Kamala Harris: We Must Not Shy Away from America’s ‘Shameful Past’
Virtual address at the National Congress of American Indians 78th Annual convention
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Kamala Harris decried the original European explorers who first landed in North America while reflecting on the United States' "shameful past."
During a virtual address at the National Congress of American Indians 78th Annual Convention, Harris claimed Joe Biden's Build Back Better agenda would fix the damage she attributed to mass migration.
Harris said:
“Since 1934, every October, the United States has recognized the voyage of the European explorers who first landed on the shores of the Americas."
“But that is not the whole story.
"That has never been the whole story."
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“Those explorers ushered in a wave of devastation for Tribal nations — perpetrating violence, stealing land, and spreading disease,” she continued.
“We must not shy away from this shameful past, and we must shed light on it and do everything we can to address the impact of the past on Native communities today.”
Harris claimed Biden's multi-billion-dollar Build Back Better agenda would have “a significant impact on Indian Country” without offering solid evidence.
WATCH:
Harris went on to tell delegates, “Native Americans are more likely to live in poverty, to be unemployed, and often struggle to get quality healthcare and to find affordable housing," after claiming Native Americans' voting rights are being denied.
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“This persistent inequity, this persistent injustice is not right. And the pandemic has only made it worse,” she added.
She then claimed Biden’s $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill would combat the problems Native Americans face.
“This bill represents the largest infrastructure investment our nation has made since before World War II and presents, right now, an important opportunity to strengthen Indian Country,” she said.
This year, the White House issued twin proclamations, greeting both Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day.
Harris's speech came on the heels of the news that school-age children who joined her for a NASA YouTube video were, in fact, child actors.
The grinning school-age children took part in the NASA YouTube video about space exploration, "Get Curious with Vice President Harris."
The video was filmed in August and tweeted out by Harris on October 7 to celebrate World Space Week.
