Congress must formally acknowledge that the lands we now know as the United States are the ancestral homelands of millions of Indigenous Peoples, who were killed, removed, or relocated.

Through tribal co-management, we can lift up Indigenous voices, while continuing to meet our obligations to protect the climate and conserve Federal lands.

Fundamentally, tribal co-management provides an opportunity for Indigenous people to work alongside Federal agencies to manage Federal lands and resources.

I appreciate our Committee members joining us today and hope that we will have an insightful and productive hearing.

I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Administration and Congress to expand and incorporate Indigenous knowledge and history in land and resource management across the country, especially on our public lands.

Today's hearing is one that I believe is long overdue--both at the Committee level and in Congress.

I hope that I can work with you, with Congressman Young, and with the Members of the Committee to advance these important goals in a way that will be beneficial to our Alaska Native communities.

I am concerned that this legislation could give more power to people who are not from our communities, who are not elected to represent our communities, and who don't have to find a way to survive in our communities.

I applaud the Environmental Justice For All Act for converting words into action by including a cumulative impacts policy, that if adopted, would reduce pollution, decrease illness and save lives in communities, particularly communities Of…

I've been proud to work over the past few years with Representative McEachin on comprehensive legislation to address environmental injustice.

Thank you very much, Heather, and thank you to the Committee members for being here.