DNC Chair Tom Perez and Native American Caucus Chair Rion Ramirez released the following joint statement on Native American Heritage Month:

“As the first peoples of this continent, Native Americans and Alaska Natives have made innumerable and invaluable contributions. The sacrifice of Native Americans who serve our country in the armed forces at a higher rate than any other ethnic group makes us safer, and the service of our first Native American women members of Congress, Sharice Davids and Deb Haaland, helps make us a more perfect union. We also remember those we have lost in the last year, particularly Frank LaMere, the longest-serving Native American member of the DNC and co-founder of the DNC’s Native American Caucus.

“Despite this illustrious history, the Trump administration and Republicans around the country have broken promises to indigenous people and taken them for granted. They have failed to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, suppressed the voting rights of Native Americans, proposed separating the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education, sought to cut hundreds of millions from the BIA and BIE’s budgets, and promoted the interests of fossil fuel companies over tribes.

“Democrats will continue the progress made under President Obama, who permanently reauthorized the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, empowered tribes to prosecute perpetrators of domestic violence, and established the Bears Ears Monument. Democrats support priorities for Native Americans, including education and language revitalization funding, land rights, internet access, and economic development. We must confront the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women, because there should be no more stolen sisters or brothers, daughters or sons. And we stand with Native Americans in fighting to protect the sovereignty of Indian nations.”