May 10 2019 - Trump Tweet Stalls two Bills Aimed at Supporting Tribal Nations

On May 8th, 2019 Trump took to Twitter to rally Republicans to oppose two bills aimed at supporting Tribal Nations.

He tweeted, "Republicans shouldn’t vote for H.R. 312, a special interest casino Bill, backed by Elizabeth (Pocahontas) Warren. It is unfair and doesn’t treat Native Americans equally!"

Jefferson Keel, the President of the National Congress of American Indians, issued the following statement in response.

“Yesterday’s pulling of two bills intended to address concerns of tribal nations is unfortunate, particularly if they were pulled in response to a social media posting from our President.

Misinformation about tribal homeland restoration legislation yesterday morning serves only to confuse issues of great importance to Indian Country. H.R. 312, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation Reaffirmation Act, is not a gaming bill.

That bill is a reservation lands reaffirmation bill, meaning it ensures that a federally recognized tribal nation has a homeland for present and future generations.

If the President truly cares about equal treatment of Native Americans, NCAI expects the President to issue a tweet supporting a clean Carcieri fix, which would ensure that all tribal nations received equal treatment under the Indian Reorganization Act.

Once again, we call on the President to refrain from using Pocahontas’ name in a disparaging manner. It’s insulting, disrespectful, and perpetuates the dehumanization of Native peoples.”