We Believe:

• Treaties, Executive Orders, and Agreements between the U.S. and Tribal Nations are crucial, establishing a government-to-government relationship and affirming sovereignty. These treaties set boundaries, peace, and trade agreements, addressing land, resources, and sovereignty issues. However, many were negotiated under duress or deceit, leading to broken promises and violations by the U.S. government, impacting the rights and prosperity of Tribal Nations. By honoring treaties and bolstering tribal sovereignty, we advance towards achieving equity and justice for all Indigenous peoples. Advocating for the rights and sovereignty of Tribal Nations necessitates acknowledging and respecting the diverse voices and experiences within Indigenous communities, including those of tribes still seeking federal recognition.
• In upholding the Treaties, Executive Orders and Agreements made between Tribal Nations and the Federal Government, secured specific rights and privileges to sustain the future of Tribal Nations; 
• Not all treaties were signed in good faith or have been upheld by the United States;
• In fully supporting tribal treaties, tribal natural and cultural resources, and the general welfare of the tribes.
• Respecting every Native citizen’s inherent rights in alignment with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and committing to recognizing the languages, histories, and cultures of Tribal Nations as core to our national identity, health, and heritage. This includes honoring natural law and preserving the dignity of all Native citizens, including those in urban areas and Urban Indians from Federally Recognized Tribes across the U.S.
• In acknowledging that Tribal Nations’ languages, histories and cultures are an integral part of our national identity, wellness and heritage;
• Advocating for the voting rights of sovereign Tribal Nations and assert that reservations, as geographically contiguous entities, should be safeguarded against redistricting tactics that weaken the political influence of Tribes. Moreover, it is imperative to abolish policies and practices that impede the protection of Native voting rights.
• Advocating for environmental and sustainability policies by consulting with Tribal Governments and securing free, prior, and informed consent before permitting construction or fossil fuel development on tribal lands. We also oppose any actions by the U.S. government that threaten Tribal rights to their lands or resources. Our support extends to Tribal sovereignty in managing the environment and natural resources, preserving salmon and fish, protecting shellfish, and upholding traditional rights to hunt, fish, and gather.In respecting the natural law and human dignity of all Indigenous citizens;
• In creating a reparations and a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address the multi-generational economic effects and cultural oppression of Native Tribes and communities set forth by the colonization of their lands and upheld by the US government through the genocide and stolen land of the Indigenous Peoples of this country
• Advancing health, safety, and well-being in Tribal communities, focusing on initiatives that support Native American livelihoods, including healthcare, meeting the federal Indian trust responsibility, addressing the crisis of opioids, fentanyl, and emerging drugs, tackling social, economic, and behavioral health challenges, recognizing systemic disenfranchisement, preserving Tribal culture, and investing in infrastructure improvements like roads, water systems, housing, and broadband access on reservations.
• Supporting Indigenous education and self-determination across all educational levels, emphasizing lifelong learning and the significant role of Native families in educational decisions, including providing resources for Native Elders to teach youth about their Tribal identity and culture, improving access to and quality of schools, providing housing for Native youth, tackling high dropout rates among Native students, expanding access to Tribal Colleges, and promoting Indian Studies programs and the development of  materials for the John McCoy (luliaš) Since Time Immemorial curriculum. Additionally, we advocate for better access to employment and training opportunities for tribal members, improving Tribal Compact Schools, and enhancing educational opportunities through continuing education to address educational disparities and create an environment where Native students can flourish, rooted in their cultural heritage.
• Advancing the self-governance, economic independence, and sustainability of Tribal communities by eliminating economic hurdles such as state taxation, improving access to capital development funds, and distributing property tax revenues collected from Tribal lands back to the Tribes;
• In elevating the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs to a Cabinet level agency with adequate funding in respect of the inherent sovereignty of Tribal Nations. This includes fulfilling the implementation of meaningful tribal consultation of all issues at all levels;
• In increasing efforts to appoint tribal citizens to Tribal liaison positions, boards and commissions at all levels of government to provide equitable and distinct representation in policies and decisions impacting Tribal Nations; 

• In expanding the rights of Tribal Nations to exercise criminal jurisdiction over non-tribal and non-Native citizens committing acts of domestic violence, dating violence, homicide, or protection order violations on Tribal lands consistent with the Violence Against Women Act and other congressional legislation. This includes maintaining and authorizing the Violence Against Women Act to fund and expand the specific Tribal Nations’ provisions, such as judicial training.
• Upholding the rights of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People and their families, acknowledging these rights are often violated due to their Native identity, recognizing law enforcement’s failures in protecting Indigenous peoples, and addressing stereotypes and biases that fuel the disproportionate rate of missing and murdered Indigenous women in the U.S.

• The high number of missing and murdered Indigenous women, men, and two-spirit is a human health and welfare crisis that requires immediate and aggressive action to eliminate further harm to Indigenous families and communities;
• Washington State should provide full funding for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People (MMIW/P) Task Force to assess systemic causes behind the high rate of disappearances and murders of Indigenous women and people;
• In improving state-federal-tribal relations to avoid bias and discriminatory community policing through law enforcement training and cross-cultural education with Tribal Nations, and in providing judicial training on the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 and the Washington Indian Child Welfare Act of 2013 to eliminate the loss of Native children’s ties and identities to their families, cultures and homelands; 

• In the essential role of Indigenous families and parent committees in the decision-making process of their children’s education, health and well-being as defined by the Indian education legislation, including supporting Indigenous elders with resources to train and educate Indigenous youth in their Tribal identity, history and cultural resiliency, and continuing the development and improvement of schools;In funding the American Indian Health Commission for Washington State and its work with state agencies and the Health Benefit Exchange. This includes:
  • Implementing the state law licensing mid-level dental professionals, such as dental health aide therapists, to address the lack of access to dental care; 
  • Supporting the construction of tribal specialty care facilities to address the lack of access to medical specialists and shifting the costs from the state to the federal government in fulfillment of its trust responsibility;
  • Continuing funding of programs that combat social, economic and behavioral health problems such as homelessness, food insecurities and substance abuse;
  • Increasing and expanding community health centers and behavioral and mental health services for Native youth within Tribal communities and school systems;
  • Maintaining funding of Urban Indian health organizations to enable them to address the health needs of Native Americans who may not have access to Tribal health facilities;
• As a form of reparations for the genocide committed against Native Americans provide funds to tribal nations for housing, health, education and economic development.