Endurance

Oneida Indian Nation Representative Ray Halbritter recently addressed the US Senate Committee on Indian Affairs regarding Fulfilling the Federal Trust Responsibility. As Halbritter remarked, the failure of fulfilling its trust responsibilities has resulted in vilification of tribal leaders and communities exercising their sovereignty as guaranteed by the US Constitution. The failure to honor these obligations, says Halbritter, fuels the fire of backlash against tribal prosperity, and sometimes leads to efforts that undermine their sovereignty and the trust responsibility established by Congress and the Indian nations at the outset of the federal republic.