In Support of Elevation of the Director of Office of Indian Education, Department of Education to an Assistant Secretary Position

WHEREAS, the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) was established in 1969 for the purpose of advocating, planning, and promoting the unique and special educational needs of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians; and

WHEREAS, NIEA as the largest national Indian organization of American Indians, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian educators, administrators, parents, and students in the United States, provides a forum to discuss and act upon issues affecting the education of Indian and Native people; and

WHEREAS, through its unique relationship with Indian nations and tribes, the federal government has established programs and resources to meet the educational needs of American Indians, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiians, residing on and off their reserved or non-reserved homelands; and

WHEREAS, approximately 582,000 (93%) American Indian and Alaska Native students attend public schools administered by the United States Department of Education; and

WHEREAS, the Office of Indian Education within the Department of Education was established to support the efforts of local educational agencies, Indian tribes and organizations, postsecondary institutions, and other entities to meet the unique educational and culturally related academic needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives so that these students can achieve to the same challenging state standards as all students; and

WHEREAS, the Office of Indian Education reports directly to the Office of the Under Secretary, the Office of Indian Education’s elevation has had a positive impact on federal Indian education policy and research, relations between the Department and Indian tribes and communities, and, most importantly, tribal student academic achievement; and

WHEREAS, and permanently elevating the Office of Indian Education and establishing an Assistant Secretary of Indian Education within the Department has been a priority of national Indian organizations for many years; and

WHEREAS, to remove the Office of Indian Education from the Office of the Under Secretary would be a significant set-back to all that has been accomplished by this Administration, and to its on-going efforts to implement Executive Order No. 13336 and No Child Left Behind; and

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Indian Education Association supports and encourages the establishment of an Office of an Assistant Secretary of Indian Education with the Department of Education, and until that Office is established, NIEA supports permanent placement of the Office of Indian Education within the Office of the Under Secretary.

Submitted by: NIEA Board of Directors

CERTIFICATION

I do hereby certify that the following resolution was dully considered and passed by the NIEA Board of Directors at its October 10, 2005 meeting in Denver, Colorado at which a quorum was present.