Ned Norris Jr.

The Nation fully supports the purpose of Title IX, which is to strengthen tribal sovereignty and reaffirm tribal jurisdiction over non-Indian perpetrators.

The Nation supports the provisions included in the bipartisan Title IX discussion draft and respectfully requests that members of the Committee become co-sponsors of a full bipartisan Senate VAWA bill.

The Nation is deeply appreciative of the attention that this subcommittee is paying to the serious issues that surround the frighteningly broad authority that the Secretary of Homeland Security has been given.

We are also deeply concerned about the authority that allows Homeland Security to waive all statutory protections in the name of expediting border wall construction.

We urge Congress to withdraw or at least better limit DHS's authority to unilaterally give itself waivers to circumvent every statute on the books.

We have raised these concerns numerous times, numerous times to Federal folks on the impacts that this border wall will have on our people.

We have not been given that opportunity to sit as a Tribal government with the U.S. Government to have this conversation.

The disrespect for our cultural resources is painful for us and a symptom of the dangerous way in which IIRIRA has been implemented.

We've historically lived in this area from time immemorial. We feel very strongly that this particular wall will desecrate this area forever. I would compare it to building a wall over your parents' graveyards. It would have the same…

I find it very hard to believe that the effort will help protect sacred sites when, in fact, to the contrary, that has not been what was going on now.

There have been desecrations. There has been blasting. There have been artifacts. There have been remains that have been ruined and forever lost.