domestic energy, it will build a 21st education system in america, modernize our infrastructure, and it will fund implementation of critical legislation like the tribal law and order act as the indian health care improvement act. just as our plan holds hope for the future, the budget control act poses great risk. the act requires congress to cap discretionary spending for the next ten years. much of the funding that fulfills the federal trust responsibility is categorized wrongly in our view as domestic discretionary spending. the trust responsibility is not a discretionary choice or a line item. it is a solid agreement that has been sustained over hundreds of years unless congress acts to hold programs harmless then starting in 2013 we are facing

10% to 15% cuts across the board for the next decade. cuts that will threaten essential governmental services and affect millions of native citizens throughout vast regions of rural america. we're well aware of the challenges. we know all about doing more with less. we urge congress to stand up for the relatively small piece of the federal budget that belongs to tribal nations and our citizens. protecting the indian budget is the first step. the long-term success depends on tribal nations having the same opportunities to protect and preserve our communities available to state and local governments. we exercise jurisdiction over lands that would make us the fourth largest state in this n

country. with dozens of programs previously administered by the federal agencies or states. and we protect environments in a manner states regulate off reservation lands. tribal governments have proven their capacity to grow our economies, educate our people and manage our resources. we need the federal government to put decision making power back in the hands of the people who live in indian country, for people who know best -- [ applause ] for people who know best because these are our homelands. these are our people. the old way of doing business causes missed opportunities every day. in washington state we saw this firstis hand. the tribe had worked out a deal with walmart for a big new store on the reservation. it was a great opportunity, a great deal. a million dollars a year in

leased revenue for the tribe and new jobs for tribal members and people throughout the community. as with every lease on lands, the government needed to approve it. the process took more than a year. by the time it was approved, economic conditions had changed, walmart had made other plans. a million dollars gone. all those jobs gone. and this is not an isolated story. many tribal leaders can tell you stories about business opportunities lost because of red tape. this is why our federal partners have already proposed crucial lease reforms. they have proven our capacity we don't need government involved for all our business decisions. we need flexibility. and by creating it, we will

remove barriers that cost us jobs and opportunities. this is a goal we can all agree on across the political spectrum. and it's something we can achieve with a change in policy not an increase in spending. this is the kind of solution washington is crying out for and we are eager to answer the call. ensuring flexibility will yield spending because decisions will be made best by those to respond to the community needs. we'll relieve administrative burdens at the federal level. this message comes directly from tribal leaders. we went to them with one simple question. what can we do with what we have already without asking for more resources that will provide greater opportunity for indians, create more impact for federal programs, and over and over the answer came back we need freedom

at the local level to best use our limited resources. we know what's best because we live in indian country. we know what works for our people. those people who live there daily. give us the flexibility. the standing rock sioux tribe in north dakota delivering broad band services across their reservation because of governmental flexibility. the decision to designate standing rock telecom as an eligible telecommunications carrier means they are the first fully tribal owned company that can receive universal service funds. this has empowered standing rock to own the infrastructure. this offers avenues for economic

development, to observe language and culture and infrastructure for distance learning programs. only one in ten native people have access to broad band today. the colony in nevada opened a 65,000-square-foot health facility in 2007 that showed the promise of tax exempt bond financing. almost $16 million in bonds funded a clinic that serves 100,000 people each year. this project created permanent jobs and built the infrastructure for quality health services. tribes were denied full access to the source of financing until the recovery act created a limited bond offering. based on that experience, the treasury released a report in december recommending governmental parity because it works.

