"I want to thank the Creator for this beautiful day," NCAI President Brian Cladoosby began. "...for allowing me the privilege of representing Indian Country...and for providing the opportunity to honor our history and celebrate the promise of our nation-to-nation relationship...and when our President delivered his annual State of the Union address, it is fitting that we take this time to consider the transformation and change that is under way in Indian Country," President Cladoosby said. Each year, the NCAI President delivers his speech during the week that the President of the United States delivers the State of the Union.
WASHINGTON, DC-Each year, the President of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) presents the State of Indian Nations address to members of Congress, government officials, tribal leaders and citizens, and the American public. This year, President Brian Cladoosby delivered his address at the Newsmuseum across from the U.S. Capitol building.
"I want to thank the Creator for this beautiful day," Cladoosby began. "...for allowing me the privilege of representing Indian Country...and for providing the opportunity to honor our history and celebrate the promise of our nation-to-nation relationship.
"In this week when we remembered a great civil rights leader, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and when our President delivered his annual State of the Union address, it is fitting that we take this time to consider the transformation and change that is under way in Indian Country," President Cladoosby said.
Each year, the NCAI delivers his speech during the week that the President of the United States delivers the State of the Union. The State of Indian Nations speech outlines the goals of tribal leaders, the opportunities for success and advancement of Native peoples, and priorities to advance our nation-to-nation relationship with the United States.
The speech is delivered to a live studio audience and broadcast across the nation and around the globe to policymakers, citizens, and students. Recent speeches have reached audiences of over 20,000 people.
Each year, a member of Congress is invited to deliver a Congressional response to the State of Indian Nations. Previous Congressional speakers have included Senator Maria Cantwell, Senator Lisa Murkowski, and Representative Tom Cole, among others.
"Today, Indian Country is leading, Cladoosby stated. "Indian Country is innovating. Indian Country is growing. And the state of Indian nations grows stronger by the day.
This is a remarkable moment in our shared history. For the 566 federally recognized tribal nations and many state recognized tribes, for the more than five million Native people living in cities or on reservations across this land, these are the days that our ancestors prayed for. We must seize the opportunity to sustain our progress.
As the twenty-first President of the National Congress of American Indians, I have been privileged to witness great progress over the past few years, from our families to our tribal councils to Capitol Hill. We worked with Republicans, Democrats, and Independents in Congress to make Indian Country safer by reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act.
The event ended with a live, question and answer time with the audience, press, and those engaging via Facebook and Twitter.
