[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 14859]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

  Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Indian Affairs be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 
561 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 561) recognizing National Native 
     American Heritage Month and celebrating the heritages and 
     cultures of Native Americans and the contributions of Native 
     Americans to the United States.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. PRYOR. I further ask that the resolution be agreed to, the 
preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements related 
to the resolution be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 561) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 561

       Whereas from November 1, 2012, through November 30, 2012, 
     the United States celebrates National Native American 
     Heritage Month;
       Whereas Native Americans are descendants of the original, 
     indigenous inhabitants of what is now the United States;
       Whereas the United States Bureau of the Census estimated in 
     2009 that there were almost 5,000,000 individuals in the 
     United States of Native American descent;
       Whereas Native Americans maintain vibrant cultures and 
     traditions and hold a deeply rooted sense of community;
       Whereas Native Americans have moving stories of tragedy, 
     triumph, and perseverance that need to be shared with future 
     generations;
       Whereas Native Americans speak and preserve indigenous 
     languages, which have contributed to the English language by 
     being used as names of individuals and locations throughout 
     the United States;
       Whereas Congress has recently reaffirmed its support of 
     tribal self-governance and its commitment to improving the 
     lives of all Native Americans by enhancing health care 
     services, increasing law enforcement resources, and approving 
     settlements of litigation involving Indian tribes and the 
     United States;
       Whereas Congress is committed to improving the housing 
     conditions and socioeconomic status of Native Americans;
       Whereas the United States is committed to strengthening the 
     government-to-government relationship that it has maintained 
     with the various Indian tribes;
       Whereas Congress has recognized the contributions of the 
     Iroquois Confederacy, and its influence on the Founding 
     Fathers in the drafting of the Constitution of the United 
     States with the concepts of freedom of speech, the separation 
     of governmental powers, and the system of checks and balances 
     between the branches of government;
       Whereas with the enactment of the Native American Heritage 
     Day Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-33; 123 Stat. 1922), 
     Congress--
       (1) reaffirmed the government-to-government relationship 
     between the United States and Native American governments; 
     and
       (2) recognized the important contributions of Native 
     Americans to the culture of the United States;
       Whereas Native Americans have made distinct and important 
     contributions to the United States and the rest of the world 
     in many fields, including the fields of agriculture, 
     medicine, music, language, and art, and Native Americans have 
     distinguished themselves as inventors, entrepreneurs, 
     spiritual leaders, and scholars;
       Whereas Native Americans have served with honor and 
     distinction in the Armed Forces of the United States, and 
     continue to serve in the Armed Forces in greater numbers per 
     capita than any other group in the United States;
       Whereas the United States has recognized the contribution 
     of the Native American code talkers in World War I and World 
     War II, who used indigenous languages as an unbreakable 
     military code, saving countless Americans; and
       Whereas the people of the United States have reason to 
     honor the great achievements and contributions of Native 
     Americans and their ancestors: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the month of November 2012 as National 
     Native American Heritage Month;
       (2) recognizes the Friday after Thanksgiving as ``Native 
     American Heritage Day'' in accordance with the Native 
     American Heritage Day Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-33; 123 
     Stat. 1922); and
       (3) urges the people of the United States to observe 
     National Native American Heritage Month and Native American 
     Heritage Day with appropriate programs and activities.

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