this will bring huge economic benefits to tribes and surrounding regional economies. education is another example where flexibility can prepare our children in the global marketplace. the cherokee nation's language school formed an innovative partnership with apple computers to integrate technology and the cherokee language. they developed cherokee language software for use on mack intosh computers, on iphones, i pods and ipads. students even chat online in cherokee can students from the eastern band of cherokee in north carolina. this is a powerful example of tribal innovation and the mission, the type of innovation that tribes with greater authority over our own programs unleashes. whether an economic development -- [ applause ]

whether an economic development or education, health care or energy, the key 0 to getting it right is the freedom to identify and tear down barriers to our success. tribal leaders carry with us a dream. it's a dream passed down from our parents and our grandparents. doesn't look forward to 2012 or 2016. it looks to the seventh generation. we see a future where the trust relationship actually works. it works in tribal nations and it works for our federal partners. our ancestors knew they could govern our nations and ourselves like no one else. today we've proven it. residents of rural oklahoma are driving to our health facilities because they offer the best services around. states and counties are turning to our traditional knowledge to

best manage natural resources. citizens of these rural states are coming to tribes for job opportunities and good education at tribal colleges and can companies are coming it to us to set up businesses on the reservation and bring american jobs home. we have the tools and freedom that we need. we're creating businesses, delivering services, and leading the way. it's time to build our trust on that reality. that trust also requires consultation, legally enforceable consultation. without the power of legislation and accountability, prior and informed consent are just some last words on paper. as president obama himself said when he announced his support for the u.n. declaration, what

matters far more than words are actions to match those words. we call for action to make consultation count. enforcement consultation means we must talk about another idea. tribal consent. that would be a public outcry if the federal government tried to impose policy on a state. without its consent but the concerns of tribal nations are routinely overlooked. even when more than a dozen tribes are larger than some northeastern states. this must not stand. our america is a place where all candidates know that we matter, and america sees at the ballot box it's a place where each and every are president honors our unique nation to nation

relationship, where indian countries are always at the table not just because it's a good idea, it's the right thing to do, but it's because it's a smart thing to do. our america is a home to a congress that works across party lines to free our economies. our america is a place where governments keep their promises. our america is where tribal nations create economic opportunities, where people come to us for the best jobs. it's a place where tribes are on the forefront of new technology, high-tech manufacturing, telemedicine and clean energy. our america is where indigenous people reach across borders and bring home economic opportunity for all americans. as the oldest government in this country, tribal nations understand what is required to overcome stark economic conditions. perhaps more than any other time in history our nation's must

stand together, empowered to make profound and permanent improvements in the lives of our people. our nations are committed to the success of the united states of america. let us realize that future together so that our nation strives today and forever. thank you. thank you. >> thank you. thank you, president keel. and now i have the privilege of introducing the champion of one of our champions from congress and one of our dear friends, congressman tom cole has agreed to give us the congressional

response. he is a fifth generation oklahoman, he's been serving on indian issues since 2002 and we hope he continues in that position for a long time to come. please help me welcome congressman tom cole. >> thank you very much. it's an honor and a privilege and a pleasure to follow my good friend, lieutenant governor jefferson keel. governor keel was here and did give you a thoughtful and an eloquent address. i'm here to prove to you that not only are thoughtful and eloquent.

but it is my privilege and i do so like everybody in this room as an american and a very proud american and i do so as someone who is very proud of my state. i know most of you are proud of the states in which you reside assuming you are american citizens, but i also do that as a fellow thative american, someone pride of my tribal conditions and my tribe. my forbearers and my family were members of the chiccasaw nation. my great-great-grandfather was clerk of the chickasaw and my great-grandfather was treasurer of the chickasaw nation before oklahoma was a state. so we approach this as most people in this room approach this with a very long and different and nuanced view of american history. that's not true for most

americans. they don't have the ability to draw from that tradition. and most of the problems we face when we deal with other americans is largely because they're ignorant of those traditions and have not had the opportunity quite frankly to be educated about them and they labor under many, many misconceptions of who we are and what our status is in the larger political system. in washington today i would say from a native american perspective and from an american and an oklahoma perspective it's the best of times and the worst of times to borrow a phrase from charles dickinson. it's the best of times in many areas. we have certainly in the house and i think in the senate bipartisan cooperation on native american issues to an unprecedented degree. that's unusual and native american issues aren't partisan issues, i don't think should be approached in a partisan fashion. the reality is most of our

