Case introduces bill to create national Office for Indigenous Affairs

US Rep. Ed Case of Hawaiʻi has introduced the Indigenous Diplomacy and Engagement Act, a measure that seeks to strengthen US diplomatic efforts involving Indigenous communities worldwide and promote coordination across federal agencies on related issues.

The bill comes on the heels a successful 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, held in Honolulu in June 2024, and follows the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007.

“The estimated 476 million Indigenous peoples across the globe are bound by shared heritage, wisdom and challenges that transcend borders,” said Case in a statement on Tuesday. “Rather than step away from the international stage, we must strengthen partnerships with Indigenous communities and include their unique perspectives in shaping global policy.”

The proposed legislation would create an Office for Indigenous Affairs within the US Department of State. The office would coordinate federal efforts related to diplomacy and engagement with international Indigenous peoples and be led by a coordinator for Indigenous affairs, a presidential appointee confirmed by the Senate.

The office would also develop a comprehensive international strategy in collaboration with a newly created Advisory Commission on Indigenous Peoples. The commission would include representatives appointed by Congress and federal leaders, as well as delegates from the National Congress of American Indians, Alaska Federation of Natives and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

To support this diplomatic strategy, the bill would require foreign service officers to undergo training on the history and culture of Indigenous communities near their overseas postings.

Case said that his proposal arose in part from the success of the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, a gathering of the indigenous peoples of Oceania in Honolulu in June 2024. “The Pacific Festival was a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific and of mutual commitment across national boundaries to addressing the challenges of our times, and we should take those lessons in our own responses,” he said.

Links to the bill and Case’s full remarks are available in the Congressional Record.