{"id":22042,"date":"2022-03-11T15:55:45","date_gmt":"2022-03-11T20:55:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=22042"},"modified":"2022-03-11T15:55:46","modified_gmt":"2022-03-11T20:55:46","slug":"delbert-hopkins-indian-country-and-america-can-turn-to-joe-biden-for-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/03\/11\/delbert-hopkins-indian-country-and-america-can-turn-to-joe-biden-for-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"Delbert Hopkins: Indian Country &#8212; and America &#8212; can turn to Joe Biden for leadership"},"content":{"rendered":" <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/03\/11\/delbert-hopkins-indian-country-and-america-can-turn-to-joe-biden-for-leadership\/joebiden-13\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-22044\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" data-attachment-id=\"22044\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/03\/11\/delbert-hopkins-indian-country-and-america-can-turn-to-joe-biden-for-leadership\/joebiden-13\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/11\/joebiden-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1707\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;White House&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;ILCE-9&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the bipartisan infrastructure law Friday, January 14, 2022, in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House. (Official White House Photo by Cameron Smith)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1638882466&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;This photograph is provided by THE WHITE HOUSE as a courtesy and may be printed by the subject(s) in the photograph for personal&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;35&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.004&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Joe Biden\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Joe Biden at the White House&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the bipartisan infrastructure law at the White House on January 14, 2022. Photo by &lt;a href=https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/whitehouse\/51904454630\/&gt;Cameron Smith \/ White House&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/11\/joebiden-1024x683.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/11\/joebiden-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Joe Biden\"   class=\"size-full wp-image-22044\" \/><\/a> <figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the bipartisan infrastructure law at the White House on January 14, 2022. Photo by <a href=https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/whitehouse\/51904454630\/>Cameron Smith \/ White House<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n<div class=\"h3-responsive font-weight-bold\">Joe Biden is a man of vision<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"date\">Friday, March 11, 2022<\/div>\r\n <div class=\"byline\">By Delbert Hopkins<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"source\">Chairman, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"source-links\"><a href=https:\/\/www.swo-nsn.gov\/>swo-nsn.gov<\/a><\/div>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nJoe Biden is a man of vision \u2014 he is working to \u201cRestore the Soul of America.\u201d  During this time of <a href=\/covid19\/>COVID-19 pandemic<\/a> and the Russian\u2014Ukraine War, America needs Biden\u2019s vision and experience.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nAs Native Americans, we have suffered COVID-19 at 2 and \u00bd times the rate of White Americans, meaning more serious injury, hospitalization and increased mortality.  Looking back on the past year, the American Rescue Plan proved to be a true lifeline for our Dakota people as we suffered COVID-19 A2, the Delta variant, the Omicron variant, and now Omicron 2.0.  We needed more relief in the form of the American Rescue Plan, and President Biden and Congress delivered.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate invested our funds in COVID-19 Health Care and assistance to households, including utilities and home repairs.  We invested our funds in COVID-19 Quarantine housing, food relief, vaccine clinics, and community assistance.  The weather at Lake Traverse Reservation, our home, gets down to -20 degrees and with the wind chill factor, down to -40, -50, -60 below zero.  Our Tribal Government has invested in heating assistance.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This week, we met with Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Chairman Delbert Hopkins along with the Tribal Council and leadership in South Dakota to talk about how we can continue to support the Tribe during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the future. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/dShJYI7Kbn\">pic.twitter.com\/dShJYI7Kbn<\/a><\/p>&mdash; FEMA Region 8 (@femaregion8) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/femaregion8\/status\/1385248250811371526?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 22, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nNow, just as we begin to emerge from the COVID-19 Pandemic, America faces the reality of a Russian War in Ukraine.  Our Native American people have served in America\u2019s military at the highest rate of any group in the Country.  When America is threatened, our young men and young women are ready to defend us.  We support America\u2019s military.  We must all stand united to defend humanity and stop Putin\u2019s insanity.  We thank President Biden and our leaders in Congress for standing up to Russian Aggression.  \r\n<p><\/p>\r\nWe understand the Ukrainian people\u2019s suffering because, in the 19th Century, the Seven Council Fires of our Dakota Nation suffered military attacks, the taking of our homelands, and the displacement  of our People from our homes.  