Daniel Inouye: “The Congress has long been concerned with the ravaging extent of poverty, homelessness, and the high rates of…”

“The Congress has long been concerned with the ravaging extent of poverty, homelessness, and the high rates of unemployment in Native America. The Congress has consistently recognized that the economic devastation that has been wrought on Native communities can be directly attributed to Federal policies of the forced removal of Native people from their traditional homelands, their forced relocation, and later the termination of the reservations to which the government forcibly relocated them. In 1970, President Nixon established the Federal policy of self-determination, and that policy has been supported and strengthened by each succeeding administration. The Congress has sought to do its part in fostering strong Native economies through the enactment of a wide range of Federal laws, including a series of incentives that are designed to stimulate economic growth in Native communities and provide economic opportunities for Native American-owned businesses.”