{"id":17462,"date":"2021-10-28T09:45:10","date_gmt":"2021-10-28T13:45:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=17462"},"modified":"2021-10-28T09:48:21","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T13:48:21","slug":"kevin-killer-and-alicia-mousseau-meeting-the-needs-of-native-nations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/10\/28\/kevin-killer-and-alicia-mousseau-meeting-the-needs-of-native-nations\/","title":{"rendered":"Kevin Killer and Alicia Mousseau: Meeting the needs of Native nations"},"content":{"rendered":"\"Kevin<\/a>
Kevin Killer, President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, is seen on the far left during a meeting on Native voting rights with Vice President Kamala Harris, center, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, third from left, and tribal and Native leaders at the White House on July 27, 2021. Photo by Lawrence Jackson \/ White House<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n
During budget reconciliation, President Biden and Congress must take action to meet the needs of our Native Nations<\/div>\r\n
Thursday, October 28, 2021<\/div>\r\n
By Kevin Killer, President, and Alicia Mousseau, Vice-President<\/div>\r\n
Oglala Sioux Tribe<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nAcross the country, American Indian Nations and Tribes face many difficulties and challenges<\/a>.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe conditions on our Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota are representative of the conditions on many reservations: we face extraordinarily high rates of poverty and unemployment, extreme unmet needs in the areas of education, housing, and health care, and the lowest life expectancies in the country. As President Biden and Congress work to finalize the federal budget reconciliation package, we ask them to take special notice of the needs of our Native Nations\u2014and action to meet those needs.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nFor Native Nations, our challenges start young, with our sacred children. Enduring generations of economic disadvantage, our children start with poor nutrition and many families have a true need for funding to feed, clothe, and raise their children. Many times, young families and working mothers are the most in need. With our population growth, we need childhood funding. In many Native Nations, 40% or more of our overall population is under the age of 18. The child tax credit is essential for Native communities.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n <\/a>

Youth at the Lakota Waldorf School on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Photo by Kevin Abourezk<\/A>