Wunee keesuq Tribal family,

I’ve never felt the need to wade into national politics during an election. However, our Tribal lands have been targeted by the current administration…assault that was successfully overturned in a D.C. Court. Even with that victory, we continue to see the Trump Administration’s commitment to removing our lands from trust and stripping our people of our sovereign rights. That’s why I have broken from tradition to share my observations.

For decades, Vice President Joe Biden has worked in good faith to ensure the United States follows through on the commitments it has made to Indian Country. Our Tribe saw this as the Obama-Biden Administration took our land into trust and again as Biden immediately opposed the threat to our ancestral homeland launched by the Trump Administration.

 Obama and Biden were able to strengthen tribal relations with the creation of the White House Council on Native American Affairs and the White House Tribal National Conference where policy impacting tribal nations were developed by tribal leaders. They appointed Native Americans in high-level government positions and settled long-standing trust, accounting and management issues, including our own land in trust.

It’s also important to mention Vice President Biden settled twelve important water rights settlements, more than any other administration in history, allowing Tribal governments to build infrastructure for clean drinking water and economic development.

I mention these important milestones that were achieved under the Obama-Biden administration, because they were all dismantled by the Trump Administration. Trump and his administration exposed how frail tribal relations are in DC and how quickly they can be dissolved.

Vice President Biden understands that Tribal Nations should be empowered to govern Native communities and that the United States must work harder to meet its solemn trust and treaty responsibilities. He’s included this very statement in his campaign platform. It is without question that our tribe will prosper under a Biden-Harris Administration.

I’ve been working closely with the Biden and Harris team to ensure we have a strong voice and role in the federal government. Having a strong-productive relationship with the federal government is key and I’m working daily to ensure we have this under the new Biden-Harris Administration.

Joe Biden gets it. He understands that the reinstatement of the White House Council on Native American Affairs and the annual White House Tribal Nations Conference is the right step. He also understands that we should be nominating and appointing people who look like the country they serve, including Native Americans.

This is why on my personal time I have supported the Biden-Harris ticket. Our Tribe and our cousins across Indian Country stand ready to work cooperatively with Vice President Biden. I ask you to consider these points carefully as you cast your vote in the upcoming election.

Kutâputunumuw;

Chairman Cedric Cromwell
Qaqeemasq (Running Bear)