Brian Schatz - Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs | Official U.S. Senate headshot
Brian Schatz - Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs | Official U.S. Senate headshot
The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution led by Senator Lisa Murkowski, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and Senator Brian Schatz, Vice Chairman of the committee. The resolution commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA). Senators from both parties co-sponsored the resolution, including Catherine Cortez Masto, John Curtis, Tammy Duckworth, Martin Heinrich, John Hoeven, Amy Klobuchar, Ben Ray Lujan, Markwayne Mullin, Alex Padilla, Mike Rounds, Tina Smith, and Dan Sullivan.
The Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, originally enacted in 1975, changed the federal Indian policy by supporting tribal self-determination through increased tribal oversight of programs and services provided to tribes by the U.S. government.
Senator Murkowski remarked, “This resolution celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. Congress unanimously passed this law 50 years ago which began a transformation of the federal-tribal relationship. Because of ISDEAA and the expansion of self-determination and self-governance across many agencies, Tribes have raised the quality of life of their people, boosted local economies, improved health care delivery, and designed and implemented services that are better tailored to their unique communities – including in job training, transportation, housing, social services, forestry, and more.” She expressed pride in leading the bipartisan effort with Senator Schatz to honor the progress made by tribes under the act.
Senator Schatz added, “More than five decades ago, President Richard Nixon stood before Congress and called for a new era of Tribal self-determination—ushering in the most successful federal policy for Native people in our nation’s history. For decades, administrations from both parties have strengthened Tribal sovereignty and self-governance. But today that progress is at risk, as recent actions threaten to make it harder for Tribes to access federal funding and for the government to fully uphold its trust and treaty obligations. Instead of moving backward, we should commemorate this anniversary by continuing to build upon its legacy.”
The full text of the resolution is available for public viewing.
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