Calendar of Events  /   Announcements  /  The Story  /  Timeline of Milestones  /  Articles /  Links  /  Hotline Numbers  /  

Bulletin Board  /  1999 Millennium Conference  /  Conference Materials  /  Photos  /  Video Clips  /   Sign our Guest book

Calling Out for Help

Some victims of domestic violence can not call out for help—literally.  In a world of advanced telecommunications, high-speed Internet, and global paging, many Native Americans find themselves without basic telephone service.  According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), about 95 percent of Americans have phones in their homes, but only 44 percent of Indian tribe households have them.  

The FCC has adopted a series of initiatives designed to fund programs that subsidize basic telephone service for poor people. The new money, slated for Native Americans living on tribal lands, may make basic local service available for as little as $1 per month.  In addition, credits could be given to companies that provide wireless service to Indian communities.

William E. Kennard, chairman of the FCC, said "I've been in the homes of people on Indian reservations who have no phones.  You can't call the doctor. You can't call an ambulance. You can't call the police department ... It's shameful that our land's oldest people are being left behind. We can do better."

Advocates for Native Americans agree.  Telephone service, they have argued, is needed for the obvious reasons of economic development; convenience; and, perhaps most importantly, safety.