Reading this article from Indian Country Today, I was struck by a staggering statistic in one of the recently-passed National Congress of American Indians resolutions. NCAI resolved that Social Security eligibility should be lowered from age 63 to age 55 due to the fact that the average life expectancy for American Indians is 48.
With almost no jobs available to people over age 55, this makes sense. But the underlying causes of such a limited life expectancy for Native Americans warrant immediate federal action.
Maybe some of us with useful talents and skills learned over a lifetime can act as mentors and volunteers in remedying this horrible condition. This and other human needs should take priority in the next US Congress.
The library is dedicated to the memory of Secwepemc Chief George Manuel (1921-1989), to the nations of the Fourth World and to the elders and generations to come.
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