National Native American Heritage Month, 2013

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.

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.