On the recordMay 18, 2018
Many States in which agriculture is important are also home to Native Americans Tribes. South Dakota, for example, has nine federally recognized Tribes. Many of these communities are poor. They lack basic services and have high rates of unemployment. No one suffers from these conditions more than the youth: the children, high school students, and hopeful college students who live there. That is why it is so important to ensure that native youth have the opportunity to obtain a higher education; to attend college; and that they are given the tools that they need to succeed. So my amendment is designed to work in concert with programs that assist native students, like the Wokini Initiative. It was designed by my alma mater, South Dakota State University. In the Lakota language, Wokini means ``new beginnings.'' It is the title of the program that this amendment establishes. This amendment simply authorizes USDA to match funds spent by land-grant universities on efforts to help native students succeed and ultimately graduate. Madam Chairwoman, I reserve the balance of my time.
