REMARKS BY VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS AT THE NATIONAL CONGRESS OF AMERICAN INDIANS 78TH ANNUAL CONVENTION
OCTOBER 12, 2021
Location: Eisenhower Executive Office Building

11:42 A.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Chairperson Aaron Payment.  It is so good to see you.  And good morning to everyone.

Thank you — all of you, everyone — for your incredible leadership — the courage of your leadership, the tenacity of your leadership — and most importantly, for your commitment to building a strong nation-to-nation relationship with our administration.

President Joe Biden and I believe that the bond between our nations is sacred, and we take seriously our responsibility to one another.  It is an honor, of course, to be with you this week as we celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day, as we speak truth about our nation’s history.

Since 1934, every October, the United States has recognized the voyage of the European explorers who first landed on the shores of the Americas.  But that is not the whole story.  That has never been the whole story.

Those explorers ushered in a wave of devastation for Tribal nations — perpetrating violence, stealing land, and spreading disease.

We must not shy away from this shameful past, and we must shed light on it and do everything we can to address the impact of the past on Native communities today.

Today, we know that Native women and girls are missing and murdered at alarming rates.  This is an epidemic, and it must end.

Today, we also know that Native American voters are being systematically denied access to the ballot box, which is why we must pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

We also know that Native Americans serve at the highest levels of our nation’s government, that Native Americans serve in our nation’s military at the highest rates of any group, that Native Americans do the work that we know is essential to make our nation work.

And still, Native Americans are more likely to live in poverty, to be unemployed, and often struggle to get quality healthcare and to find affordable housing.

This persistent inequity, this persistent injustice is not right.  And the pandemic has only made it worse.

I believe strongly that we, right now, have the chance to change things, to improve things, to be better for this generation and for the seven generations to come.  Because I believe that we are at the beginning of a new era and a moment of incredible transformation.

As we work to rebuild our economy, as we work to restore our democracy, we have the opportunity to build a better future together. 

At this very minute, our administration is working with Democrats and Republicans and independents in Congress to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and we are confident that we will get it done.  This bill represents the largest infrastructure investment our nation has made since before World War Two, and presents, right now, an important opportunity to strengthen Indian Country.

It would set aside funding for Tribal bridge projects and the Tribal Transportation Program.  It would provide Native communities with funding to build out brand-new water infrastructure and connect Native communities with high-speed Internet, all while creating good union jobs — millions of good union jobs.

And as Native communities have led for generations upon generation on protecting our environment, I should also mention that this bill would also put millions of dollars toward making sure our communities are resilient in the face of climate change.

At the same time, our administration is working to pass a budget that reflects the values of our nation, that invests in those communities that have long gone overlooked.

     Our Build Back agenda — Build Back Better — will have a significant impact on Indian Country.

     As Native American families struggle to find affordable care in their area, our agenda would lower childcare and eldercare costs.

     Our agenda would lower healthcare costs and housing costs.  And it would cut taxes for families with children by extending the Child Tax Credit for years to come.