Newsroom

MEDIA CONTACT

Kitcki Carroll
USET/USET SPF Executive Director

kcarroll@usetinc.org
Cell: 615-495-2814
press@usetinc.org

WHAT IS USET?

Established in 1969, the United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc. (USET) is a non-profit, inter-Tribal organization serving thirty-three (33) federally recognized Tribal Nations from the Northeastern Woodlands to the Everglades and across the Gulf of Mexico. USET is dedicated to enhancing the development of Tribal Nations, improving the capabilities of Tribal governments, and improving the quality of life for Indian people through a variety of technical and supportive programmatic services.

WHAT IS USET SPF?

Established in 2014, the USET Sovereignty Protection Fund (USET SPF) is a sister non-profit organization to USET that advocates at the federal level on behalf of thirty-three (33) federally recognized Tribal Nations. We strive to protect, promote, and advance the ability of Tribal Nations to exercise our inherent sovereign rights and authorities, and we work to elevate the voices of Tribal Nations to ensure the United States delivers on its trust and treaty obligations. We work within existing institutions to fight today’s battles, and we simultaneously work to change the foundations of federal Indian law and policy to create long lasting impacts for Indian Country.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc. is dedicated to enhancing the development of federally recognized Indian Tribes, to improving the capabilities of Tribal governments, and assisting the USET Members and their governments in dealing effectively with public policy issues and in serving the broad needs of Indian people.

STATEMENT OF UNITY

Read how USET proclaims its objectives and declares its purpose.

USET HISTORY

On October 4, 1968, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida met in Cherokee, North Carolina, with the shared idea that some form of unity between the Tribal Nations would facilitate their dealings with the federal government. The result of their vision of “Strength in Unity” was the inter-Tribal council United Southeastern Tribes. The organization changed its name in 1978 to United South and Eastern Tribes to better reflect its membership, as federally recognized Tribal Nations from the Northeastern Woodlands to the Everglades and across the Gulf of Mexico affiliated themselves with the organization.

EDITORIAL NOTES

United South and Eastern Tribes should be written out in all written communications as United South and Eastern Tribes (USET). After the first mention, “USET” can be used as an abbreviation.

United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund should be written out in all written communications as United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund (USET SPF). After the first mention, “USET SPF” can be used as an abbreviation.

United South and Eastern Tribes and United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund should be written out in all written communications as United South and Eastern Tribes and United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund (USET/USET SPF). After the first mention, “USET/USET SPF” can be used as an abbreviation.

OUR EXPERTS

USET/USET SPF staff and are experts on issues affecting Tribal communities and Tribal sovereignty and self-determination. We are available for media interviews on a number of topics, including:

  • Economic and community development issues such as removal of barriers restricting Tribal Nations to fully engage in economic Nation rebuilding, access to resources to support sound economic development practices, and economic industry assessment.
  • Environmental issues such as supporting protection of human health and ecosystems, risk assessments, climate change adaptation and mitigation, providing clean and safe drinking water, cultural resource protection, traditional and conventional agriculture, and sustainable development.
  • Public health issues such as behavioral health, substance use, epidemiology, diabetes, oral health, and health promotion and disease prevention.
  • Policy and legislative issues such as trust and treaty responsibilities, the federal budget and appropriations, Tribal consultation, and trust modernization.

We can also connect media representatives with Tribal Leaders and local subject matter experts throughout our membership.

LANGUAGE AND TERMINOLOGY

USET/USET SPF employs specific and intentional language in order to recognize and promote the governmental status and inherent sovereignty of Tribal Nations. For too long, the language used to describe Tribal Nations and Indian Country, even internally, has been informed by colonialism and paternalism. This language is designed to undermine our governmental status and capabilities, as well as sacred agreements with the United States. It is reflective of a desire on the part of the United States to absolve itself from its history and continued failures to uphold its obligations to Tribal Nations and Native Americans. It also contributes rhetorically to the ignorant, inaccurate, and harmful depiction of our Nations and Native Americans in the larger social narrative. USET/USET SPF seeks to disrupt and reject this language in favor of the truthful depiction of our history and reality, in order to tell our story (both past and present) through our eyes and lived experiences.

The following are some examples of terminology USET/USET SPF uses to reinforce principles of Tribal sovereignty:

  • Instead of the term TRIBE(S), we use TRIBAL NATION(S)
    Why?     Tribal governments are sovereign nations that predate the United States. The term “Tribal Nation” emphasizes our nationhood in response to arguments that Tribal Nations are inferior units of government, subject to others’ laws and taxation.
  • Instead of the term TRIBAL MEMBER(S), we use TRIBAL CITIZEN(S)
    Why? The term “member” is not reflective of the legal rights, privileges, and expectations of a citizen of a sovereign nation. No one is a member of the United States, they are a citizen. The term “member” implies voluntary membership in a club.
  • Instead of the term RESERVATION, we use TRIBAL HOMELAND, TERRITORY, or JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARY
    Why?     United States policies stole Tribal lands for the benefit of settlers, forcing Tribal Nations to relocate. Reservations remain a representation of this theft and the unjust confinement of our people. Terms like “Tribal homelands” and “Tribal territory” include sacred and culturally significant sites—including our homelands—that are located outside reservations.

