1866 treaty that made them citizens of Cherokee nation just like the other American Indians (Olafson 2012). Compared with President Bush and former US presidents, Obama has extended more development projects to Indians tribes. In less than four years in office, Obama has settled major tribal royalties disputes and enhanced the relations with Indian tribal government. Bush government limited off-reservation casinos. Obama has ensured the sovereignty of Indian tribes by honoring the treaties and laws including paying royalties for the past mismanagement of leases on tribal land. In addition, Obama has increasd the federal Indian health care budget by more than 30 percent since assuming office in 2008. The Tribal Law and Order Bill of 2010 grants the Indians tribes’ leadership the powers to sentence criminals to up to three years in jail thus improving the security in Indian tribes communities. Obama has increased the funding to Indian Country in order to facilitate more education and employment opportunities for Indian tribe children. Unlike President Bush government, Obama has requested the budget committee to provide more funding to trust land management and energy development in Indian Country (U.S Department of Interior 2012). Conclusion President Obama has adhered to all treaties that granted the sovereignty of Indian Country. The president has strengthened the economic development of Indian Country through increasing grants to small businesses and allocating funds for schools renovation, road network expansion and investment in renewable energy sources. The President signed in to law Sandy recovery Improvement Act that allows Indian Country to request disaster declaration directly from the President. Other notable developments include increase in trust management funds, law enforcement funds for the Indian tribal courts and settlement of the long standing water rights disputes. Compared with previous presidents, President Obama is committed to economic empowerment of the Indians and safeguarding the sovereignty. Obama will continue enhancing the cordial relationships with Indians since he has appointed an Indian policy advisor and holds several annual meetings with Indian tribe leaders. Works cited: Maranto, Robert and McShane, Michael. President Obama and education reform: the personal and the political. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 2012. Oberg, Michael. Native America: a history. Chichester: Wiley. 2010. Olafson, Steve. 2012. “Cherokee vote for chief as freedmen issue settled”. Reuters. (web). http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/25/us-cherokee-vote- idUSTRE78O03N20110925. U.S Department of Interior. 2012. “Native American nations” (Web): http://www.doi.gov/whatwedo/firstamericans/index.cfm. Wilkins, David and Stark, Heidi. American Indian politics and the American political system. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. 2011. Read More