Good morning. It's great to be here with all of you today for your 60th annual NCAI Convention. I know that many of you have come a long way to be here, and I thank you for that.

As you all know, I'm running for President. And I know you've invited the candidates here to learn more about us and about our ideas for the future. So that's what I'm going to talk about today - about where we're going wrong in America, and how I want to make it right.

But I do this with a deep sense of humility. Because frankly, I don't think any presidential candidate or political leader has all the answers. What we do have are certain fundamental principles that guide us - the values that shape our vision and make us who we are. For me, that's the belief that our country cannot move forward when we continue to leave so many of our citizens behind. It's the belief that we need to build bridges, not walls, with communities here in America, and with our allies around the world. And most important of all, it's the belief stated in the Great Law of the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy that: "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decision on the next seven generations."

Long before the Constitution was drafted, long before settlers happened upon this land, your ancestors lived this belief. And you continue to live it today -- in your respect for our environment and for the bonds of family, community and tradition. You live it in your service to this country - both here in America and throughout the world. Just look at your contributions to an institution near and dear to my heart: the U.S. military. Long before the Code Talkers of World War II...In Korea and Vietnam and other conflicts of the past half-century...And today, in Iraq, where a brave young woman named Lori Piestewa gave her life for our country last spring. American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians have answered the call, and you've served this nation with honor.

But while you've enriched this country for generations, this country has not returned the favor. In most cases, it's done just the opposite. And I'm not just talking about history here. I'm talking about what's happening right now, across America. I'm talking about how the U.S. government continues to deny tribal nations the resources and respect they're due.

Today, I want to talk about how, by working as partners with tribal governments and investing in tribal nations, we can do better -- not just for today or tomorrow, but for seven generations and beyond.

Today, after centuries of treaties, proclamations and promises, the United States government is still not living up to its end of the bargain with Indian Country. And we can see the effects in tribal nations across America.

Just look at the state of health care. The Indian Health Service is currently facing a $2.9 billion shortfall in funds for clinical services. And tribal nations continue to suffer from alarming rates of cancer, heart disease, alcoholism, and other diseases. Diabetes is a particularly serious problem: 1 in 11 Americans have diabetes - 1 in 4 American Indians do. This is disgraceful - especially given that so many of these diseases, like diabetes, are largely preventable.

But health care is just the tip of the iceberg. Right now, in the year 2003, there are tribal communities that still don't have adequate plumbing, electricity, telephone service, or running water - basic necessities that every single American should take for granted. More than 25% of American Indians and Alaska Natives live in poverty, and in some communities, unemployment is as high as 75 or 80%. While gaming has helped some tribes climb out of poverty, it's far from a cure-all.

And perhaps worst of all, when it comes to education, we're failing our children. Tribal schools are underfunded and crumbling, and approximately 50% of American Indians and Alaska Natives never graduate from high school. Only 17% go to college -- to put that in perspective, the national average is 62%.

What's the Bush Administration's response to all of this? Instead of focusing on these problems, instead of dealing with pressing concerns like the economy and our war on terrorism, they took us to war with Iraq. They did this without allies, without international support, without evidence of an imminent threat, and without a strategy for success. To put it mildly, President Bush's foreign policy isn't exactly based on the wisdom that urges us to "walk softly on the earth."

I've got a different approach. It involves focusing on real problems and coming up with real solutions. When it comes to Indian Country, that means working in partnership with your governments to come up with a bold, innovative, effective plan to invest in tribal nations across America.

We need to invest in health care. And I've got a health care plan to provide universal access to affordable insurance for all Americans, and universal coverage for all children. My plan will guarantee that every single American has access to the latest diagnostic tests, screening procedures, and preventative services. So we'll catch problems like diabetes early on, before it's too late.

We need to invest in jobs. And I've got a jobs plan that reduces the tax cuts Mr. Bush gave the richest households -- those making more than $200,000 a year -- and directs that money -- $100 billion of it -- to job creation. I'm also committed to promoting access to capital and asset building in Indian country, and to extending the Indian employment tax credit.

We need to invest in education. Because the only way to guarantee prosperity in the long-term is to guarantee that our children have the best education available. That means starting early by expanding access to Head Start and fixing crumbling schools. And it means not resting until young people in Indian Country have the same, if not better, rates of high school, college, and graduate school graduation as the rest of America.

We need to invest in homeland security. This is an especially serious concern for tribal governments. Your governments are responsible for hundreds of miles of our borders, and for missile sites, power plants, dams and other likely targets for terrorist attacks. So, for the life of me, I cannot understand why the federal government has given first responder funding to states and municipalities, but hasn't given a single penny of this funding directly to tribal governments. That's simply unacceptable. I'll fight for equitable funding and full consultation with tribal governments on homeland security. Because national and international security depends on homeland security, and I won't rest until this country - every last acre of it - is safe.

Finally, and most important of all, the U.S. government needs to treat your governments like the sovereign, independent entities they are. Because I firmly believe that you, and only you, know what's best for your communities and your members. And you should be able to govern your tribes, and mold your futures into whatever shape you choose. Because tribal sovereignty isn't just a soundbite -- it's the law of the land. It's spelled out in the United States Constitution and numerous treaties. And it's high time that the Supreme Court and our state governments started acting like it.

That means that the federal government needs to consult with you as a full partner in matters that affect your communities. And it means that the government needs to exercise true trust responsibility. If they can figure out how to get tens of billions of dollars all the way to Iraq, then I think they can account for the money you're owed right here in America.

As you may know, I've got some experience working with sovereign governments. And I have a very different approach to this than our current Administration.

In 1999, I led the NATO forces as Supreme Allied Commander during the crisis in Kosovo. Back then, a lot of people thought we should stay out of Kosovo. They said we shouldn't be the world's policeman, and they claimed we didn't have a "strategic interest" in the region.

I strongly disagreed. I believed that the lessons of history were very clear. Time and time again, America has stood by in silence in the face of genocide. Even worse, as you well know, we've perpetrated it right on our own soil. And each time, after the fact, once it's too late, we wring our hands and say "never again." So frankly, when it came to Kosovo, I didn't have a whole lot of patience for talk about strategic interests. And I didn't hesitate to make my views known.

Ultimately, we decided to take on Milosevic. But unlike the war in Iraq, we didn't do it alone. Instead of bullying our allies - instead of telling them they were with us or against us - we worked with them as partners. And together, we saved 1.5 million people from ethnic cleansing and sent Slobodan Milosevic packing from Belgrade to the Hague.

And that is exactly the kind of government-to-government relationship that the federal government should have with tribal governments here in America - one built on independence, partnership, and mutual respect.

Today, it's clear we need a new direction for Indian Country and all of America. And the only way to make that happen is for all of you to show up at the polls and make your voice heard. So no matter who you support, I urge you to get out and vote -- both in the primaries this winter and spring, and in the general election next November. And if you have any doubt that your vote matters, I'd remind you that Al Gore won the very state we're in today by a grand total of 366 votes. There are a couple thousand of you in this room. Your votes matter.

And so does your vision. More than most, you've understood that we have to act not out of expediency or selfishness, but out of a deep and abiding concern for the welfare of those who will walk this earth generations into the future. That's a vision I share. It's the vision I'm hoping to follow in the months and years ahead. And I would be honored if all of you would join me.

Thank you.