By Mathew Holding Eagle 111/MPR News
During the Red Lake Nation State of the Band Address in March, Chairman Darrell Seki Jr., condemned President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders, saying they have created a crisis throughout Indian Country.
Seki told his audience he expects all federal agencies to see a 30-40 percent reduction in funding in the next federal budget.
“We will fight tooth and nail to prevent this,” he said. “We must prepare and plan for substantial funding cuts next year, in violation of our treaties.”
Seki said the federal government must meet its treaty obligations to tribes.
“Our treaties are the supreme law of the land, as such, the federal government has a trust responsibility, obligation to uphold our treaties, to adequately fund our programs,” he said. “But dismantling of the federal government is happening so fast that we are being stuck up in the in this chaos.”
He also criticized Elon Musk’s involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency and its recent actions.
“He knows nothing about tribes, treaties and the federal trust responsibility,” Seki said. “We heard directly from federal employees that Musk’s staff literally could care less about tribes and their needs. So, we are facing major challenges.”
Additionally, Seki called out Trump’s order questioning birthright citizenship for Native Americans, based on them not paying taxes in the 1800s and not being considered U.S. citizens during that time. [Trump has questioned Native American birthright citizenship citing a 19th-century law that excluded Native Americans from birthright citizenship.]
“The Justice Department lawyers failed to mention in their argument that Congress in 1924 enacted a law that conferred citizenship on all Native American Indians,” he said. “The Federal 1924 federal statutes, as well as some treaties and agreements make it very plain that today, American Indians are citizens of the United States. No presidential order can legally change that law.”
In the meantime, Seki urged tribal members who plan on traveling to do so with their tribal ID and birth certificates on them.
Seki also said land back efforts involving Upper Red Lake will continue.
“The tribal council has endorsed a multi-force plan for the return of the Upper Lake,” he said. “And land surrounding the Upper Lake between one mile of the lakeshore.”
Seki announced the tribal council is working to educate its citizens and non-Natives about the historical events surrounding the 1889 agreement that granted Red Lake Nation the area in question.
