ICT's interview with President Barack Obama on Indian Country

Thursday, October 4, 2012  

"Why should American Indians vote for you this time around? What has been your proudest accomplishment to date on behalf of American Indians?

[With me] as president, you have a voice in the White House. Since the earliest days of my administration, we’ve been working hand in hand between our nations to keep that promise through a comprehensive strategy to help meet the challenges facing Native American communities.

That starts with improving the economy and creating jobs. One of the keys to unlocking economic growth on reservations is investments in roads and high-speed rail and high-speed Internet and the infrastructure that will better connect your communities to the broader economy and draw capital and create jobs on tribal lands. That’s why my administration has boosted infrastructure investments through the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Reservation Roads Program, and we’ve offered loans to reach reservations with broadband.

We’ve also made critical investments into pressing needs like renovating schools and devoting resources to job training, especially for young people in Indian country. And we’re working with you to restore tribal homelands in order to help you develop your economies. When it comes to creating jobs, closing the opportunity gap, and leaving something better for our future generations, few areas hold as much promise as clean energy. Native American lands hold great potential wind and solar energy resources, and the potential for solar energy is even higher. My administration will continue to invest in our clean energy future to strengthen our economies and our energy security.

But if we’re going to bring real and lasting change for our nations one thing we need to do is make health care more accessible and affordable. We know that as long as Native Americans die of illnesses like tuberculosis, alcoholism, diabetes, pneumonia and influenza at far higher rates than the rest of the population, then we’re going to have to do more to address disparities in health care delivery. The health reform law that I signed, now called Obamacare—which I like because I do care—included the permanent reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA), which authorizes new programs and services within the Indian Health Service, helping more folks get the care they need."

Get the Story:
President Obama Answers Questions From Indian Country Today Media Network In Unprecedented Exchange (Indian Country Today 10/4)