[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 44 (Monday, November 8, 1999)]
[Pages 2226-2227]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7247--National American Indian Heritage Month, 1999

November 1, 1999

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    Ours is a nation inextricably linked to the histories of the many 
peoples who first inhabited this great land. Everywhere around us are 
reminders of the legacy of America's first inhabitants. Their history 
speaks to us through the name of our cities, lakes, and rivers; the food 
on our tables; the magnificent ruins of ancient communities; and, most 
important, the lives of the people who retain

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the cultural, spiritual, linguistic, and kinship bonds that have existed 
for millennia.
    As we reflect on the heritage of American Indians, Alaska Natives, 
and Native Hawaiians, we also reaffirm our commitment to fostering a 
prosperous future for native youth and children. At the foundation of 
these efforts is our work to provide a quality education to all Native 
American children. In particular, we have sought significantly increased 
funding to support Bureau of Indian Affairs school construction and 
1,000 new teachers for American Indian youth. My 1998 Executive order on 
American Indian and Alaska Native Education sets goals to improve high 
school completion rates and improve performance in reading and 
mathematics. And we are working to get computers into every classroom 
and to expand the use of educational technology.
    We are also seeking ways to empower Native American communities and 
help them prosper. My Administration is expanding consultation and 
collaborative decision-making with tribal governments to promote self-
determination. We also support tribal government economic development 
initiatives, particularly those that increase or enhance the 
infrastructure necessary for long-term economic growth. My New Markets 
Initiative seeks to leverage public and private investment to boost 
economic development in areas that have not shared in our recent 
national prosperity. In July, I visited the Pine Ridge Reservation of 
the Oglala Sioux, as part of my New Markets Tour, to explore 
opportunities for economic development in Indian Country.
    Among the most serious barriers to economic growth facing tribal 
communities is a lack of housing, physical infrastructure, and essential 
services. My Administration is working with tribal leaders to build and 
renovate affordable housing on tribal lands, bring quality drinking 
water to economically distressed Indian communities, and improve public 
safety. We are moving to assist tribal governments in developing the 
physical infrastructure needed for economic development, including 
roads, fiber-optic cabling, and electric power lines.
    In working together to shape a brighter future for Indian Country, 
we must not lose sight of the rich history of Native Americans. Just 
weeks ago, the Smithsonian Institution broke ground on the National Mall 
for the National Museum of the American Indian. This wonderful facility 
will preserve and celebrate the art, history, and culture of America's 
indigenous peoples. It is also fitting that the first U.S. dollar coin 
of the new millennium will bear the likeness of Sacajawea and her infant 
son--an image that captures the importance of our shared history.
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the 
Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 
1999 as National American Indian Heritage Month. I urge all Americans, 
as well as their elected representatives at the Federal, State, local, 
and tribal levels, to observe this month with appropriate programs, 
ceremonies, and activities.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of 
November, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-nine, and 
of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and 
twenty-fourth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., November 3, 
1999]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on 
November 4.