2021-01: Expanding Access to Impact Aid for Tribally Controlled Schools

WHEREAS, the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) was established in 1970 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 Indian, 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 Native nations and tribes, the federal government has established programs and resources to meet the educational needs of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians, residing on and off their reserved or non-reserved homelands; and 

WHEREAS, the United States has made solemn promises to Native nations to provide education for Native students in exchange for millions of acres of land for more than two centuries; and

WHEREAS, Native education has long been severely underfunded at all levels of government; and

WHEREAS, tribal lands are not taxable, severely limiting funding for schools on and near reservation areas; and

WHEREAS, Congress established the Impact Aid program in 1950, which provided local educational agencies federal financial support to make up for lost revenue from lack of local property taxes; and

WHEREAS, honoring commitments to Native nations is particularly vital now, as Native students and communities have been on the forefront of multiple crises related to health, the economy, racial justice, and climate change; and

WHEREAS, President Biden signed the Presidential Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships on January 26, 2021, which affirms Executive Order 13175 of November 6, 2000 (Consultation with Indian Tribal Governments) and charges all executive departments and agencies with engaging in regular, meaningful, and robust consultation with officials of Native nations in the development of federal policies that have Native implications.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Indian Education Association shall submit this resolution to Congress and the Secretaries of the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Interior for consideration of Impact Aid Program funding for tribally controlled schools to increase funding parity with public schools located on and near tribal lands within 90-days of  the passage of this resolutions by the members of NIEA or before the end of the calendar year, 2021; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NIEA shall request additional appropriations to support the expansion of Impact Aid for tribally controlled schools without supplanting existing federal funding from public school districts on and near tribal lands; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that such appropriations shall supplement and not supplant current congressional funding for Bureau of Indian Education schools; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NIEA shall request that Director of the OMB, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Education, schedule meaningful, robust consultations with official representatives of Native nations for the purpose of adding tribally controlled schools to be funded under the Impact Aid Program in addition to other sources of federal financial support provided by other departments; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be the policy of NIEA until it is withdrawn or modified by subsequent resolution.