"Today, as president of the United States, you have a historic opportunity to mark a path of economic recovery for American Indian nations. We have seen that every major step along the road to ending colonialism, embracing tribal self-determination and progressing toward economic stability in Indian Country, has occurred because a U.S. president took a stand. Franklin Roosevelt ended the disastrous allotment policy that had resulted in the loss of more than 100 million acres of Indian lands with passage of the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act. Richard Nixon's 1970 "A New Indian Policy" message to the Congress led the country away from termination to the Indian self-determination policy, adopted by Congress in 1975.

Mr. President, the time has now come for a positive step down the path of economic recovery for America's Indian nations from their historic conditions of impoverishment due to the actions of the U.S. government.

I am writing to you now because the nation is still mired in an economic recession of historic proportions. You have already turned to urgent matters of reform for the nation's banking system. Your administration is moving to restore banks' ability to supply commercial credit for small businesses and move away from the use of reckless debt instruments, derivatives based on subprime mortgages. We hope that your attention can finally turn to the economic needs in Indian Country.

Our friend, Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, has introduced a bill that is tailor-made to address Indian Country's economic problems. While a number of tribes have experienced significant success with casino enterprises, the overall economy in Indian Country still labors under constraints that resemble so-called Third World conditions. Following a model established by the World Bank, Sen. Inouye's bill, S439, proposes to create a Tribal Development Bank. This bank will function to overcome the lack of financial and physical infrastructure in Indian Country. It will deliver seed capital to start new and diverse tribal businesses, creating the economic infrastructure needed to develop tribal natural resources located far from commercial markets and trade centers. Tribes that have achieved success with casinos will be able to invest their excess capital in natural resource developments as business partners with tribes across Indian Country. "

Get the Story:
Alan R. Parker: Tribal economies: President's leadership needed for revival plan (The Oregonian 4/17)