 I think there is no debate, sadly no debate, that from day one, from the first day that settlers came to this country, the Native American people have been lied to, they have been cheated, and negotiated treaties have been broken. We owe the Native American people so, so much. We are forever grateful that they have shared their culture, that they have shared their respect for the environment with us. But all of us know that the first Americans, our Native American brothers and sisters today live in many cases on ancestral lands which they have called home for thousands of years. Others live on lands where they have been moved forcibly by federal policies throughout our history. But all too often, Native Americans have not been heard on issues that impact their communities. They have been told what to do, they have not been involved in the process. Despite the existence of negotiated treaties which coerce tribal nations into ceding, as we all know, millions of acres of their homelands to the United States in exchange for guaranteed rights, many of those rights have not been upheld. Despite past and ongoing mistreatment of Native Americans, including federally sanctioned assimilation through boarding schools, Native Americans have maintained possession of cultural and natural resources today that are the key to the Indian country's bright future. The United States government has a duty to ensure equal opportunities and justice for all of its citizens, including our first Americans. And let us be honest, again, let us be honest and acknowledge that we are not doing that today. The challenges that I have been all over the country speaking to tribal leaders, not just here in Arizona. And this is what I have learned. Native Americans continue to face appalling levels of inequality and systematic injustice. Today in America, one in four Native Americans are living in poverty and the high school graduation rate is 67 percent the lowest of any racial demographic group. The second leading cause of death for Native Americans between 15 and 24 is suicide. And that speaks to incredible despair. Second leading cause of death for young people is suicide. One in three, it's important that we lay this out because without the knowledge we cannot go forward. One in three, one in three Native American women will be raped in her lifetime. Most of the offenders are non-Native. Most of the programs dedicated to the tribal nations are underfunded. That has led to inadequate housing, inadequate healthcare, inadequate education, and insufficient law enforcement. Today Native Americans have a lower life expectancy and higher rates of uninsured than the population at large. And even those who have health coverage have difficulty accessing the healthcare that they need. Exacerbating the struggles of Indian country is a failure to understand and support the principles of self-determination. During my time in Congress, I have worked with other members and with the Native American communities to address the challenges facing the Native community and to create opportunities for those communities. I have recently introduced in the U.S. Senate the Save Oak Flat Act. This is, this is, this is the same legislation that Representative Raul Grohalva has introduced in the House. Raul, I believe, would have been here with us tonight but the Congress is in session. And that legislation would repeal a federal lands transfer of a sacred place in Arizona given to a foreign mining corporation. The sacred places of our Native American communities cannot and must not be sacrificed for the profits of mining interests. As a senator, I have consistently opposed tar sands and fracked gas pipelines like the Keystone Pipelines and other pipelines throughout this country. In my view, not only are these pipelines themselves causing environmental damage, not only do they stand the possibility of terrible oil spills, but ultimately as a nation we have got to break our dependence on fossil fuel and move aggressively to energy efficiency and sustainable energy. And you are living here in this beautiful state. You have an unbelievable natural resource. It is called the sun. The sun doesn't have oil spills. Sun doesn't have gas leaks. Sun especially in your state is out almost every day. Wish I could say that about my state. But you have an opportunity here to stand up to the fossil fuel industry and transform your energy to solar to win the geothermal. As a nation, as a nation we need to increase tribal sovereignty and tribal jurisdiction in prosecuting criminal acts done on tribal lands regardless of the race of the perpetrator. Tribes need increased control over tribal housing programs and we need a major investment in Native American housing. And by the way, City of Washington has a very good football team but it doesn't have to be called the Redskins. We recommit the federal government to honor the treaties and statutes that are at the core of the trust relationship. And that means having senior level tribal appointees with access to all executive agency leadership. Washington should never act on issues of importance to the tribes without being in consultation with them. Finally the federal government must protect Native American cultures. Tribal communities must be empowered by providing resources to protect and revitalize indigenous languages, religions, cultures, and tradition. The culture of the Native American people is so rich, is so extraordinary that all of us will gain by preserving and enhancing that culture.