[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 125, 112th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 8749 of November 1, 2011

National Native American Heritage Month, 2011
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
From the Aleutian Islands to the Florida Everglades, American Indians
and Alaska Natives have contributed immensely to our country's heritage.
During National Native American Heritage Month, we commemorate their
enduring achievements and reaffirm the vital role American Indians and
Alaska Natives play in enriching the character of our Nation.
Native Americans stand among America's most distinguished authors,
artists, scientists, and political leaders, and in their
accomplishments, they have profoundly strengthened the legacy we will
leave our children. So, too, have American Indians and Alaska Natives
bravely fought to protect this legacy as members of our Armed Forces. As
service members, they have shown exceptional valor and heroism on
battlefields from the American Revolution to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Native Americans have demonstrated time and again their commitment to
advancing our common goals, and we honor their resolve in the face of
years of marginalization and broken promises. My Administration
recognizes the painful chapters in our shared history, and we are fully
committed to moving forward with American Indians and Alaska Natives to
build a better future together.
To strengthen our economy and win the future for our children, my
Administration is addressing problems that have burdened Native American
communities for too long. We are working to bolster economic
development, expand access to affordable health care, broaden post-
secondary educational opportunities, and ensure public safety and tribal
justice. In June, I signed an Executive Order establishing the White
House Rural Council, to strengthen Federal engagement with tribal
governments and promote economic prosperity in Indian Country and across
rural America. This comes in conjunction with several settlements that
will put more land into the hands of tribes and deliver long-awaited
trust reform to Indian Country.
To bring jobs and sustainable growth to tribal nations, my
Administration is connecting tribal economies to the broader economy
through transportation infrastructure and high-speed Internet, as well
as by focusing on clean energy development on tribal lands. First Lady
Michelle Obama's recently launched Let's Move! in Indian Country ini

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tiative will also redouble efforts to encourage healthy living for
American Indians and Alaska Natives. These actions reflect my
Administration's ongoing commitment to progress for Native Americans,
which was reaffirmed last year when we announced our support for the
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Through
a comprehensive strategy where the Federal Government and tribal nations
move forward as equal partners, we can bring real and lasting change to
Indian Country.
This month, we celebrate the rich heritage and myriad contributions of
American Indians and Alaska Natives, and we rededicate ourselves to
supporting tribal sovereignty, tribal self-determination, and prosperity
for all Native Americans. We will seek to strengthen our nation-to-
nation relationship by ensuring tribal nations have a voice in shaping
national policies impacting tribal communities. We will continue this
dialogue at the White House Tribal Nations Conference held in
Washington, D.C. next month. As we confront the challenges currently
facing our tribal communities and work to ensure American Indians and
Alaska Natives have meaningful opportunities to pursue their dreams, we
are forging a brighter future for the First Americans and all Americans.
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 2011 as
National Native American Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to
commemorate this month with appropriate programs and activities, and to
celebrate November 25, 2011, as Native American Heritage Day.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of
November, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
sixth.
BARACK OBAMA