Heidi Heitkamp

We can change it if we take this great science that's being done, great talents that are being developed in trauma informed and trauma based programs.

And you mean not in Washington DC, but actually on and in the trenches?

I have been preaching to the rest of the world about the great success that you had addressing trauma.

I want to first thank all the tribal leaders, activists, providers, and community members for joining us today to discuss this critical issue.

I urge Congress to appropriate funds to create an institute that would provide on-going assistance to tribes.

Thank you for holding this hearing on trauma and mental health challenges in Indian country and inviting me to testify.

I would also like to thank you for drafting and advocating for S. 246, 'The Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children.'

I am so honored to be hosting the field hearing in North Dakota to discuss how we can work together to address trauma in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

I think one of the concerns are the nitpicking versus truly significant breaches of process.

There is an attempt to analyze and to know the rulemaking process so that everybody is playing from a level playing field.

I think one of the issues that we have is that--probably an unfair kind of analogy, but let's say you have five sisters and you all have photo albums, and one just throws them in a box and the other person, you know, has them indexed, you…

And so I think there is some advantage that we could have to standardizing some kind of guidance principles.

There should be one place where you can go where you can sort it.

I want to congratulate Senator Rounds and Senator Lankford for bringing this issue to the forefront.

It is critical that we acknowledge this trauma and the role that we all played in it with these outdates policies.

It's crucial that we protect the rights and sovereignty of Native American tribes.

I think the most important thing that you can do during the time that you have left is pass along that learning, that 8 years an administration has, to the next administration so that we do not pick up from where we were before.

Can you walk me through how that requirement will be phased over the next few years, see what major risks all of that provides to community banks, and offer maybe some suggestion on how we can be more responsive to the legitimate concerns…

I think it would be a little bit of an exaggeration to say the savings and loan crisis had the same consequences and result as the crisis in 2008.

I think that is something we can all agree on, and it is absolutely the best line of defense against future bailouts.

I think the Chairman said $212 billion in loan guarantees with only $3.1 billion actually in Indian Country.

Economic opportunities are really not possible without infrastructure.

Why is it that we only have such a small percentage of the commitment for Rural Development that has been deployed to Indian Country directly?

I have been shocked that we have been unable to complete NAHASDA.

I worry that if we are going to create economic opportunity in Indian Country, we need infrastructure.