[IPSM] [Fwd: [R-G] Atth: [fcnl-nalu] Reservation Life Worse Than Iraq?]

[Macdonald Stainsby]

Bonjour.  Native American Legislative Update
Friends Committee on National Legislation

Too many Native American soldiers returning from Iraq come home to
subpar living conditions in their reservation communities.  Yet, the
Bush administration's budget for fiscal year 2006 proposes cutting funds
for reservations.  How harsh.  How unfair.

These returning servicemen, along with advocates for American Indian and
Native Alaskan families, are beginning to ask some tough questions.

1. Why is it that the U. S. can afford unlimited amounts for destruction
and reconstruction on the other side of the world but cannot afford
resources for people who have been historically mistreated within its
own borders?

2.  Why would the Congress cut infrastructure money for disadvantaged
communities at home while billions in reconstruction money can
"disappear" in Iraq?

3.  Why is it fair to run up the deficit giving tax cuts to the very
rich and then decide to reduce that deficit by hurting the poor?

Those in Congress who are aware of the living conditions of poor tribes
agree that the proposed cuts for Indian programs in the 2006 budget make
little sense.  Fiscal conservative Senator John McCain (AZ) says the
dramatic cuts proposed will do nothing for the country at large but will
cause much harm to the most vulnerable and deprived people in Indian
Country.  In his words:

"The federal government has continually reneged on its trust and moral
obligations to meet the educational, healthcare and housing needs of
Indians and these needs far outweigh the imperceptible contribution that
the proposed cuts will make to reducing the deficit."


ACT NOW!

Your representative and senators will be voting on a budget resolution
this week.  Urge them: PLEASE DON'T VOTE TO CUT PROGRAMS THAT ARE
BRINGING NATIVE AMERICANS OUT OF POVERTY.  Tell them that medals and
parades and honors are hollow thanks if Native American soldiers return
to environs and conditions as bad or worse than they experienced living
in Iraq.  Go to
http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=7228431&type=CO to write
your congressional members an email or to send a fax.  Enter your zip
code in the "Take Action Now" box and hit "Go" button.


BACKGROUND

The following factual picture is drawn from information provided by the
National American Indian Housing Council, the National Indian Health
Board, the Native American Rights Fund, and the Navajo Nation.  We call
your attention to reservation distress.

A Navajo soldier who built infrastructure in Iraq may face these
circumstances at home:

* Only 2,000 miles of roads in 25,000 square miles of countryside, many
dirt and gravel

* Housing in short supply; in some cases, 10 people live in a
one-bedroom home

* Some people live in buses.

* Utilities lacking in 85 percent of homes, many lacking plumbing

* No telephones in 40 percent of homes

* Wood fire stoves, which too often brings on asthma and respiratory
problems, but ventilators are not an option because there is no
electricity

* Grocery stores as much as 40 miles away

* Drinking water hauled in 50-gallon drums

* Extremely high unemployment

* Inadequate schools

* A health system that provides half as many care dollars as are spent
on other poor citizens

* A trust system where those with Individual Indian Money accounts get
little of the money owed them from the land and leases that the federal
government "manages" for them.


Links for More Information

To read the details on soldiers returning from Iraq to Indian Country,
go to
http://naihc.net/NAIHC/files/ccLibraryFiles/FILENAME/000000000454/Native
%20Veterans%20Returning%20from%20Iraq%20Ask.doc

To read the details of Sen. McCain's statement in support of keeping
funds flowing to tribal governments and Indian programs, go to
http://indian.senate.gov/2005hrgs/021605hrg/McCain.pdf

To obtain demographic information on Native American children in your
state, go to
http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/pubs/american_indian_pocket_guide_2004.pdf

To read more about the trust fund scandal, go to
http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item.php?item_id=1222&issue_id=93

_______________________________________

CONTACTING POLICY MAKERS

Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121

Rep. ________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Sen. ________
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510

President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

White House Comment Desk:
202-456-1111
Fax: 202-456-2461
president at whitehouse.gov

FCNL Native American Legislative Updates are intended as a supplement to
other FCNL materials and do not reflect FCNL's complete policy position
on any issue, nor do they include all pertinent facts on any topic.  For
more information, or to request the FCNL Indian Report and other
background documents, please contact the FCNL's Native American Advocacy
Program: (202) 547-6000, 245 2nd St. NE, Washington, DC 20002;
Indian at fcnl.org   Or visit http://www.fcnl.org/issues/nat/natindx.htm

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contact the Development Team directly at development at fcnl.org. Thank
you.
________________________________________

Friends Committee on National Legislation
245 Second St. NE, Washington, DC 20002-5795
fcnl at fcnl.org * www.fcnl.org
phone: (202)547-6000 * toll-free: (800)630-1330

We seek a world free of war and the threat of war
We seek a society with equity and justice for all
We seek a community where every person's potential may be fulfilled
We seek an earth restored
Goodbye.

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