IV 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 977 
Reinforcing the Federal Government’s Federal trust relationship and commit-
ment to working with American Indian Nations to empower, promote, 
and support the educational development of American Indian and Alaska 
Native children and youth. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 28, 2006 
Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota (for herself, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. 
HOLT, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. BOREN, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. UDALL 
of Colorado, Mr. KIND, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. MOORE of Kan-
sas, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Ms. HERSETH, Mr. FILNER, Mr. 
HINOJOSA, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, and Mr. KENNEDY of 
Rhode Island) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the 
Committee on Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Reinforcing the Federal Government’s Federal trust relation-
ship and commitment to working with American Indian 
Nations to empower, promote, and support the edu-
cational development of American Indian and Alaska Na-
tive children and youth. 
Whereas the Federal Government has established educational 
priorities to ensure that all American children are ade-
quately prepared and educated to be productive, healthy 
citizens; 
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•HRES 977 IH 
Whereas the Federal Head Start program was created to en-
sure access to quality early education, to promote school 
readiness, and to help prepare low-income children for 
success in kindergarten and beyond, and low-income 
American Indian and Alaska Native children are among 
the more than half of all eligible children who are not re-
ceiving services because Head Start is consistently under-
funded; 
Whereas the Federal Government seeks to promote the devel-
opment of all children and has enacted the No Child Left 
Behind Act (NCLB Act) to ensure that all children re-
ceive a quality education and that academic progress 
among all children is measured; 
Whereas the President of the United States signed an Indian 
Education Executive Order on April 30, 2004, that reaf-
firms the right of every American Indian and Alaska Na-
tive child to the highest quality education that meets 
their unique cultural and academic needs; 
Whereas the Federal Government has demonstrated its com-
mitment to preserving and strengthening American In-
dian culture and language by enacting the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965, the Indian Education Act (1972), the 
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act 
(1975), and the Native American Languages Act (1990); 
Whereas there are more than 815,000 American Indian and 
Alaska Native children that are striving to be healthy and 
productive citizens; 
Whereas the high school graduation rate for American Indian 
and Alaska Native youth is 54 percent and the college 
readiness rate is 14 percent, and those rates are signifi-
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•HRES 977 IH 
cantly less than the rates of white students, which are 72 
and 37 percent, respectively; 
Whereas the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which receives Federal 
appropriations for Indian Education, including school 
construction, to fulfill treaty obligations has been consist-
ently underfunded and unable to meet the educational 
needs of American Indian and Alaska Native children 
and youth; 
Whereas one-third of the 184 Bureau of Indian Affairs 
Schools are in poor condition and in need of repair, and 
most of the facilities and structures of these schools have 
exceeded their ‘‘useful life’’, as described in the NCLB 
Act; 
Whereas the Federal Government recognizes that American 
Indian and Alaska Native people possess a rich culture 
and history that has significantly contributed to develop-
ment of the United States and therefore must be pre-
served for all Americans; 
Whereas the NCLB Act recognizes the importance of Amer-
ican Indian and Alaska Native culture and language 
through title VII, and research has shown that language 
and culture-based programs increase student performance 
and success and contribute significantly to the success of 
American Indian and Alaska Native students and to the 
betterment of all American children; 
Whereas Tribal colleges and universities are designed to pro-
mote the higher education of American Indian and Alas-
ka Native students and the Federal Government supports 
the education priorities of Tribal Nations through Fed-
eral TRIO programs, Pell Grants, and other Federal stu-
dent financial aid, and yet these critical programs de-
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•HRES 977 IH 
signed to enhance college readiness and access have been 
severely underfunded by the Federal Government; 
Whereas after-school activities serve as a significant enrich-
ment mechanism for American Indian and Alaska Native 
students, because such activities allow youth opportuni-
ties to interact with peers, actively engage with elders, 
and participate in cultural activities, and research indi-
cates that after-school activities are important in fos-
tering positive youth development and promoting a posi-
tive cultural identity; 
Whereas the economic status of American Indian and Alaska 
Native communities is significantly lower than the gen-
eral United States population, as demonstrated by the 
fact that 31 percent of American Indian and Alaska Na-
tive children were living in poverty in 2004; 
Whereas research indicates that poverty is not only indicative 
of economic hardship, but also of other outcomes that 
negatively affect educational development and attain-
ment; and 
Whereas educational attainment for American Indian and 
Alaska Native people is positively linked with an im-
proved housing environment, economic and food security, 
and an overall healthy lifestyle, and education serves as 
a mechanism to promote and strengthen families and 
communities: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) affirms the Federal Government’s special 
legal and political relationship with American Indian 
and Alaska Native people by recognizing the sov-
ereignty of Tribal Nations; 
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•HRES 977 IH 
(2) calls upon the Federal Government, includ-
ing the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Depart-
ment of Education, to recognize and fulfill its trust 
responsibilities and consultation obligations to Amer-
ican Indian and Alaska Native people and commu-
nities; 
(3) acknowledges that the past Federal policies 
of the forced removal of children from reservations 
to boarding schools have negatively impacted Amer-
ican Indian and Alaska Native families, commu-
nities, and youth; 
(4) urges the Federal Government to promote 
success and eliminate disparities among American 
Indian and Alaska Native children and youth during 
consideration of the reauthorizations of Head Start 
and the No Child Left Behind Act, and through the 
Federal appropriations process; 
(5) urges the Federal Government to recognize, 
promote, and work towards strengthening the edu-
cational needs of American Indian and Alaska Na-
tive youth and families; 
(6) reinforces the educational commitment to 
promote the best interests of American Indian and 
Alaska Native children by reinforcing native cultural 
and language development which strengthens, pre-
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serves, and promotes cultural identity, and recog-
nizes that it is imperative that the Federal Govern-
ment sharpen its focus and commitment to title VII 
of the No Child Left Behind Act consistent with the 
desires of American Indian and Alaska Native peo-
ple; and 
(7) recognizes that education is significantly 
linked to overall quality of life and therefore must be 
prioritized and organized to meet the unique and 
specialized needs of American Indian and Alaska 
Native students. 
Æ 
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