Noem: Celebrating Tribal Heritage

Statement

I have had the honor of receiving a Star Quilt from tribes in South Dakota on a few occasions. Star Quilts are often used in Native American culture as a symbolic way to honor and protect a person on their journey through life. It's incredibly meaningful and a big encouragement as we work together to tackle some of the challenges in the journey ahead.

Each October, we celebrate Native Americans' Day -- an opportunity to honor South Dakota's nine Native American tribes, as well as their heritage, culture, and traditions. If you haven't been to a tribal celebration, I encourage you to find an opportunity this fall.

That said, there are tremendous challenges in Indian Country today -- from economic and workforce development to healthcare. Despite a workforce shortage in good-paying, high-skill jobs on reservations, fewer than one in 10 Native American students will attend college. SDSU is pursuing one program to help change that, however. It's called the Wokini Initiative and is designed to help more tribal students earn their degree. We're working now to get more resources into the program, offering hope, enrichment, and upward mobility for many students.

Alongside workforce development, we need economic development. For too long, inconsistencies in tax law have created confusion and discouraged investment in Indian Country. Understanding this, I introduced legislation to better reflect the unique needs of tribal communities. More specifically, the bill puts tribal governments on equal footing with states, ensuring they are fully eligible under the tax code to receive certain tax benefits and enter into public-private partnerships. It also expands economic development tools to make investing more affordable in these high-need areas.

At the same time, we must address the tribal healthcare crisis. Today, many tribal members receive life-threatening "care" from a broken Indian Health Service (IHS). In recent years, watchdog reports have documented appalling cases of negligence and poorly delivered care. Babies were born on bathroom floors with no doctor present. Facilities were forced to wash surgical equipment by hand due to broken sterilization machines. Medical personnel were coming to work with certifications that had lapsed. An IHS pediatrician was tried for sexually abusing children. No one should have to live in these third-world medical conditions -- especially not folks in South Dakota.

I've been working with tribal leaders to improve the IHS for years, and this summer, I introduced the most recent version of my comprehensive IHS reform bill. Through the legislation, we offer more tools to recruit and retain quality medical and administrative personnel. We would also cut red tape and increase transparency. I'm hopeful we'll be able to continue to drive this legislation forward in the weeks ahead.

It's critical we recognize and honor the tremendous contributions tribal communities have made throughout our shared history. That's why I worked to recognize the Tatanka as our country's national mammal and honor the Lakota Code Talkers with a Congressional Gold Medal. I'm proud of the rich Native American heritage that's woven into South Dakota and grateful that we, as a state, set aside a day each October to recognize that legacy.

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