Support For A Comprehensive Federal Indian Education Policy Statement Executive Order.

WHEREAS, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) have worked in partnership since the 1994 tribal leaders meeting with President Clinton to develop an American Indian and Alaska Native Comprehensive Federal Indian Education Policy Statement (CFIEPS) that has been endorsed by a majority of Indian nations and organizations; and

WHEREAS, the CFIEPS Advisory Group has presented the document to members of the White House Domestic Policy Council, Native American Working Group, who have agreed to the following points:

  • That there is a need for a Comprehensive Federal Indian Education Policy Statement;

  • That they will seek an Executive Order from the President directing federal agencies to adopt and implement a CFIEPS;

  • That they will begin to develop CFIEPS implementation plans for the agencies; and

  • That they will work together to refine the content and focus of the proposed CFIEPS, especially in terms of the President’s 10-Point “Call to Action for American Education in the 21st Century”; and

WHEREAS, the CFIEPS will continue to move forward as a document based upon tribal input for the future educational well-being of all American Indian and Alaska Native students; and

WHEREAS, NIEA, NCAI and the Washington State Indian Education Association (WSIEA) have previously passed resolutions supporting the CFIEPS.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE NATIONAL INDIAN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION concurs with the recommendation of the CFIEPS Advisory Group and the White House Domestic Advisory Council’s Native American Working Group to move forward with the development and issuance of a Presidential Executive Order that would implement the CFIEPS and make Indian education a national priority.

SUBMITTED BY: Alvin B. Schuster (Yakama)

CERTIFICATION

I do hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly considered and passed by the NIEA membership assembled at its annual convention in Tacoma, Washington, at which a quorum was present, during the meeting held November 2-6, 1997.

Steven Peters