President Obama repeated the central line of his “This Was the Moment” speech during the 2011 Tribal Nations Conference on Friday, assuring American Indians attending the event that they will remember, one day, that “this was the moment when we began to build a strong middle class in Indian Country.”
“I proposed the American Jobs Act,” Obama said, “to help all Americans, including First Americans, make it through these tough times.”
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He admitted moments later that “we’ve got a long road ahead,” but tried to revive the hope-and-change feeling of his 2008 presidential run.
“I believe that one day, we’re going to be able to look back on these years and say that this was a turning point,” the president assured his audience. “This was the moment when we began to build a strong middle class in Indian Country; the moment when businesses, large and small, began opening up in reservations; the moment when we stopped repeating the mistakes of the past, and began building a better future together, one that honors old traditions and welcomes every Native American into the American Dream.”
Obama concluded his speech by promising the Tribal Nations that “you’ve got a President who’s got your back.”
