Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 216 / Tuesday, November 9, 2004 / Presidential Documents 65045

Proclamation 7840 of November 4, 2004

National American Indian Heritage Month, 2004

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation

As the first people to call our country home, American Indians and Alaska 

Natives have a noble history in this land and have long shaped our Nation. 

During National American Indian Heritage Month, we celebrate our commitment to respect and preserve the rich Native American traditions and cultures. 

The enduring experiences of tribal communities are a cherished part of 

our national story. In September, I was proud to meet with tribal leaders 

and celebrate the opening of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum 

of the American Indian on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. This 

new facility stands as a powerful symbol of the pride and vitality of our 

Native Peoples. The museum showcases masterworks of great cultural, historical, and spiritual significance. Through exhibits documenting past and 

present achievements and hopes for the future, it will introduce generations 

of visitors to the strong and living traditions of Native Americans. As a 

center for scholarship and learning, the National Museum of the American 

Indian will also advance understanding of the diversity that makes our 

Nation great. 

My Administration is committed to helping Native Americans as they build 

on their proud legacy. With the funding of my 2005 budget, we will have 

provided the Bureau of Indian Affairs with more than $1.1 billion for school 

construction and repairs during the past 4 years. To improve education 

for American Indian and Alaska Native children, I signed an executive 

order establishing an Interagency Working Group to help students meet 

the standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 in a manner 

that is consistent with tribal traditions, languages, and cultures. By setting 

standards for academic achievement and cultural learning, Americans in 

all communities can help their children realize a brighter future. I also 

signed an executive memorandum to all Federal agencies affirming the Federal Government’s continuing commitment to recognize tribal sovereignty 

and self-determination. As they have in the past, tribal governments will 

maintain jurisdiction over their lands, systems of self-governance, and government-to-government relationships with the United States. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, 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 2004 as National 

American Indian Heritage Month. I encourage all Americans to commemorate 

this month with appropriate programs and activities and to learn more 

about the rich heritage of American Indians and Alaska Natives. 

65046 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 216 / Tuesday, November 9, 2004 / Presidential Documents 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day 

of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand four, and of the IndependBilling code 3195

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ence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-ninth.

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