Prepared Statement of Ben Nighthorse Campbell
Chairman, Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Hearing
Regarding Native American Veterans Issues
May 21, 1997

Good morning. Welcome to the Committee on Indian Affairs. The purpose of today's hearing is to receive testimony regarding Native American Veterans and the federal programs enacted for the benefit of Native Veterans.

From the Revolutionary Era to our ongoing peacekeeping missions around the globe, Native Americans have served and continue to serve the United States honorably and in numbers far exceeding our proportion to the general population.

Native Americans have served, suffered, and died in service to the United States even though the benefits of citizenship were denied to them until 1924. Few Americans are aware of this fact.

As a veteran I feel a special kinship with all those men and women who served this nation in peacetime and in war. As a Native Veteran I am keenly aware of the dedicated service Indians, Alaskans, and Hawaiians have given --- often without recognition of their sacrifice.

At the very least, we must provide the basic benefits of health care, housing, and education to those that laid down their lives for America.

We must also honor the service and sacrifice of our warriors. Earlier this year I introduced the "National POW/MIA Recognition Act of 1997" to authorize the flying of the POW/MIA flag over military installations, post offices, and memorials on Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, and other days of national significance.

Native Americans are over-represented in the armed forces compared to other groups in the United States. In spite of this, Native Veterans are under-represented in the quantity and quality of benefits provided by the federal government.

Today I hope to hear that the United States is committed to improving the delivery of services to Native Veterans and that these veterans will receive greater attention by the agencies charged with their health and welfare.

From the outset I want to be clear that this committee intends to pursue the problems identified today and to follow through with recommendations made to create the kind of veterans program that these brave men and women deserve, and that America can be proud of.

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