Communications

President Biden Issues Historic Apology for Indian Boarding School Era in Recognition that Truth and Accountability Are Necessary for Ushering in New Era

October 25, 2024

USET/USET SPF President, Chief Kirk Francis of the Penobscot Indian Nation, said, “President Biden’s acknowledgment of the deep wounds caused by the Indian boarding school era is a crucial step towards healing and reconciliation. We celebrate this historic moment and call upon the United States to further its commitment to honor our histories, restore dignity, and ensure that the voices of Tribal Nations are respected and not left unheard. Together, we can shed a more truthful light on our history, so that we can achieve a brighter future in our Nation-to Nation, sovereign-to-sovereign relationship.”

 

USET SPF Statement in Recognition and Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 15, 2024

Today, on this day of remembrance, let us rise united and inspired by Dr. King’s unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and love. Let us not merely commemorate his legacy but actively embody it through acts of kindness, empathy, and service to one another. Together, we can turn his dream into a shared reality, where the triumph of justice and unity benefits not just a few, but every soul on this planet.

 

USET SPF Responds to Senator John Cornyn’s “Wild Bunch of Indians” Remarks

October 31, 2023

During a recent conversation with a Texas reporter, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), made an inflammatory remark about the newly selected Speaker of the House, wishing him luck in managing “this wild bunch of Indians over in the House.” Such remarks are not only deeply offensive but also perpetuate a legacy of disrespect and disregard towards Indigenous communities, following centuries of federal action designed to eradicate Tribal Nations and assimilate our citizens.

 

USET SPF Calls Upon Congress to Confirm Patrice Kunesh for ANA Commissioner

March 7, 2023

With a confirmation vote likely to occur soon in the Senate, USET SPF continues to register its strong support for Patrice Kunesh to be the next Commissioner of the Administration for Native Americans (ANA) within the Administration on Children and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services.

 

USET SPF Statement in Recognition and Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 16, 2023

What we can draw from Dr. King’s lifelong work is that conversation, retrospect, and the aspiration of mutual respect amongst one another, can cross borders and intersect generations, race, identity, and backgrounds. Therefore, as a nation, we recognize a man who dedicated his life to opening the dialogue surrounding issues like racism, prejudice, and the effects of inequality on every person’s life. Dr. King and many others laid the foundation for the work of future social change makers, that build off these advocacy efforts.

 

USET SPF Lauds Nomination of Patrice Kunesh for ANA Commissioner

June 23, 2022

“Patrice is a well-known advocate for the rebuilding of Tribal Nations and our economies,” said USET SPF President, Chief Kirk Francis. “From her establishment of the Center for Indian Country Development to her service as Deputy Solicitor, to her extensive legal career, she has worked tirelessly to advance Tribal self-governance and economic development in Indian Country."

 

USET SPF Celebrates Historic Appointment of Chief Lynn Malerba as First Native U.S. Treasurer

June 21, 2022

“Chief Malerba embodies the highest ideals of leadership,” said USET SPF President, Chief Kirk Francis. “She leads with compassion, tact, love, integrity, professionalism, and respect for all people, while fervently advocating for the advancement of Tribal sovereignty and the delivery of trust obligations. For nearly 20 years, our Board of Directors has looked to Chief Malerba for her reasoned guidance and expertise amid some of Indian Country’s most complex issues... She has dedicated herself to the service of our Tribal communities, our people, and the next generations.

 

USET SPF Lauds Historic President’s FY2023 Budget Request

March 28, 2022

“The President’s FY 2023 Budget Request lays the foundation for revolutionary and transformational change in the diplomatic relationship between Tribal Nations and the United States,” said USET SPF President, Kirk Francis. “USET SPF has long called for mandatory and full funding for all federal Indian programs, including the Indian Health Service, and the Biden Administration is the first to heed this call by issuing proposals that would move us closer to realizing this necessary change."

USET SPF Applauds the Nomination of Bryan Newland for Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs

April 23, 2021

“Bryan knows first-hand the challenges we face, as well as the opportunities that lie ahead for us as sovereign governments,” said USET SPF President, Kirk Francis. “We know him to be fair, knowledgeable, and passionately committed to justice for our people and the advancement of the U.S.-Tribal Nation diplomatic relationship. At a time when America is reckoning with its past, Bryan is the right person to meet this moment and deliver meaningful change for Indian Country."

 

World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 Pandemic Declaration (1 Year Anniversary) – USET/USET SPF President Kirk Francis Statement

March 11, 2021

"While we are not yet out of the tunnel, a warm and hopeful light awaits us ahead as the vaccinations roll out across our planet. While we all have reasons to hurt, it is my sincere hope that the devastation of the past year will serve as a reminder that we must forge a new path together that chooses unity and reverence as its guiding star."

Federal government shutdowns cause economic distress for tribes

Marketplace, September 28, 2023

Quote from USET SPF Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs Liz Malerba:

“We view these federal dollars as payment on debt,” said Liz Malerba with United South and Eastern Tribes.

