[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 214 (Tuesday, November 5, 2013)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 66619-66620]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-26677]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 214 / Tuesday, November 5, 2013 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 66619]]


                Proclamation 9054 of October 31, 2013

                
National Native American Heritage Month, 2013

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                From Alaskan mountain peaks to the Argentinian pampas 
                to the rocky shores of Newfoundland, Native Americans 
                were the first to carve out cities, domesticate crops, 
                and establish great civilizations. When the Framers 
                gathered to write the United States Constitution, they 
                drew inspiration from the Iroquois Confederacy, and in 
                the centuries since, American Indians and Alaska 
                Natives from hundreds of tribes have shaped our 
                national life. During Native American Heritage Month, 
                we honor their vibrant cultures and strengthen the 
                government-to-government relationship between the 
                United States and each tribal nation.

                As we observe this month, we must not ignore the 
                painful history Native Americans have endured--a 
                history of violence, marginalization, broken promises, 
                and upended justice. There was a time when native 
                languages and religions were banned as part of a forced 
                assimilation policy that attacked the political, 
                social, and cultural identities of Native Americans in 
                the United States. Through generations of struggle, 
                American Indians and Alaska Natives held fast to their 
                traditions, and eventually the United States Government 
                repudiated its destructive policies and began to turn 
                the page on a troubled past.

                My Administration remains committed to self-
                determination, the right of tribal governments to build 
                and strengthen their own communities. Each year I host 
                the White House Tribal Nations Conference, and our work 
                together has translated into action. We have resolved 
                longstanding legal disputes, prioritized placing land 
                into trust on behalf of tribes, stepped up support for 
                Tribal Colleges and Universities, made tribal health 
                care more accessible, and streamlined leasing 
                regulations to put more power in tribal hands. Earlier 
                this year, an amendment to the Stafford Act gave tribes 
                the option to directly request Federal emergency 
                assistance when natural disasters strike their 
                homelands. In March, I signed the Violence Against 
                Women Reauthorization Act, which recognizes tribal 
                courts' power to convict and sentence certain 
                perpetrators of domestic violence, regardless of 
                whether they are Indian or non-Indian. And this June, I 
                moved to strengthen our nation-to-nation relationships 
                by establishing the White House Tribal Council on 
                Native American Affairs. The Council is responsible for 
                promoting and sustaining prosperous and resilient 
                Native American communities.

                As we observe Native American Heritage Month, we must 
                build on this work. Let us shape a future worthy of a 
                bright new generation, and together, let us ensure this 
                country's promise is fully realized for every Native 
                American.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim November 2013 as 
                National Native American Heritage Month. I call upon 
                all Americans to commemorate this month with 
                appropriate programs and activities, and to celebrate 
                November 29, 2013, as Native American Heritage Day.

[[Page 66620]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord 
                two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
                eighth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2013-26677
Filed 11-4-13; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F4