PRESS RELEASE from National
Congress of American Indians
NCAI President Joe A.
Garcia Statement on Election of Barack Obama as the Next President of
the United States
WASHINGTON—November 5, 2008—National Congress of American
Indians (NCAI) President Joe A. Garcia released the following statement
on the election of Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) as the next President of
the United States.
"On behalf of Indian Country, I offer heartfelt congratulations to
President-Elect Barack Obama on his historic victory. As a
candidate, Sen. Obama included issues important to Indian Country as
part of his detailed agenda on First Americans. He came to our
communities and reservations to see for himself the state of affairs
and great challenges Indian nations face on a daily basis. I am
confident that as our next president, Mr. Obama will remember his
visits to Indian Country and the pledges of support he made throughout
the course of his campaign. As an agent of change, I have faith that
Mr. Obama and his Administration will work closely with tribes as this
country moves in a new direction.
I believe Indian Country should be encouraged by Mr. Obama's staunch
support of Indian self-determination and his pledge that the federal
government must honor its treaty obligations and fully enable tribal
self-governance. Mr. Obama is also a proponent of better health care
for Native Americans and as tribal leaders we will work closely with
his Administration and the new Congress to finally enact the
reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.
I would also like to congratulate Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on a hard
fought race. We are grateful for his years of commitment to tribal
nations. We value our strong relationship with Sen. McCain as he
continues his work to strengthen tribal sovereignty and advocate for
strong tribal governments.
NCAI and tribal governments look forward to working with Mr. Obama's
transition team to ensure qualified and dedicated Native people have a
place in the new Administration.
May the Great Spirit be with President-Elect Obama as he embarks on
this historical journey."