Indian Affairs Committee finds Native American Schools, Jails and Health Facilities Crumbling (Native American Times)

At a hearing on Capitol Hill Thursday, U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, said the schools, health clinics and jails on Indian reservations are in desperate need of repair or replacement.

Native American communities are continually faced with crumbling educational, health and law enforcement facilities. There is a nearly $3 billion backlog in construction or repair of Native American health facilities and $1.8 billion backlog to repair or construct schools. It would take $6 billion to repair and construct jails. Schools examined by the Department of Interior Inspector General in a May 2007 study were found to be unsafe and dangerous. Other reports have continually cited the derelict conditions of many jails on tribal land.

“For too long we’ve had to fight the Administration just to keep the level funding but that’s not going to cut it anymore,” Dorgan said. “It’s time for the needs of the Native American communities to be met and we’re going to fight to fund them. The passing of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act was the starting line, not the finish line for the work that needs to be done to improve the quality of life on reservations.”    read more