interests spanned political parties and some of them are absolutely irrelevant to the political dialogue and debate between republicans and democrats that goes on in this country. but what is enduring is our federal trust relationship as individual indian nations with the federal government and whether or not the federal government carries out its responsibilities in that particular area. in the appropriations area where as jackie said i specialize and spend a great deal of time, this has been a pretty good year for us. i want to commend the administration -- i'm a very conservative republican. obviously i have some differences with the administration but each year that the president has been in office he's put forward a real budget and a good budget and a serious budget for us to consider in the legislative process and certainly on the house side, i can tell you we have a real bipartisan alliance on interior appropriations where most indian funding takes place.

our subcommittee chairman from idaho, our ranking member jim moran from virginia, have a wonderful partnership is and working relationship. and because of that and working honestly with the administration, we've increased substantially, 10% in the house, appropriations for the indian health service. the president is facing a difficult budget. reduced the budget slightly. we thought it was too much and we stored some of that funding. and if you look at indian funding on impact aid, on things like housing across the board, well, it didn't see the same increases that we saw in other areas. it was actually essentially held harmless in the house and that's a good thing when we're experiencing difficulties in other areas. so that bipartisan relationship has been very powerful and very good. you've seen it expressed in the establishment in the natural resources committee for the

first time in many, many years in the house, a subcommittee on indian and native alaskan affai affairs. that's something my good friend and i have worked on for many, many years and finally came to fruition. that would not have happened if doc hastings had not been supportive of that. and he put in as the chairman don young from alaska and we have no better ally on native american issues than don young and his partner in that, my friend from oklahoma, is equally committed and equally knowledgeable. so that's been a really good thing and it's provide add vehicle where we begin to get much more in the way of attention, focus and momentum for issues that are important in indian countries. hr-2362, i'm a chickasaw so i'll start out with my own legislation which is a trade bill. a trade bill because we have a unique opportunity with a country of turkey which has a

long-standing interest in native american affairs and a profound believe that the turkish people are related to native americans and wants to move ahead and wants to partner with individual trabl nations for economic development. that bill has been heard in the subcommittee and is now waiting for action. we have hr-205, the harth act from my good friend, very, very important in expanding tribal authority and surface leasing areas, things that would give tribal governments precisely the kinds of flexibility and authority that lieutenant governor keel was talking about in his address and that's a bipartisan bill, a good bill. it, too, awaits floor racks. we have an economic development bill which i have put forward. more importantly don young is

working on a major initiative, things that would give tribal governments the tools they need to control their own affairs and their own destiny. we've had hearings both on the bills that representative kilde has authored and i've authored and i will take either one of those bills. i would be delighted if representative kilde's bill passed or mine. he's a great friend and we'll miss him when we leave congress. we have a lot of things happening in the house of representatives. in the senate, and i don't speak authoritatively to that. we have juror barrasso, the ranking member but we don't have better advocates and they work hard on economic development issues and begin to educate their colleagues on a bipartisan basis in the areas we can move together. so we have a strong bi-cameral

partnership in native american affairs. i would be remiss not to mention the administration as well. first the personnel, many of whom are here. they have shown continuous sustained interest and commitment to movement of important legislation. we were actually talking about this. the administration has put in place advisers at senior levels at cabinet positions so members that are coming into those positions have immediately available to them advice and counsel from people who understand indian country and all its nuances and of course, obviously, the presidential initiative on the native american nation summit, i think, is really one of the hallmark

contributions to institution institutionalizing the relationship between tribal governments. i could go on. individual initiatives they have taken on surface leasing and on renewable industry. i'd like to as an oil and gas guy, the coal guy, get some subsurface flexibility there but we're going to work on that. this was a very important step in the right direction on the part of the administration. there's lots of good things happening there. the good things that happen are invariably bipartisan things where we found common ground and can work together for the good of indian country. on the other hand when i say it's the worst of times, there are some challenges. i think particularly we need to have more bipartisanship in the appropriations process between the two bodies. the house outdid the senate in terms of funding of indian programs and when we got into the process of negotiation we

