RECAP: Senate Committee on Indian Affairs #MMIW meeting and Native veterans hearing

Thursday, November 21, 2019  

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs had a busy Wednesday, with lawmakers advancing legislation to address missing, murdered and trafficked Native Americans and making history with the first appearance of a Secretary of Veterans Affairs before the panel.

Due to scheduling constraints, the committee immediately took testimony from Secretary Robert Wilkie, who joined the Trump administration in July 2018 and has spoken about Native veterans at previous events, including the White House Conference on Supporting Contemporary Native American Veterans a day prior. Following his presentation, he responded to questions for about 30 minutes before he had to leave.

"Thank you for the honor of being first," Wilkie told the panel as he departed.

The committee then held a business meeting during which two pieces of #MMIW legislation were considered. Both S.227, which is known as Savanna's Act in honor of Savanna Marie Greywind, a Spirit Lake Nation woman who went missing and was murdered in 2017, and S.982, the Not Invisible Act, whose title offers some promise to the countless numbers of missing, murdered and trafficked Native Americans, were approved by unanimous support among the lawmakers who were present or who voted by proxy.

Finally, lawmakers heard from a panel of federal officials and two tribal leaders, both of whom served in the U.S. military. "Unfortunately we are not honoring their service," Jestin Dupree, a council member from the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, said of the government's failure to provide adequate resources for his fellow Native warriors.

Catch up on the committee's activities with our social media recap. Videos from the business meeting and the oversight/legislative hearing can be found at the bottom of the post.

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is about to hold a business meeting, followed by an oversight hearing & legislative hearing.

Business Meeting:https://t.co/rJyQZSiTHa

Oversight/Legislative Hearing:https://t.co/eNBrkFGgVm#NativeAmericanHeritageMonth @IndianCommittee pic.twitter.com/dNM0Vs0Oze

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

Two #MMIW bills are on the agenda for the @indiancommittee business meeting:

* S. 227 - Savanna’s Act
* S. 982 - Not Invisible Act of 2019

Read more about the legislation here:https://t.co/vkzbvnzyR6#NativeAmericanHeritageMonth #NativeAmerican #NotInvisible

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

Witnesses for @IndianCommittee hearing on Native veterans:

Robert Wilkie / Secretary of Veteran Affairs

Kameron Matthews / Department of Veterans Affairs

Chris Buchanan / Indian Health Service

Mark Fox / Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Nation

Jestin Dupree / Fort Peck Tribes pic.twitter.com/T6lxJhWlAJ

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

Tune into https://t.co/4jKmjes1sz for the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs business meeting on #MMIW bills and oversight/legislative hearing on Native veterans. #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth #NativeAmerican #NativeVeterans #NotInvisible @IndianCommittee

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

As for Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie, he is making his first appearance before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. He is his eight-page written statement about #NativeVeterans. @SecWilkie @DeptVetAffairs #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth #NativeAmerican pic.twitter.com/UOZbAUYyF0

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

@SecWilkie @DeptVetAffairs pic.twitter.com/ak5MyGJbaV

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

@SecWilkie @DeptVetAffairs pic.twitter.com/bqX70UuTU8

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

@SecWilkie @DeptVetAffairs pic.twitter.com/X74g7CkEDq

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

@SecWilkie @DeptVetAffairs pic.twitter.com/dDRoxQBheJ

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

@SecWilkie @DeptVetAffairs pic.twitter.com/kHx8CV42F9

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

@SecWilkie @DeptVetAffairs pic.twitter.com/NbR84Pq6dG

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

Last page! @SecWilkie @DeptVetAffairs pic.twitter.com/pGvTNlUOHg

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is going right into the hearing on Native veterans. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie (right at table) is testifying. He is FIRST VA Secretary to appear before @IndianCommittee in history of committee. #NativeVeterans @SecWilkie pic.twitter.com/VfmNYYPqjb

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs pays tribute to Harriet Good Iron from the Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Nation. She is the mother of Nathan Good Iron, who was killed in action in Afghanistan. "His spirit lives on," said Sen. John Hoeven (R-North Dakota). #NativeVeterans pic.twitter.com/4gZ9fmEox9

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie tells Senate Committee on Indian Affairs: "I always affirm the sovereignty of all the nations and tribes. It is a government-to-government relationship." #NativeVeterans #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth @SecWilkie @IndianCommittee pic.twitter.com/Rch6JvmXiF

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

Noting inadequate broadband in Indian Country, Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz) tells Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie: “Telemedicine may just not be an option for them.” Senate Committee on Indian Affairs #NativeVeterans hearing. @SecWilkie @IndianCommittee @SenMcSallyAZ pic.twitter.com/oalufmq7Ta

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on Veterans Affairs report on suicide: “It puts our Native veterans into an ‘other’ category.” Tells Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie that lack of data “makes it more challenging to develop the policy responses.” @SecWilkie @lisamurkowski pic.twitter.com/Xn8wkw2uau

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie had to leave after being *first* VA Secretary to testify before Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in @IndianCommittee history. Dr. Kameron Matthews of @DeptVetAffairs is staying to answer more questions. #NativeVeterans @IndianGaming85 pic.twitter.com/G0jfxdbhxm

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is now going to hold a business meeting to advance #MMIW bills:

* S. 227 - Savanna’s Act
* S. 982 - Not Invisible Act of 2019

More here:https://t.co/vkzbvnzyR6#NativeAmericanHeritageMonth #NativeAmerican #NotInvisible @IndianCommittee

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on need to improve #MMIW response, noting case of Sophie Serge, a Yupik woman who was killed in Alaska in 1993. “Her case was cold 25 years,” says Murkowski. Suspect was finally arraigned in August. #NotInvisible @lisamurkowski @IndianCommittee pic.twitter.com/8YG7Vx4xek

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

Sophie Serge, from the Yupik village of Pitkas Point, was killed at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in April 1993. Learn more about her case here:https://t.co/MBaiRMhO4O#MMIW #NotInvisible #Alaska

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) on #MMIW crisis and on S.227, Savanna's Act: “This epidemic is unacceptable. Native American women and Native Alaskan women deserve to have this in law, this year." @IndianCommittee @SenatorCantwell #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth #NativeAmerican pic.twitter.com/hPPbrU9YDk

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs just approved two #MMIW bills: S.227, Savanna's Act; S. 982, Not Invisible Act. Sen. Jon Tester (D-Montana) requested roll call votes. Each passed with 12 AYEs. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) was "not present." @IndianCommittee #NotInvisible pic.twitter.com/MHdoKBBFL2

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota) is among 26 cosponsors of S.227, Savanna's Act, which begins to address crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women. It is named in honor of Savanna Greywind, a Spirit Lake woman who was kidnapped and murdered in North Dakota. #MMIW https://t.co/o3bPoIFZ0L

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs has returned to the hearing on Native veterans. Two tribal leaders who served in the U.S. military are among those testifying. #NativeVeterans #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth #NativeAmerican @IndianCommittee pic.twitter.com/p8tXhaDKXx

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

"Unfortunately we are not honoring their service,” Jestin Dupree of Fort Peck Tribes tells Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. Dupree is veteran of US Army, serving in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and three times in Iraq. @IndianCommittee #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth #NativeAmerican pic.twitter.com/2ZWBtC7gaX

— indianz.com (@indianz) November 20, 2019

Business Meeting to consider S. 227 & S. 982 (November 20, 2019)
Oversight Hearing on “Recognizing the Sacrifice: Honoring A Nation’s Promise to Native Veterans” & Legislative Hearing to receive testimony on S. 1001 & S. 2365 (November 20, 2019)