Tribal leaders back legislation to advance Native children’s commission work

Tribal leaders and federal lawmakers are advancing legislation to continue the work of the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children, according to Indianz.com. The commission, established by Congress, studied how the federal government can better support American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian children. “We gathered baseline data on topics including juvenile justice, socioeconomic issues, mental health, suicide, infant and child mortality, child welfare, substance use, ACEs or adverse childhood experiences, educational achievement, physical health, and we held hearings both in-person and during COVID virtually,” commission member Anita Fineday was quoted as telling the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on Jan. 28.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, chair of the committee, is supporting the draft Native Children’s Commission Implementation Act. “It’s one thing to get the report and see action items,” Murkowski said at a Capitol Hill event. “It’s another thing to move it forward.” Karen Guise of the National Congress of American Indians Youth Commission said, “This bill is different because it is the bridge from recommendations to reality,” according to Indianz.Com.