[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 201 (Thursday, October 17, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 83605-83607]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-24150]




                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 201 / Thursday, October 17, 2024 / 
Presidential Documents

[[Page 83605]]


                Proclamation 10839 of October 11, 2024

                
Indigenous Peoples' Day, 2024

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                On Indigenous Peoples' Day, we honor Indigenous 
                peoples' strength, courage, and resilience. We 
                celebrate the vast contributions of Indigenous 
                communities to the world. And we recommit to respecting 
                Tribal sovereignty and self-determination and working 
                to usher in a new era of our Nation-to-Nation 
                relationships.

                The history of America's Indigenous peoples is marked 
                by perseverance, survival, and a deep commitment to and 
                pride in their heritage, right to self-governance, and 
                ways of life. Since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples 
                have built and sustained powerful Tribal Nations, 
                cultivated rich cultures, and established vibrant 
                communities. And their discoveries and knowledge still 
                benefit us today. But because of our Nation's failed 
                policies of the past, generations of Native peoples 
                have faced cruelty, violence, and intimidation. They 
                were forced to leave their homelands, prohibited from 
                speaking their own languages and practicing their 
                sacred traditions, and forced into assimilation. 
                Indigenous lives were lost, livelihoods were ripped 
                away, and communities were fundamentally altered. 
                Despite the trauma and turmoil, Indigenous peoples have 
                persisted and survived. Their stories are testaments to 
                the bravery and resolve of generations to preserve 
                their heritage, cultures, and identities for those to 
                come after them.

                Today, Indigenous peoples lead in every way, share 
                their histories, and strengthen their communities. They 
                are also stewarding lands and waters, growing our 
                shared prosperity, and celebrating the good of our 
                Nation while pushing us to tell the full truth of our 
                history. Indigenous peoples have long served in the 
                United States military, fighting for democracy. And 
                Indigenous communities continue to be an integral part 
                of the fabric of the United States, contributing so 
                much to our shared prosperity.

                I remain committed to writing a new and better chapter 
                in our history. To make this new era of self-
                determination a reality, we must honor the solemn 
                promises the United States made to fulfill our trust 
                and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations and work 
                together to rebuild Tribal economies and institutions.

                From day one, I have worked to include Indigenous 
                voices at the table in all we do. I have appointed 
                Native Americans to lead across the Federal Government, 
                including the Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland--
                America's first Native American Cabinet secretary--and 
                so many others serving in key roles in my 
                Administration. I was proud to re-establish the White 
                House Council on Native American Affairs to help 
                coordinate policy. Together, we have taken historic 
                steps to improve the consultation process between 
                Federal agencies and Tribal Nations.

                I also believe that Tribal Nations know best what is 
                right for their communities, and they do better when 
                they make their own decisions. That is why I signed an 
                Executive Order to respect the Nation-to-Nation 
                relationship by ensuring Federal agencies respect the 
                autonomy of tribes, cutting red tape so Tribal leaders 
                can deliver for their communities. At the same time, we 
                are strengthening the Buy Indian Act so that Federal 
                agencies get more goods and services from Native-owned 
                businesses. These initiatives will

[[Page 83606]]

                help grow Tribal economies while respecting Tribal 
                sovereignty and Tribal Nations' right to build a future 
                on their own terms.

                Since I came into office, the Federal Government has 
                made record investments in Tribal Nations. My American 
                Rescue Plan--the largest direct Federal investment in 
                Tribal Nations ever--helped provide COVID-19 
                vaccinations to Tribal communities and got our economy 
                going again. My Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is the 
                single biggest investment in Tribal roads, bridges, 
                water, high-speed internet, electricity, irrigation, 
                environmental cleanup, and more. My Inflation Reduction 
                Act is the biggest investment in fighting climate 
                change ever, anywhere in the history of the world. It 
                is helping Tribal communities lead in the transition to 
                clean energy and mitigate the impact of droughts, 
                wildfires, and rising sea levels that threaten Native 
                lives and precious homelands. My Administration has 
                also provided increased resources to fight the opioid 
                epidemic and expand access to crisis care in Tribal 
                communities. Given that Native American women are two 
                times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes 
                than White women, my Administration has taken 
                significant steps to improve maternal health. And my 
                Administration also secured the first-ever advance 
                funding for the Indian Health Service so hospitals can 
                plan ahead, order supplies, and hire doctors.

                When my Administration reauthorized the Violence 
                Against Women Act in 2022, we included historic 
                provisions to reaffirm Tribal sovereignty and expand 
                Tribal jurisdiction in cases where outside perpetrators 
                harm members of their Nation. And recognizing the ties 
                of Indigenous peoples across North America, I supported 
                a Trilateral Working Group with Canada and Mexico to 
                ensure Indigenous women and girls in all three 
                countries can live free from violence.

                My Administration is also preserving important 
                ancestral Tribal lands and waters. I have protected and 
                conserved more than 42 million acres of our Nation's 
                lands and waters. I established, expanded, or restored 
                11 national monuments--including Bears Ears National 
                Monument, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, 
                Avi Kwa Ame National Monument, Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah 
                Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon 
                National Monument, Berryessa Snow Mountain National 
                Monument, and others containing sites considered sacred 
                to Tribal Nations. We are advancing the proposed 
                Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, which 
                stretches along 116 miles of California coastline and 
                has been home to coastal, ocean-going Tribal Nations 
                and Indigenous peoples for tens of thousands of years. 
                My Administration has also signed over 190 co-
                stewardship or co-management agreements with Tribes, 
                and we are working to sign more.

                On Indigenous Peoples' Day, we recognize that it is 
                hard work to heal the wrongs of the past and to change 
                course and move forward, but together, nothing is 
                beyond our capacity. May we take pride in the progress 
                we have made to establish a new era of Tribal 
                sovereignty and Indigenous self-determination--one 
                grounded in dignity, respect, and friendship.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., 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 October 14, 
                2024, as Indigenous Peoples' Day. I call upon the 
                people of the United States to observe this day with 
                appropriate ceremonies and activities. I also direct 
                that the flag of the United States be displayed on all 
                public buildings on the appointed day in honor of our 
                diverse history and the Indigenous peoples who 
                contribute to shaping this Nation.

[[Page 83607]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                ninth.
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                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2024-24150
Filed 10-16-24; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P