Malerba said Congress recognizes that on some level. Last year, it started funding the Indian Health Service a year in advance to protect tribal hospitals and clinics.

But Malerba said the IHS is just one crucial service that tribes lose access to during shutdowns.

“If the federal government were to move all tribal nation funding over to the mandatory side of the budget” instead of the discretionary side, where it lives right now, “that funding would then be insulated, Malerba said.

 

Patrice H. Kunesh Confirmed as Administration for Native Americans Commissioner

Native News Online, March 9, 2023

Quote from USET/USET SPF President Kirk Francis:

“Patrice is a well-known advocate for the rebuilding of Tribal Nations and our economies,” said USET SPF President, Chief Kirk Francis in a press release. “From her establishment of the Center for Indian Country Development to her service as Deputy Solicitor, to her extensive legal career, she has worked tirelessly to advance Tribal self-governance and economic development in Indian Country.

 

Native American advocates welcome advance funding for Indian Health Service

Marketplace, December 27, 2022

Quote from USET/USET SPF President Kirk Francis:

There’s a dark joke in Indian Country that if you’re gonna get sick, you better do it before summer. That’s about when IHS-funded clinics and hospitals start running low on cash, said Chief Kirk Francis of the Penobscot Indian Nation in Maine.

“You might get to June or July and realize that you don’t have the resources,” he said, to order expensive imaging tests or refer patients to specialists.

Additional quote from USET/USET SPF President Kirk Francis:

Properly funded IHS isn’t a favor to tribal nations, said Chief Francis — it’s owed to them based on the federal government’s trust and treaty obligations.

“Advance appropriations is the first step in really starting to change the conversation from a discretionary conversation to a mandatory one,” he said.

Only the first step, because even with advance appropriations, Francis said, the IHS is massively underfunded — to the tune of over $45 billion, by tribal leaders’ latest estimates.

 

Government report outlines web of problems impeding tribal access to federal funds

Marketplace, December 21, 2022

Quote from USET SPF Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs Liz Malerba:

Then came confusion around spending rules and deadlines, said Liz Malerba with United South and Eastern Tribes.

“Tribal nations are asking the federal agency whether a project or a funding purpose is allowed,” said Malerba. Like, can we use this money to build housing? Or distribute it for food or rental assistance? But instead of giving those questions a thumbs up or down, “they’re citing back to their own guidance that is causing the confusion in the first place.”

Malerba said tribes second guessed badly needed spending, fearing they’d have to pay the money back.

 

What Indigenous Peoples’ Day means to Native Americans

CNN, October 10, 2022

Quote from USET/USET SPF Executive Director Kitcki Carroll:

Kitcki Carroll, an enrolled citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma and executive director of United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc., sees the day as an opportunity to tell a different story about the US.

Indigenous people have often been erased from the country’s historical record – a survey from the National Congress of American Indians found that 87% of state history standards don’t mention Native American history after 1900, while 27 states don’t mention Native Americans in their K-12 curriculum.

Yet Native people continue to have a presence here, while the lands and natural resources that were taken from them became foundational to this country, Carroll said.

“The United States has evolved over time become the most powerful and wealthy nation the world has ever known,” he said. “It has Indian Country to thank for that.”

 

Congress Surprised by Biden Call for Indian Health Service Funds

Bloomberg Government, March 30, 2022

Quote from USET/USET SPF Executive Director Kitcki Carroll:

“There are tremendous health disparities across Indian country and those exist because the U.S. has not honored its promises,” said Kitcki Carroll, executive director of the United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund.

Carroll said his group has spent years lobbying to secure more consistent funding for the IHS and other programs. As discretionary programs, IHS services get hit by government shutdowns and Congress’s propensity for short-term spending bills, interrupting needed care. That also means IHS health programs often can’t give health-care providers multiyear employment contracts, making it hard to attract doctors, Carroll said.

 

Tribal groups want to boost traditional diets in federal food aid

Roll Call, February 2, 2022

Quote from USET SPF Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs Liz Malerba:

Liz Malerba, policy director for United South and Eastern Tribes, said the Agriculture Department’s oversight of FDPIR means the federal government sets the diet of thousands of Native Americans. She acknowledged that the USDA has included some cultural foods in the aid in recent years but said the tribes should have full authority over the program.

“For generations, FDPIR and the commodities program that preceded it involved the federal government making decisions about what tribal citizens were eating,” Malerba said. She is a citizen of the Mohegan tribe.

Cultural Heritage Survival and Perseverance: Our Shared Global Human Interest and the Medicine that Heals

Published on Medium.com on July 23, 2024
 

Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King’s Legacy and Challenging Us All to Recommit to Furthering His Life’s Work

Published by NativeNewsOnline.net on January 17, 2022

 

Honoring Traditional Ecological Knowledge is Critical

by Kirk Francis, Sr.

Published by IndianCountryToday.com on December 13, 2021

2024 MESSAGE FROM THE USET/USET SPF PRESIDENT