On December 5, 2022, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Congressman Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.) unveiled the Honoring Promises to Native Nations Act, historic legislation to address chronic underfunding and barriers to sovereignty faced by Indian Country as a result of the federal government’s failures to meet its trust and treaty responsibilities. The legislation would hold the federal government accountable for honoring the country’s legal promises to Native peoples. Click here for the press release.
The Native CDFI Network worked in collaboration with the Senate to provide feedback for the proposed bill.
“The Native CDFI Network (NCN) wholeheartedly supports the Honoring Promises to Native Nations Act, and we commend Senator Warren and Congressman Kilmer for refining the language of this emerging legislation to authorize the appropriation of unspent Treasury dollars for the benefit of Indian tribes, in particular to Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs),” said Pete Upton, Interim CEO of NCN. “Increasing the flow of federal resources to Native communities in this way represents an important step in righting the longstanding wrongs perpetrated against our communities, and Native CDFIs are uniquely equipped to transform these resources into positive, lasting outcomes for Native consumers, small business owners, and homeowners.”
Click here to read the article from HuffPost.