Indian Country Today Media Network: Obama at Standing Rock: The Next Vital Steps

[Algernon Moncrieff]

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Almost three weeks ago, President Obama became the fourth sitting chief executive to set foot on Native American land when he visited the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota. During his speech, the president promised to continue his administration’s efforts to respect tribal sovereignty and help Native communities like Standing Rock find solutions to the structural problems that have gripped Indian country for so long. But if the past is any judge, the administration’s actions in coming months will reveal the depth of their commitment to helping Native communities.

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The history of executive visits to Indian reservations suggests we should cast a wary eye on last week’s trip and what it means for the future of Indian affairs. On one hand, Obama seems more sincere in his commitment to Natives than most of his predecessors. His interest in Native issues reaches back to at least 2008, when he was ceremonially adopted by Montana’s Crow Nation and named “One Who Helps People Throughout the Land” during a campaign stop. He has followed through on the symbolism of that event in a number of ways. Obama hosts a White House Tribal Nations Conference every year, at which tribal leaders from across the country discuss employment, energy, health care, criminal jurisdiction, and other issues. Last year, Obama signed an executive order creating the White House Council on Native American Affairs, a group of policy advisers tasked with planning and executing policies along with tribal communities. Whether this council will have a healthy, meaningful relationship with tribes remains to be seen. But the administration has also taken important strides toward improving infrastructure and economic development in Indian country, supporting tribal businesses, courts, and healthcare centers in their struggles against poverty, crime, and disease.

On the other hand, it is disappointing that it took the president six years to visit Indian country, and the historic nature of the day will only carry the administration so far. When it comes to promises, Native communities have seen and heard it all before. Understanding and respecting tribal sovereignty is the core tenet of effective Indian policy, seconded by the federal government’s willingness to fulfill the trust responsibility that obligates it to providing the resources tribes need to overcome the challenges they face.

Obama used his time at Standing Rock to listen, learn, and inspire optimism and action. But he and his advisors must take seriously the priorities suggested by tribal leaders, then work with them to set reasonable, attainable short-term goals. Whether they decide to bolster employment or raise the high school graduation rate or to curb homelessness and substance abuse on Standing Rock, a commitment to meet benchmarks matters more than sweeping government promises to solve every problem for Indian country. If the administration fails to meet its commitments or acts without meaningful tribal input, this historic trip will go down as yet another in the canon of lost opportunities in federal/tribal relations.