dancinfancy

This was sent to me on my myspace bulliton, just that I would share.

Below is a copy of the press release we sent out today in response to
Senator Clinton's refusal to meet with tribal members from across
America at Prez on the Rez:

Democratic presidential candidate Senator Hillary Clinton today became
the first and only candidate to refuse an invitation to speak at a
first-ever candidate forum in Indian Country. The forum, called Prez on
the Rez by its organizers, the INDN's List Education Fund (ILEF), will
be August 23, on the reservation of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians
in Cabazon, Calif. Senator Clinton was invited to Prez on the Rez more
than six months ago.

Kalyn Free, president of the Tulsa-based ILEF, said, "Hillary Clinton's
willingness to ignore Indian voters on the campaign trail has made it
clear that she lacks the courage to change lives in Indian Country."

"I'm both disappointed and astonished that Senator Clinton has turned
her back on American Indians. By refusing to participate in this
historic event, she lost an opportunity to inspire an entire generation
of American Indians to engage in the democratic process. Sadly, that
reflects the hollowness of her rhetoric and the narrowness of her
vision," said Free. "Just as tribes are gaining recognition for building
political power in key states throughout the country, Senator Clinton is
ignoring the needs - large and small - of Indian People. We demand a
president who truly cares about who we are, who has the courage to
change the shameful state of life in Indian Country and throughout
America, and who has the vision to build a society all Americans can be
proud of. I'm disheartened to say that Senator Clinton has proven she is
not that leader."

Free said Senator Clinton made "starting a conversation" about
strengthening the middle class, making healthcare more affordable, and
bolstering the lives of children and families, the centerpieces of her
campaign. On each of these counts, reflected in a staggering array of
statistics, Indian Country falls far behind the rest of the nation, yet
her proposals - detailed over the past two weeks - reflect the
priorities of her campaign: they ignore Indian Country entirely.

On Memorial Day, Senator Clinton declared expanded healthcare coverage
"a moral imperative," and proposed a solution involving investments in
modernizing medicine and eliminating waste in the industry. While these
improvements may cut costs for the majority of Americans who already
have access to adequate healthcare, it will do nothing for the 30
percent of Indians who lack health coverage and the millions more whose
reservations lie far from the modern medical facilities Senator Clinton
hopes to improve. The waiting list for new "priority" healthcare
facilities in Indian Country is nearly 60 years. Tribal citizens need
champions that are not afraid to increase funding for tribal health
programs. The need for this health funding is staggering: life
expectancy of Native Americans is nearly six years less than any other
race or ethnic group in America and 13% of Native deaths occur in
citizens under 25, a rate three times higher than the average U.S.
population.

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights reported in 2003 that "American
Indian youths are twice as likely to commit suicide. Native Americans
are 630 percent more likely to die from alcoholism, 650 percent more
likely to die from tuberculosis, 318 percent more likely to die from
diabetes, and 204 percent more likely to suffer accidental death
compared with other groups. "In a plan Senator Clinton outlined the
following day, the Democrat proposed strengthening the middle class by
protecting workers, reining in federal spending, punishing corporations
that move jobs overseas, and supporting higher education. Yet outsourced
jobs can hardly account for the 46% unemployment rate in Indian Country,
where one in four live in poverty.

Clinton's indifference to Indian Country extends to the women and
families that comprise its future. Free argues that Clinton should take
a look at the lifelong disparities that face American Indians as they
age, both on and off the reservation. A recent publication issued by
Amnesty International reported one in three American Indian women will
be raped at some point in their lives, a rate that is more than double
that for non-Indian women. "The crisis of children and families in
Indian Country continues to limit the opportunities for American Indians
to build a better future, while Senator Clinton's willingness to ignore
the state of Indians ensures the continuation of a terrible status quo,"
Free said.

__________________
The look on a baby's face the first time they hear the drum is priceless.......

Kiwehnzii

Maybe she's nad at Charlie Hill for pokin' fun at her man's head job.