[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 216 (Tuesday, November 9, 2004)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 65045-65046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-25165]




                        Presidential Documents 



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

[[Page 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.

[[Page 65046]]

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

                    (Presidential Sig.)B

[FR Doc. 04-25165
Filed 11-8-04; 9:39 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P