President Biden is a man of conviction and clarity and he sees that Putin must be stopped.  Putin is not a \u201cgenius,\u201d he is a warmonger and throwback to World War II.  He\u2019s lying to his people, lying to the World, he\u2019s filled with greed and he hates his neighbors because they are free and covets the Ukraine homeland.  \r\n<p><\/p>\r\nRussian Communism failed so Putin wants to steal Ukraine.  The Pope has called on Russia to stop the War and Putin must be stopped because the cost to humanity is too high.  Left to himself, Putin would destroy Ukraine and move on to victimize the next former Soviet country.  If we don\u2019t stand up to Putin now, we will be in World War III in Europe.  Poland, Hungary, the Baltic states and the rest won\u2019t give up their freedom.  America must help send Poland\u2019s Mig-29 fighters to Ukraine.  We strongly support America\u2019s efforts to provide a lifeline for Ukraine now.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We appreciate our partnership with the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate and look forward to other opportunities to collaborate. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/p7NmmbcCx1\">pic.twitter.com\/p7NmmbcCx1<\/a><\/p>&mdash; FEMA Region 8 (@femaregion8) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/femaregion8\/status\/1385248269140385792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 22, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nAs America supports Ukraine, we need continuing help in America\u2019s Heartland.  In regard to Indian health care, the Department of Health and Human Services has frozen Indian Health Service Hospital and Health Care Construction in its tracks for 30 years.  Congress had a plan in the Build Back Better law to bring IHS Construction forward to 1993!  Yes, even in the best case scenario, Congress was only going to fund Indian Health Care Construction needs from a generation ago.  Our Native American people are among the fastest growing populations in America. \r\n<p><\/p>\r\n Yet, our health care status is the poorest in America and our health care needs have grown exponentially\u2014we need $20 Billion in Hospital, Health Clinic and Health Care Facility Construction.  We are suffering fatal drug overdoses on our Reservation at a rate 5x the national average.  Among our Dakota Oyate, we must have an in-patient substance abuse treatment center.  The Federal Court recently agreed that Indian Health Care is a treaty right.  We need new doctors, new hospitals, new clinics because American Indians continue to suffer the poorest health in America.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nAmerica recently embarked on a program and plan to renew military schools and we applaud that effort.  American Indian schools are worn down and worn out\u201460 years or more old.  Indian nations are in need of new schools, new teachers and new construction. As Indian nations, we must ensure an equal education for our children and we ask the President and Congress to uphold our treaty rights to education for our children.\r\n<p><\/p><div class=\"mt-1 mb-1\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8411603009680747\" data-ad-slot=\"6394965691\"><\/ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/div><p><\/p>\r\nNaturally, as Native Peoples we have a duty to Grandmother Earth, our children and grandchildren, our neighbors and the natural world.  Native Americans want to contribute to the Energy Crisis and stop Climate Change.  In North and South Dakota, Indian nations are the Saudi Arabia of Wind Power and Solar Power but Indian nations need access to the electrical grid.  President Biden, work with us to use the power of the four winds and the light of the sun to heal Grandmother Earth, and light and heat our communities with Clean Energy.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nJob Biden, we honor your vision, hard work and common sense.  In these trying times, we need your leadership.  \r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<HR><EM>Delbert Hopkins serves as chairman of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, \r\n a federally recognized tribe based on the  Lake Traverse Reservation. The reservation is located in northeast South Dakota, with a portion extending into North Dakota.<\/em>\r\n<HR>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Joe Biden is a man of vision \u2014 he is working to \u201cRestore the Soul of America.\u201d","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22049,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,11,19,20,9,14],"tags":[1308,170,5,2603,248,210,53,302,47,2569,1628,98,154,2568,569],"class_list":["post-22042","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-environment","category-health","category-indian-trust","category-opinion","category-politics","tag-american-rescue-plan","tag-congress","tag-coronavirus","tag-delbert-hopkins","tag-hhs","tag-ihs","tag-joe-biden","tag-north-dakota","tag-race","tag-russia","tag-sisseton-wahpeton","tag-south-dakota","tag-treaties","tag-ukraine","tag-wars","no-wpautop"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/11\/sissetonwahpetonoyate-scaled.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcoJ7g-5Jw","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22042","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22042"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22042\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22049"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22042"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22042"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22042"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}