Obama plan aims to help young American Indians

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Dec 3, 5:22 PM EST

Obama plan aims to help young American Indians

By BLAKE NICHOLSON and NEDRA PICKLER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Pledging to fulfill a "sacred responsibility," President Barack Obama unveiled an initiative Wednesday aimed at improving dire conditions and creating opportunities for American Indian youth, more than a third of whom live in poverty.

Obama's Generation Indigenous initiative calls for programs focused on better preparing young American Indians for college and careers, and developing leadership skills through the Department of Education and the Aspen Institute's Center for Native American Youth. Members of the president's staff also plan to visit reservations next year.

"Nothing gets me angrier than when I get a sense that our young people early in life are already feeling like opportunities are foreclosed to them," Obama said. "Because that's not who we are."

The White House did not provide a cost estimate for the initiative, but a spokeswoman said the administration plans to fund it with existing money and the help of nonprofit and philanthropic organizations.



Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_TRIBES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-12-03-17-22-07

[SummerSnow]

1. racist heads are going to roll

[msongs]

2. yep, passing the TPP via fast track will be a boon for native americans alright nt

[cheapdate]

3. Wow. There is practically zero political advantage in addressing the serious challenges

and injustices that First Nations and Native American people face. The president can only be doing it because it's the right thing to do. And yet, somehow, in your estimation, unless it's concurrent with solving every injustice in the world and correcting every flaw in our society and government, it's apparently shit.

[Fred Sanders]

4. Anything Obama does there are the haters even in this site....sad.

[jtuck004]

5. No, the shit will be on the end of the oil-covered stick they get when their future is laid

waste by our dependence on oil, along with everyone else.

But since that is what over a third of this country has been getting for several years now, to keep the values propped up for the rest, it probably won't be all that noticeable. You can read Stress Test by Timothy "Killer" Geithner, or watch the interview on the Daily Show where the audience of voters laughed AT his face for trying to spin it otherwise if you want to know.

[cheapdate]

8. Holy crap. I realize that there are serious problems in the country and in the world --

rising CO2 raising the global temperature, automobiles and paved roadways destroying the landscape and the living earth, etc., etc.

But the OP was about the president proposing steps to help give young American Indians a chance for a better life.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

[okaawhatever]

10. +100 nt

[Zorra]

6. The programs might be helpful if a bunch of rich white bureaucrats, who don't

understand Native Americans, and the problems Native Americans face on reservations, are not in charge of designing and running these programs.

A committee of qualified Native Americans from different backgrounds and realms of experience would be the logical choice for designing and administering these programs.

[Omaha Steve]

7. Meant to post this earlier today after I left the doctors and forgot

K&R!

[okaawhatever]

11. +100 nt

[dflprincess]

9. The Minneapolis Star Tribune has been running a series on the dismal conditions at the schools

on the reservations in the state.

Interesting that the President is going to go to nonprofit and philanthropic organizations to fix this when it is a responsibility the Federal government took on in treaties.

Some things never change.

[Derek V]

12. I wonder how THEY feel...

about our illegal immigrant asses? Rec!