were fighting a bipartisan alliance on the house that wanted to keep money in native american concerns particularly in the health area and on the senate side it wasn't so much opposition it was other priorities. they're not against what we're trying to do but they have additional priorities. i would argue there actually should be few, if any, priorities higher than the trust relationship that the united states has with individual nations. so we need to expand that bipartisan and bi-cameral cooperation, build on the good works of senator barrasso and have a partnership where we move together where, frankly, democrats and republicans can go into indian country with a great deal to be proud of instead of a great deal to apologize for. but let's be real. if we wait simply on the federal

government to take care of our problems, we'll be waiting for a very long time. indians of all people ought to know self-reliance, self-progress, self-determination as lieutenant governor keel said are the real routes to moving forward. the government's job is to keep its commitments, honor its trust responsibilities and work with us to remove the obstacles that have been placed in front of tribal development and the development of individual indian people. that's something where we have a long way to go. the scope of our challenge is historic. and most americans don't realize it. i sit here and quote ad nauseam sta t statistics we all know and make the point in whether it's in terms of their education, their life span, their health, their opportunities to move forward. the first americans are still after over 230 years of this

country's existence the last americans. that needs to change. it's a national disgrace. it's a national challenge. it will take national effort to move us in the right direction. i think the challenge for this particular organization is to educate the rest of america about the challenges that we face and i'm proud what they have done throughout its existence. it has a long and honorable history of doing just that but the scope of the challenge is just amazing. i had the honor of traveling with my good friend rubideaux and congressman simpson, congressman mccullough, and we all went first to chickasaw country where we have been fortunate. we've had challenges like other people have is had challenges. this is not our historic homeland.

my forbearers didn't come there by choice, but they've used the tools and the opportunities they've had and had their set of hardships but they've overcome them. we have thriving tribal economies, governments doing well. then we went to see some of our friends on the great reservations in north dakota and south dakota who are also resilient, innovative, able, but their challenges are greater. and the challenges they face americans should see. they should go to pine ridge. they should go to standing rock. they should see some of the challenges their fellow americans are facing. i'm sure if they saw them, they understood them, they would work with us to overcome. so that's going to be our great challenge going forward. we have a very, very different perspective on american history

and i want to end with a couple of stories to drive that home. my great-aunt was a very famous indian folklore artist and storyteller, internationally renowned. she not only told stories of our people but a lot of tribes and she used to pick up historical anecdotes and incidents and try to draw a moral out of them that an indian would draw out of them. it's one of my favorites and based on a real incident of a southern cheyenne war chief and trying to comprehend and encapsulate in words the enormity of the challenge and the change he was seeing in the course of his lifetime. in the course of those treaties negotiations he addressed the representatives of the united states government and he was an american but not an american t citiz citizen, obviously, and he said

once this was all the land of the red man but then came the white man and the black man and the yellow man. and i thought about this. and i thought about nature and nature aren't there white horses, black horses, red horses, horses of many colors? and i thought about birds -- white birds, blackbirds, red birds. there's all one horse, one man. the great spirit must have is wanted this to become the land of all the peopleses and so it shall be forever more. now if you think of american history that has a pretty profound way to encapsulate really who we are as a people, as an american nation and that's where he concluded his story. but my aunt, great-aunt added, if you really know indians, you

really know what they don't say is sometimes more important than what they do say. when he gave that eloquent speech and realized the changing reality of the world in which he lived, he did not say he would give up who he was or who his tribe was or his languages or traditions, he intended to keep those within the greater whole he was becoming part of. that's who we are, the oldest part of america, the most remarkable part of america, actually the most diverse part of america but each and every person in here who is a member of a tribe intends to remain who you are and to retain and pass on that identity, your culture, your traditions but, yes, your even eke political status within the constitution of the united states. each generation of american indians usually has to educate the rest of the country