Securing Our Futures
11th Annual State of Indian Nations Address
Remarks by Jefferson Keel, President
National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Newseum, Knight Studios, Washington, DC
I. Introduction
Members of the National Congress of American Indians, members of the Administration and the 113th Congress, tribal leaders, tribal citizens, my fellow Americans.
As President of the National Congress of American Indians, and as one of more than 5 million American Indian and Alaska Natives of the 566 federally-recognized tribal nations and many state-recognized governments of Indian Country, it’s an honor to speak to you today.
Native Americans are as diverse as America itself—an array of cultures, each with its own rich heritage, its own proud history.
And all of our vibrant threads, our stories and traditions, our struggles and triumphs, are woven into the fabric of America.
Every day, we are reminded of how far we’ve come, and the great journey we have ahead of us. And though we’ve walked dark roads, and overcome great challenges and tragedies, our future holds great promise.
Today, Indian Country is strong.
I could not always stand here and tell you that.
When I was a young boy growing up in southern Oklahoma, there weren’t many opportunities in my Chickasaw community. My family, like many others, was poor, barely scraping by. As soon as we were old enough, we started working, harvesting cotton, peanut and corn crops, piling hay onto trucks, hauling them to the barns.
I saw neighbors working hard to build better lives for their families. Parents and grandparents maintaining our culture—from traditional food to name-giving ceremonies to celebrations of life and death. Passing on the timeless values of our tribe.
Even when the federal government told us we had no right to exist, we stayed true to ourselves.
Turtle Talk 