National American Indian Heritage Month, 2000

Proclamation 7372 of November 8, 2000

National American Indian Heritage Month, 2000

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians
are a special part of the tapestry of our Nation's
history. As keepers of a rich and ancient cultural
heritage, Native Americans share with all of us the
beauty of their art, the power of their songs, and the
grace of their people. As individuals, they have
distinguished themselves in virtually every field, from
the arts to the sciences, from the world of sports to
the world of commerce.

This month, we celebrate the culture and contributions
of the first Americans. We also remember with sorrow
the suffering they endured because of past Federal
actions and policies that had long-term and often
devastating consequences for Native Americans and their
culture. But, as the new millennium dawns, there is
reason for optimism. During my 1999 New Markets tour of
the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota and my visit
to the Navajo Nation in New Mexico in April of this
year, I saw firsthand a strength of spirit and hope
sweeping through Indian Country. The Vice President and
I have worked with tribes to foster this hope--through
economic development initiatives and improved education
and health care.

We still have much to accomplish, however. While my
Administration has worked hard to bridge the digital
divide and bring the Information Superhighway to Indian
Country, some areas still do not have telephone and
power lines. We continue striving to provide American
Indians with the tools they need to strengthen family
and community life by fighting poverty, crime, alcohol
and drug abuse, and domestic violence, and we are
working with tribes to improve academic achievement and
strengthen tribal colleges.

We are also seeking to ensure that tribal leaders have
a voice equal to that of Federal and State officials in
addressing issues of concern to all our citizens. I
reaffirmed that commitment to tribal sovereignty and
self-determination by issuing this month a revised
Executive Order on Consultation and Coordination with
Indian Tribal Governments. This order builds on prior
actions and strengthens our government-to-government
relationship with Indian tribes by ensuring that all
Executive departments and agencies consult with Indian
tribes and respect tribal sovereignty as the agencies
consider policy initiatives that affect Indian
communities.

This year, my Administration proposed the largest
budget increase ever for a comprehensive Native
American initiative for health care, education,
infrastructure, and economic development. Just last
month, as part of the Department of the Interior
appropriations legislation, I signed into law one
segment of this budget initiative that includes
significant investments for school construction in
Indian Country and the largest funding increase ever
for the Indian Health Service. These are the kinds of
investments that will empower tribal communities to
address an array of needs and, ultimately, to achieve a
better standard of living.

Back in 1994, when I first met with the tribal leaders
of more than 500 Indian nations at the White House, I
saw the strength and determination that have enabled
Native Americans to overcome extraordinary barriers and
protect their hard-won civil and political rights.
Since then, by working

together, we have established a new standard for
Federal Indian policy--one that promotes an effective
government-to-government relationship between the
Federal Government and the tribes, and that seeks to
ensure greater prosperity, self-reliance, and hope for
all Native Americans. While we cannot erase the
tragedies of the past, we can create a future where all
of our country's people share in America's great
promise.

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 2000 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
eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord two
thousand, and of the Independence of the United States
of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth.