President Trump Native American Roundtable (Arizona)

Indianz.Com > COVID-19 > President Trump Native American Roundtable (Arizona)

Posted: May 5, 2020

Vice President Myron Lizer of the Navajo Nation. Photo by Indianz.Com (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

Vice President Myron Lizer of the Navajo Nation will attend a Native American roundtable with President Donald Trump in Phoenix, Arizona, on May 5, 2020.

With President Jonathan Nez working to distribute food, water and other supplies to communities on the largest reservation in the United States, Lizer’s “focus will be to advocate for more resources and funding for water infrastructure to get clean water for more homes on the Navajo Nation,” a spokesperson for the executive branch leaders told Indianz.Com.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic we’ve heard concerns from families that don’t have running water to wash their hands and clean their homes,” the spokesperson added.

“One bill in Congress now is the Navajo Utah Water Rights Settlement Act, which President Nez and Vice President Lizer have advocated for to bring water resources to our communities,” the spokesperson continued.

Vice President Lizer also will advocate for the Trump administration to get CARES Act funding out to Indian Country “ASAP,” the spokesperson told Indianz.Com.

The Navajo Nation is part of a lawsuit seeking to ensure $8 billion promised to tribal governments goes to federally recognized Indian nations, not for-profit Alaska Native corporations. The litigation is ongoing in federal court.

Amid the dispute, the Trump administration on May 5 announced that portion of an $8 billion coronavirus relief fund will be going out to tribal governments. No payments will be made to Alaska Native regional or village corporations at this point as a result of a preliminary injunction entered in court.

According to the Trump administration, $4.8 billion will be distributed in the coming days. That accounts for 60 percent of the coronavirus relief fund.

A second tribe in Arizona has been invited to the roundtable, a source told Indianz.Com.

Just confirmed: As President Jonathan Nez of Navajo Nation continues #COVID19 efforts on largest reservation in US, Vice President Myron Lizer will attend #NativeAmerican roundtable in #Phoenix #Arizona with President Trump. Navajo has been hit hard by #Coronavirus
@NNVPLizer2019

— indianz.com (@indianz) May 5, 2020